Page 23 - DCAP210_INTRODUCTION__TO_MICROPROCESSORS

Unit 1: Microprocessors and Microcomputers

The 1990s saw a large-scale application of microprocessors in the personal computer Notes
applications developed by the newly formed Apple, IBM and Microsoft corporation. It
witnessed a revolution in the use of computers, which by then was a household entity.
This growth was complemented by a highly sophisticated development in the commercial
use of microprocessors. In 1993, Intel brought out its ‘Pentium Processor’ which is one of the
most popular processors in use till date. It was followed by a series of excellent processors of
the Pentium family, leading into the 21st century. The latest one in commercial use is the
Pentium Dual Core technology and the Xeon processor. They have opened up a whole new
world of diverse applications. Supercomputers have become common, owing to this amazing
development in microprocessors.

Questions:
1. Give the inventing year of transistor in the history of microprocessor.
2. Which company developed the first microprocessors?

1.5 Summary

• A microprocessor is designed to perform arithmetic and logic operations that make use of
small number-holding areas called registers.
• Microprocessor is a silicon chip that contains a CPU.
• Bandwidth is the number of bits processed in a single instruction.
• The speed of the microprocessor is measured in MHz or GHz.

• Pentium 4 is the fastest type of the Intel’s processor that contains 125,000,000 transistors and
operates at the speed of 3.6 GHz.
• Microcomputers are designed to be used by individuals, whether in the form of PCs,
workstations or notebook computers.
• Simple applications use only one ROM chip; the desktop calculator used four.

• One of the first users of the 8008 was Seiko in Japan for a sophisticated scientific calculator.

1.6 Keywords

Bandwidth: The number of bits processed in a single instruction.
BIOS: The basic input/output system that comes with the computer as part of its memory.

EPROM: Electrically programmed ROM’s was significant in allowing customers to experiment
with their software.

Instruction set: The set of instructions that the microprocessor can execute.
The gate to pin ratio: Optimization consists of maximizing the number of gates inside compared
to the number of pins outside.

1. How do instructions run in the ROM? Explain.

2. Give some basic code of assembly language.

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