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The Computer Organization and Architecture discipline is present in computation and engineering courses. Its extensive and complex subjects require special attention mainly because it should be aligned with new technological trends and the students should have contact with physical hardware in order to develop their professional practical skills. This paper presents a graphical simulator for educational purposes in the design of computational systems, covering hardware architecture and organization, low-level programming and its interfaces. The proposed simulator includes graphical and interactive features aiming to simplify configuration, programming, simulation, visualization and performance evaluation of a complete system. The proposed tool also includes a communication interface to combine interactive simulation with the open prototyping platform Arduino and low-cost electronic components to establish complete scenarios for designing real embedded computer systems. The proposed application has been evaluated in four classes of a Computer Organization and Architecture course and results have shown that the learning became more attractive, dynamic and effective.

¿Es legítimo atribuir “mente” a un interlocutor mecánico (demostrablemente) competente? El experimento mental de la ‘Habitación China’, concebido por Searle en 1980, ha generado un torrente de literatura, de réplicas y contrarréplicas, que llega hasta nuestros días. Veinticinco años después, ¿queda algo interesante que añadir a la discusión, aparte de resucitar viejas objeciones? ¿O acaso hemos alcanzado un impasse filosófico, una suerte de equilibrio insulso? A mi modo de ver, la posición de Searle plantea, aún hoy, un serio desafío al sueño de una Inteligencia Artificial fuerte. No obstante, considero que dicho desafío no es en modo alguno insuperable. Para ello, propongo adoptar un punto de vista diferente, no el de la Habitación China sino el de un laboratorio de I.A.