The execute and fetch proofs cover the running cell. The top-level cell also
has a lifecycle protocol: reset, host memory writes, start, gated execution,
and debug observation. This chapter gives that protocol an executable Lean
model with port-shaped inputs.
Reset and start are explicit state transformers. Both preserve the loaded
memories. Reset leaves the cell halted and not busy; start clears architectural
counters, registers, pointers, accumulator, and program counter before making
the cell runnable.
Host writes update the physical slots selected by the low memory-index bits of
the word instruction memory and the architectural data, resident-weight, and
stream memories. With reset inactive and start low, the clock either idles or
delegates to the word-backed execute cycle. When the cell is busy and not
halted, that lifecycle transition refines the ISA step for the post-load
state.
For the ordinary run protocol, host writes are idle during execution. Under
that condition, a generated encoded program has the same one-cycle architectural
effect as executing the decoded instruction selected by the encoder at pc.