A MIPS-style CPU simulator written in Python that interprets and executes basic assembly-like instructions. It supports arithmetic, branching, memory operations, jump-and-link functionality, cache simulation, and visual output for registers and memory.

• Modular CPU simulator with clear component separation:
  • InstructionMemory, Memory, Cache, and CPU
• Supports core instructions: ADD, ADDI, SUB, SLT, BNE, J, JAL, LW, SW, CACHE, HALT
• Label parsing for branch targets and control flow
• Instruction dispatch via dynamic dispatch table
• Graphical output of register and memory state using Matplotlib
• Logging support with timestamps and UTF-8 encoding
• Complete test suite to validate simulator behavior
• Exportable memory/register state for verification or teaching

Figure: CPU state visualized after a test run.

cpu_simulator.py        # Main simulator code
instruction_input.txt   # Instruction input file
cpu_simulator.log       # Log file with execution trace
README.md               # Project documentation

1. Clone the Repository

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/cpu-simulator.git
   cd cpu-simulator

2. Run the Test Suite

   python cpu_simulator.py

3. View Graphical Output Uncomment the run_graphical_demo() line at the bottom of the file to generate live Matplotlib charts.

This simulator includes 12+ rigorous test cases:

• Arithmetic correctness
• Branch conditions (taken and not taken)
• Unconditional and label-based jumps
• Invalid inputs and register names
• Cache operations and flush
• Memory alignment enforcement
• Looping with negative offsets

Each test logs results to both the console and a log file.

• Full Blog Post — Background, motivation, and walkthrough
• Project Repository

Built as part of my computer architecture portfolio project to deepen my understanding of instruction flow, caching, and memory interaction.

MIT License — feel free to fork, extend, and build upon it.