The Lightning-Bound Mind
A minimal 16-bit open-source CPU core built from scratch in C.
Aqal-16 is a 16-bit CPU core inspired by the ancient Arabic sense of "aql"—to bind, to restrain, to reason. It turns raw switching speed into a small, understandable machine that students can learn from and hackers can bend to their will.
Tagline: Bind the lightning. Think in 16 bits.
Most CPUs are black boxes. Aqal-16 is different:
- Minimal — Simple enough to understand end-to-end
- Hackable — Clear RTL, trace every bit from input to output
- Educational — Built for learning how CPUs actually work
- Data width: 16-bit
- Word size: 16-bit
- Target: FPGA and educational use
- Language: C (for simulation/verification)
./build.bash- Basic instruction set implementation
- FPGA synthesis support
- Assembly toolchain
- Educational documentation
See docs/ for branding and the story behind the name.