LFSR CPU Running Forth
Published on: 2025-06-11 22:35:07
LFSR CPU running Forth
Author: Richard James Howe
License: 0BSD / Public Domain
Email: mailto:[email protected]
Repo: https://github.com/howerj/lfsr-vhdl
This project contains a CPU written in VHDL for an FPGA using a Linear Feedback Shift Register (LFSR) instead of a Program Counter, this was sometimes done to save space as a LFSR requires fewer gates than an adder, however on an FPGA it will make very little difference as the units that make an FPGA (Slices/Configurable Logic Blocks) have carry chains in them. The saving would perhaps be more apparent if making the system out of 7400 series ICs, or if laying transistors out by hand.
See https://github.com/howerj/lfsr for more information.
The system contains a fully working Forth interpreter.
The project currently works in simulation (it outputs the startup message "eForth 3.3" with a new line) and accepts input (try typing "words" when the simulation in GHDL is running).
Here is an example session of the simulator runni
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