OXFORD UNIVERSITY COMPUTING LABORATORY

Programming Research Group Technical Monograph PRG-60

The Formal Specification of a Microprocessor Instruction Set

Jonathan Bowen

January 1987, 72 pages, ISBN 0-902928-42-2

The specification language Z is used to define a microprocessor based system in a formal notation. The Motorola 6800 8-bit microprocessor is chosen as an example. Its simplicity allows the entire instruction set to be covered. Memory configuration and interrupts are also included. The use of a formal description language allows the possibility of verification of the instruction set. Additionally the use of Z combined with informal text is sufficiently readable for the specification to be used for documentation purposes.


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