Visualizing CPU Microarchitecture

Deep understanding of microprocessor architecture, its internal structure and mechanics of its work is essential for engineers in the fields like computer science, integrated circuit design or embedded systems (including microcontrollers). Usually the CPU architecture is presented at the level of ISA, functional decomposition of the chip and data flows. In this paper we propose more tangible, interactive and effective approach to present the CPU microarchitecture. Based on the recent advancements in simulation of MOS6502, one of the most successful microprocessor of all times, that started the personal computing revolution, we present the CPU visualisation framework. The framework supports showing CPU internals at various levels (from single transistor, through logic gates, ending with registers, operation decoders and ALU). It allows for execution of real code and detailed analysis of fetch–decode–execute cycle, measurement of cycles per operation or measurement of the CPU activity factor. The analysis means provided by this framework will also enable us to propose the transistor level simulation speed improvements to the model in the future

Java Based Transistor Level CPU Simulation Speedup Techniques

Transistor level simulation of the CPU, while very accurate, brings also the performance challenge. MOS6502 CPU simulation algorithm is analysed with several optimisation techniques proposed. Application of these techniques improved the transistor level simulation speed by a factor of 3–4, bringing it to the levels on par with fastest RTL-level simulations so far

Magnetization dynamics down to zero field in dilute (Cd,Mn)Te quantum wells

The evolution of the magnetization in (Cd,Mn)Te quantum wells after a short pulse of magnetic field was determined from the giant Zeeman shift of spectroscopic lines. The dynamics in absence of magnetic field was found to be up to three orders of magnitude faster than that at 1 T. Hyperfine interaction and strain are mainly responsible for the fast decay. The influence of a hole gas is clearly visible: at zero field anisotropic holes stabilize the system of Mn ions, while in a magnetic field of 1 T they are known to speed up the decay by opening an additional relaxation channel

Stark Spectroscopy and Radiative Lifetimes in Single Self-Assembled CdTe Quantum Dots

We present studies on Coulomb interactions in single self-assembled CdTe quantum dots. We use a field effect structure to tune the charge state of the dot and investigate the impact of the charge state on carrier wave functions. The analysis of the quantum confined Stark shifts of four excitonic complexes allows us to conclude that the hole wave function is softer than electron wave function, i. e. it is subject to stronger modifications upon changing of the dot charge state. These conclusions are corroborated by time-resolved photoluminescence studies of recombination lifetimes of different excitonic complexes. We find that the lifetimes are notably shorter than expected for strong confinement and result from a relatively shallow potential in the valence band. This weak confinement facilitates strong hole wave function redistributions. We analyze spectroscopic shifts of the observed excitonic complexes and find the same sequence of transitions for all studied dots. We conclude that the universality of spectroscopic shifts is due to the role of Coulomb correlations stemming from strong configuration mixing in the valence band.Comment: sent to Physical Review