Lesson plan
Hack computer
The Hack computer is a theoretical computer design created by Noam Nisan and Shimon Schocken and described in their book, The Elements of Computing Systems: Building a Modern Computer from First Principles. In using the term “modern”, the authors refer to a digital, binary machine that is patterned according to the von Neumann architecture model. The Hack computer is intended for hands-on virtual construction in a hardware simulator application as a part of a basic, but comprehensive, course in computer organization and architecture. One such course, created by the authors and delivered in two parts, is freely available as a massive open online course (MOOC) called Build a Modern Computer From First Principles: From Nand to Tetris. In the twelve projects included in the course, learners start with a two input NAND gate and end up with a fully operational virtual computer, including both hardware (memory and CPU) and software (assembler, VM, Java-like programming language, and OS). In addition to the hardware simulator used for initial implementation of the computer hardware, a complete Hack computer emulator program and assembler that supports the projects described in the book and the on-line course is also available at the author's web site.
Article summary
The Hack computer is a theoretical computer design created by Noam Nisan and Shimon Schocken and described in their book, The Elements of Computing Systems: Building a Modern Computer from First Principles. In using the term “modern”, the authors refer to a digital, binary machine that is patterned according to the von Neumann architecture model. The Hack computer is intended for hands-on virtual construction in a hardware simulator application as a part of a basic, but comprehensive, course in computer organization and architecture. One such course, created by the authors and delivered in two parts, is freely available as a massive open online course (MOOC) called Build a Modern Computer From First Principles: From Nand to Tetris. In the twelve projects included in the course, learners start with a two input NAND gate and end up with a fully operational virtual computer, including both hardware (memory and CPU) and software (assembler, VM, Java-like programming language, and OS). In addition to the hardware simulator used for initial implementation of the computer hardware, a complete Hack computer emulator program and assembler that supports the projects described in the book and the on-line course is also available at the author's web site.
Key claims
No claims recorded.
Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
No sources recorded.
Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.