Integrated software support for a course on computer organization and assembly language

Curricula in computer engineering and computer science usually offer a mandatory course in machine and assembly language. This paper describes an integrated teaching tool for such a course, and classroom experience with using it. The tool consists of trainers for number systems and conversions, a simulator for a simple processor, an assembler for this processor, and a linker. Teaching experience has now been accumulated over six semesters. The material covered and the depth of knowledge acquired by students significantly exceeded the level reached when a commercial assembler was used.