STAR: AN ASSEMBLY LANGUAGE AND EXTENSIBLE 16-BIT VIRTUAL MACHINE

Abstract

This article aims to present the Star assembly language and the Star Virtual Machine, developed by João G. F. Cavalcante, as an educational ecosystem for teaching computer architecture and low-level programming. The methods adopted involve a comparative analysis of classic architectures such as MIPS, RISC-V, and 6502, the definition of a compact 16-bit ISA, and the implementation of a compiler and virtual machine in Rust. Techniques such as high/low division, opcode extension, and the use of pseudo-instructions were incorporated to enhance expressiveness within the limitations of the format. The Harvard architecture and the Big-Endian model were chosen to facilitate the visualization of the internal organization of memory and instructions. As a result, the project offers a simple, flexible, and portable language, associated with an interactive environment that allows the execution and debugging of programs in real time, displaying registers, memory, and instruction flow. It is concluded that the Star ecosystem constitutes an effective tool for teaching, simulation, and practical experimentation, contributing to a deeper understanding of fundamental principles of architecture, compilers, and machine-level execution.