🧠 Project Overview

AGXCore-8 Modular Computer System
Powered by the AGX-8 Instruction Set and Aether OS

🔧 Introduction

AGXCore-8 is a modular, stackable 8-bit computer system built from TTL logic and inspired by Ben Eater’s educational CPU. Based on the simplified DCPU-8 architecture by Aether Gear, it introduces a powerful instruction set (AGX-8) and a microkernel-style OS (Aether OS)—bridging low-level electronics with high-level programmability.

This ecosystem is designed to teach digital logic, systems programming, and embedded development. Paired with its compact sibling AGXCalc-8, the platform scales from simple calculator logic to a fully programmable microcomputer with modern integrations.

🧱 System Models

🧠 AGXCore-8

The full-featured modular system, built from individual stackable PCBs connected via a unified 2×20 pin bus.

Stackable logic modules (registers, ALU, RAM, ROM, etc.)
AGX-8 VM interpreter or native execution
Aether OS: microkernel with UART shell, stack calls, and IRQ
Integrated with ESP32, Raspberry Pi, Node-RED
Expandable to 16-bit and multitasking environments

🔢 AGXCalc-8

The minimal form of the system, acting as an 8-bit programmable calculator or test rig.

Includes Register A/B, ALU, ROM, and Clock modules
Runs AGX-8 instructions directly from ROM
Used as an educational math engine or demo system
Upgradable into a full AGXCore-8 by adding modules

📐 Modular Architecture

Module	Function
M01	Clock Generator
M02	Program Counter + Instruction Register
M03	ROM (AGX-8 programs + OS)
M04	RAM
M05	Microcode / Control Logic
M06	Register A/B
M07	ALU
M08	Flags
M09	Stack Pointer
M10	UART Interface
M11	Timer / Interrupt
M12	GPIO / Display Module
M15	AGX-8 VM Core (STM32 / RPi)

All modules connect via a 2×20 unified bus, enabling mix-and-match logic and rapid prototyping.

🧠 AGX-8 Instruction Set

AGX-8 is a compact and expressive 8-bit instruction set designed for both hardwired and VM execution.

Stack-compatible CALL / RET support
Register/memory addressing
Timer, GPIO, and shell commands
Extensible to higher-level languages and scripts
.agx8 or .agx file format for compiled programs

🖥️ Operating System: Aether OS

Built atop the AGX-8 engine, Aether OS provides:

Feature	Description
Shell Interface	UART or Node-RED CLI
Interrupt System	Timer-based and external IRQ support
Memory Control	Segment-based RAM and ROM mapping
Stack & Function Calls	Microcoded or VM-based stack model
GPIO & Output	LED, serial, and peripheral control
Script Support	Load `.agx8` programs from ROM or host device

🔌 Integrations

Platform	Use
ESP32	Serial terminal, OTA loader, Python scripting
Raspberry Pi	AGX-8 VM, Node-RED dashboard, SD storage
Logic Analyzer	Real-time signal tracing
LCD / OLED	Display for AGX-8 Shell or runtime logs

🎯 Use Cases

System	Description
AGXCalc-8	Calculator / ALU demo with Register & Display
AGXCore-8	Complete educational computer with multitier programming
IoT Logic Node	GPIO and serial command execution via ESP32
AGX-8 VM Host	Host-CPU virtual execution of `.agx` programs
Teaching Platform	TTL + bus logic + instruction coding in one system

📦 Development Tools

KiCad: Hardware schematics and PCB layout
agx8-asm: AGX-8 assembler (Python-based CLI tool)
agx8-loader: Serial loader for .agx8 programs
Node-RED: Dashboard & real-time shell
STM32 / ESP32 / RPi: Optional VM engines or shell bridges

📚 Licensing & Access

Resource	License
Hardware Designs	CERN OHL v2
AGX-8 ISA & OS	MIT License
Tools & Scripts	MIT / GPL
Documentation	Creative Commons (CC-BY-SA)

All schematics, programs, and documents are available on:

📂 GitHub Repository [coming soon]
🌐 WordPress Documentation Hub
🧾 QR Code tags on each physical module

🔖 Branding Summary

Identity	Name
Main Computer	AGXCore-8
Calculator Variant	AGXCalc-8
Instruction Set	AGX-8
OS Layer	Aether OS
File Format	`.agx8`, `.agx`
Shell Interface	(optional) AGXShell