CoreTrace, a visual 16-bit CPU simulator
I built a 16-bit CPU simulator that runs entirely in the browser. You can write assembly, run it, or step through it one instruction at a time while watching what happens inside the CPU. It shows the registers, memory, flags, ALU, buses, and datapath as the program executes. You can also set breakpoints, inspect execution cycles, replay previous cycles, and try some example programs. I built this because I wanted CPU architecture to feel more tangible. Reading about fetch, decode, registers, buses, and the ALU is one thing. Watching an instruction actually move through the CPU is much more…
CoreTrace, a visual 16-bit CPU simulator launched on August 13, 2026 with 5 votes, #1,809 of 23,274 launches that month and more than 75% of that year's launches.
What it does
CoreTrace is a free, browser-based 16-bit CPU simulator. Write assembly code, step through instructions, and watch the Control Unit, ALU, registers, and RAM animate in real time. Perfect for learning computer architecture, assembly language, and CPU design.
In the maker’s words, at launch
I built a 16-bit CPU simulator that runs entirely in the browser. You can write assembly, run it, or step through it one instruction at a time while watching what happens inside the CPU. It shows the registers, memory, flags, ALU, buses, and datapath as the program executes. You can also set breakpoints, inspect…
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