Automated Design of Microprocessor-Based Controllers

This paper describes an approach to the automated programming of microprocessors for applications in logical control. A procedure is presented for describing control-tasks by state-diagrams. A minicomputer-resident crosscompiler entitled MRS (Microprocessor Realization of State-Diagrams) is discussed; MRS enables a designer with no knowledge of programming to translate a state-diagram into a machine-language microprocessor program. The preset version of MRS runs in 4K of core in the PDP-8 mini-computer and produces programs on paper tape for the Intel 4004 microprocessor.