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A microprocessor system?
uPs are powerful pieces of hardware, but not
much useful on their own
Just as the human brain needs hands, feet,
eyes, ears, mouth to be useful; so does the uP
A uP system is uP plus all the components it
requires to do a certain task
A microcomputer is 1 example of a uP system
Micro-controllers?
Micro-controllers are another type of uP systems
They are generally not that powerful, cost a few
dollars a piece, and are found embedded in
video games, VCRs, microwave ovens, printers,
autos, etc.
They are a complete computer on a chip
containing direct input and output capability and
memory along with the uP on a single chip.
Many times they contain other specialized
application-specific components as well
uP Building Blocks
Microprocessor
Data
Cache
Memory
Bus
RAM
Bus
Interface
Unit
I/O
System
Bus
Control
Unit
Arithmetic
& Logic
Unit
Instruction
Decoder
Registers
Instruction
Cache
Floating
Point
Unit
Registers
Instruction Decoder
This unit receives the programming instructions
and decodes them into a form that is
understandable by the processing units, i.e. the
ALU or FPU
Then, it passes on the decoded instruction to
the ALU or FPU
Registers
Both ALU & FPU have a very small amount of
super-fast private memory placed right next to
them for their exclusive use. These are called
registers
The ALU & FPU store intermediate and final
results from their calculations in these registers
Processed data goes back to the data cache
and then to main memory from these registers
Control Unit
The brain of the uP
Manages the whole uP
Tasks include fetching instructions & data,
storing data, managing input/output
devices
Microprocessor
Data
Cache
Memory
Bus
RAM
Bus
Interface
Unit
I/O
System
Bus
Control
Unit
Arithmetic
& Logic
Unit
Instruction
Decoder
Registers
Instruction
Cache
Floating
Point
Unit
Registers
Instruction Set
The set of machine instructions that a uP
recognizes and can execute the only
language uP knows
An instruction set includes low-level, a single
step-at-a-time instructions, such as add,
subtract, multiply, and divide
Each uP family has its unique instruction set
Bigger instruction-sets mean more complex
chips (higher costs, reduced efficiency), but
shorter programs
Introduced 1971
2250 transistors
108 kHz, 60,000 ops/sec
16 pins
10-micron process
As powerful as the ENIAC which had 18000 tubes and
occupied a large room
Targeted use: Calculators
Cost: less than $100
Moores Law
In 1965, one of the founders of Intel Gordon
Moore predicted that the number of
transistor on an IC (and therefore the
capability of microprocessors) will double
every year. Later he modified it to 18-months
His prediction still holds true in 02. In fact,
the time required for doubling is contracting to
the original prediction, and is closer to a year
now
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