# InkboxSoftware/excelCPU

16-bit CPU for Excel, and related files

Repository: https://github.com/InkboxSoftware/excelCPU
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/excelcpu
Language: Python
License: CC0-1.0
License Family: permissive
Last push: 2024-11-11T09:00:41+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 26/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-02T17:46:02.011165+00:00)
- activity 0, release rhythm 35, longevity 67
- inputs: {"age_days": 949, "days_push": 660, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: no_releases
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 4757, forks 411 (observed 2026-08-28T04:08:58.956541+00:00)

## What it is
A 16-bit CPU implemented entirely within an Excel spreadsheet, featuring 16 registers, 128KB of RAM, and a 128x128 display, driven by Excel's recalculation engine. It includes a custom assembly language (Excel-ASM16) with a Python compiler that assembles programs into a ROM spreadsheet the CPU can execute.

## Use cases
- run a 16-bit CPU inside Excel
- write assembly programs for a spreadsheet-based computer
- learn how CPUs execute instructions step by step
- compile Excel-ASM16 assembly into a ROM spreadsheet
- experiment with clock-driven computation in spreadsheets

## When to choose
- you want a hands-on, visual way to learn CPU architecture and assembly
- you enjoy novel computing-within-spreadsheet projects
- you want to run sample programs on a simulated 16-bit machine without installing emulators

## When to avoid
- you need a fast or practical CPU emulator for real workloads
- you require a production-grade development toolchain
- you cannot use Microsoft Excel with iterative calculation enabled

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: active
- function: simulation, compiler, interpreter, developer-tools
- domain: hardware, education, developer-tools, simulation
- platform: windows, cross-platform
- tags: excel, cpu-emulator, assembly, 16-bit, spreadsheet-computing, hobby-project, macos

## Member repositories
- InkboxSoftware/excelCPU (main) score 26

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:08:58.956541+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-29T18:18:52.259350+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/InkboxSoftware/excelCPU (fetched 2026-08-28T04:08:58.956541+00:00, sha 192d38559d16)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.