WinMIPS64

WinMIPS64 is an instruction set simulator, and is designed as a replacement for the popular Microsoft Windows utility WinDLX. The classic text

Computer Architecture - a Quantitative Approach, by Hennessy & Patterson, 4th edition

from its 3^rd edition has switched from the 32-bit DLX architecture, to the 64-bit MIPS architecture. Hence the need for a new teaching tool. WinDLX had a very nice friendly user interface, including a full graphical simulation of the 5-stage pipeline. Therefore it was decided to create a similar tool for the MIPS64 with a very similar interface.

If you know how to use WinDLX then the look-and-feel of WinMIPS64 will be very familiar. However there are a few changes.

• Forwarding is indicated by colouring the forwarded register. The colour indicates the stage in the pipeline that it is being forwarded from.
• A delay slot can be implemented if desired. With V1.30 a simple branch-target-buffer can also be simulated. A << in the code window beside a jump or branch instruction indicates that it is predicted as being taken.
• The full instruction set is not currently implemented. In particular there is no support for single precision floating-point, or "paired single" floating-point.
• Registers and memory can be changed by left-double-clicking on the target. Right-double-clicking on memory displays it in double-precision decimal floating point format.
• Break-points are set and cleared by simply left-double-clicking on the code window.

The software is available for download in a .ZIP archive. This includes the Windows '98/2000/NT/whatever executable, a simple stand-alone DOS assembler, and several example programs. It may be used freely without restriction. If you find any bugs, or would like to see an additional feature, please let me know at mike@compapp.dcu.ie.

Download from WinMIPS64. Documentation in Microsoft Word format is also available. Here are a couple of lab exercises ex2.doc and ex3.doc

Full Visual C++ source code is available on request - but tell me who you are and why you want it.

Update History:

V1.12

• displays the currently loaded file on status line (press F10).
• remembers last folder used for input.

V1.13

• Bug fix - registers modified by double-clicking stay modified.
• Integer dmul and ddiv instructions disabled (they make many tutorial problems too easy!)

V1.14

• Support for network installations
• Various minor bug -fixes

V1.15

• System far less tolerant of silly syntax errors
• Open file name appears on title bar.

V1.20

• Some fonts fixed
• Possibility of WAR hazards for FP instructions recognized

V1.21

• F5 removed
• Bug in Cycles window fixed

V1.30

• Branch Target Buffer option added
• Minor bugs eliminated
• More example programs

V1.31

• Long lines generate an error
• Larger data area allowed

V1.32

• Standard MIPS pseudo-names for registers now allowed
• .. so $zero for r0, $t0 for r8 etc. Also $6 for r6.
• # is now acceptable as well as ; to indicate a comment

V1.40

• New Dumb Terminal I/O capability – New Terminal Window
• New example program testio.s – demos output capability
• Graphics output capability

V1.50

• 10 new instructions!
• Integer dmul and ddiv instructions restored

V1.51

· Some bug fixes

V1.52

· Errors on pass 2 now highlighted in red.

· Viewing FP memory no longer changes it

Mike Scott, April 2008