LC-3 Simulator

From any department Linux machine, you can assemble and run any LC-3 program. You can use your favorite editor (pico, vi, emacs) to write your assembly code. Then you can run the following commands from a terminal window:

• /p/bin/lc3asm filename.asm - assembles filename.asm and creates filename.obj, in addition to a couple of other files.
• /p/bin/lc3db - loads a text version of the LC-3 simulator that allows you to load and run (or step through) LC-3 assembled files (.obj files).
• /p/bin/lc3db --ddd - loads a graphical LC-3 simulator that allows you to load and run (or step through) LC-3 assembled files (.obj files).

The following documentation will help you get started with the LC-3:

• LC-3 Quick Start Guide by Taylor Riche, updated by Jennifer Sartor and Vinod Valsalam.
• LC-3 Simulator Commands, from lc3db's help.
• LC-3 Simulator for Unix by Anthony Liguori

Click here for some helpful hints regarding the LC-3 Linux simulator.

The assembly language manual, which appears in Appendix A of your textbook, describes the LC-3 ISA and other machine features.

We strongly recommend that you use the installation of lc3db provided at the CS department's Unix labs. Other versions of the simulator do not implement all the features necessary for this course, and may exhibit different behavior from the simulator used for grading. If you like to live dangerously, however, you can install and run an LC-3 simulator on several other platforms.