B. Background

What is a processor?

A processor, or central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of a computer. It is designed read a list of instructions as defined by an instruction set architecture (ISA) and perform the necessary computations to carry them out. The main instruction types of a processor are loading and storing memory, arithmetic and logical operations, and control flow operations.

What is a compiler?

A compiler is a program that takes a high-level programming languages, such as C, and converts it into machine code or the binary instructions that a processor can understand and execute. This process involves syntax checking, abstract syntax tree parsing, and code optimization.

What is an assembler?

An assembler, similar to a compiler, is a tool that converts assembly language, a low-level programming language very close to machine code, into actual machine code or binary instructions that a computer's processor can execute. It is sometimes an additional step which is done after compilation if the compiler outputs assembly instead of machine code.

What is VGA?

VGA (Video Graphics Array) is a display standard developed by IBM in 1987. It defines the resolution, color depth, and refresh rates for interfacing with a monitor. The VGA standard is the link between our processor and the monitor.

Why would we want this?

The FPGA is a powerful tool which allows you to create circuits to perform a large number of tasks. The problem which a processor aims to solve is allowing multiple different tasks to be executed without needing to redesign the circuit layout for each one. To change the function of the processor, you need only update the stored memory.