Seeking a simplified approach to computer architecture education? This paper introduces the Postroom Computer, a computer architecture simulator based on the Little Man Computer, designed for teaching introductory computer architectures. This incremental approach allows students to grasp computer architecture and low-level programming concepts effectively. The simulator provides a family of architectures suitable for incremental learning. The extensions include a range of instruction set architectures (0, 1, 2, and 3 address machines) and addressing architectures (immediate or register operands), offering various memory models with or without registers and/or background memory. The high degree of orthogonality in these extensions allows for the introduction of concepts in a step-by-step manner. This resource offers a valuable tool for educators seeking to simplify the complexities of computer architecture. By providing a range of computing models within the Little Man Computer paradigm, the Postroom Computer facilitates a deeper understanding of computer architecture and low-level programming, making it an ideal resource for introductory courses.
Since no journal categories were provided, it is difficult to provide a specific contextualization. The Journal on Educational Resources in Computing often publishes articles relating to tools for teaching computer science. This paper could be an example of one such tool. The Postroom Computer offers flexibility in designing introductory computer science courses.