An embedded implementation of the Common Language Infrastructure

Abstract

The Common Language Infrastructure provides a unified instruction set which may be targeted by a variety of high level language compilers. This unified instruction set simplifies the construction of compilers and gives application designers the ability to choose the high level programming language that best suits the problem being solved. While the Common Language Infrastructure solves many problems related to design of applications and compilers, it is not without its own problems. The Common Language Infrastructure is based upon a virtual machine, much like the Java Virtual Machine. This requires that all instructions being executed on the Common Language Infrastructure be translated to native machine instructions before they can be executed on the host processor. This leads to degradation in performance. In order to overcome this problem it is proposed that an embedded processor capable of natively executing the CLI instruction set be developed. The objective of this work is the design and implementation, using VHDL and simulation, of an embedded processor capable of natively executing the CLI instruction set. This processor provides a platform easily targeted by software developers.