Microprocessor

Microprocessor

 A microprocessor (abbreviated as μP or uP) is a computer processor

on a microchip.
 It's sometimes called a logic chip.
 A microprocessor is designed to perform arithmetic and logic operations
that make use of small number-holding areas called registers.
 Typical microprocessor operations include adding, subtracting,
comparing two numbers, and fetching numbers from one area to
another.
 These operations are the result of a set of instructions that are part of
the microprocessor design.
 When the computer is turned on, the microprocessor is designed to get
the first instruction from the basic input/output system (BIOS) that
comes with the computer as part of its memory.
 After that, either the BIOS, or the operating system that BIOS loads into
computer memory, or an application program is "driving" the
microprocessor, giving it instructions to perform.
 The number of transistors available has a huge effect on
the performance of a processor.
 As seen earlier, a typical instruction in a processor like an
8088 took 15 clock cycles to execute.
 Because of the design of the multiplier, it took
approximately 80 cycles just to do one 16-bit
multiplication on the 8088.
 With more transistors, much more powerful multipliers
capable of single-cycle speeds become possible.
 A microprocessor is made from miniaturized transistors
and other circuit elements on a single semiconductor
integrated circuit (IC) .
 These are made up of semiconductor and silicon.
 Processor
4

Pentium
Celeron
Athlon
PowerPC
Strong ARM (PDA)
Crusoe (Laptops)
SPARC (Workstations)
 Integrated Circuits

 A chip is also called an (integrated circuit (IC) (aka

microchip or just chip).
 It is a microelectronic semiconductor device consisting of
many interconnected transistors and other components.
 Generally it is a small, thin piece of silicon onto which the
transistors making up the microprocessor have been
 etched.
 A chip might be as large as an inch on a side and can
contain tens of millions of transistors.
 Simpler processors might consist of a few thousand
transistors etched onto a chip just a few millimeters square.
 Integrated circuits can be classified into analog, digital and
mixed signal (both analog and digital on the same chip).
 Digital integrated circuits can contain anything from one to millions of
logic gates, flipflops, multiplexers, etc. in a few square millimeters.
 The small size of these circuits allows high speed, low power
dissipation, and reduced manufacturing cost compared with board-level
integration.
 The growth of complexity of integrated circuits follows a trend called
"Moore's Law", it states that the number of transistors in an integrated
circuit doubles every two years.
 Integrated circuits can be classified into analog, digital and mixed
signal (both analog and digital on the same chip).
 Digital integrated circuits can contain anything from one to millions of
logic gates, flip-flops, multiplexers, etc.
 In a few square millimeters.
 The small size of these circuits allows high speed, low power
dissipation, and reduced manufacturing cost compared with board-level
integration.
 Devices

Transistors
 The transistor is a solid state semiconductor device
used for amplification and switching, and has three
terminals.
 A small current or voltage applied to one terminal controls
the current through the other two, hence the term
transistor; a voltage- or current-controlled resistor.
 It is the key component in all modern electronics.
 In digital circuits, transistors are used as very fast electrical
switches, and arrangements of transistors can function as
logic gates, RAM-type memory and other devices.
 In analog circuits, transistors are essentially used as
amplifiers.
 Diodes

A diode functions as the electronic

version of a one-way valve. By restricting
the direction of movement of charge
carriers, it allows an electric current to flow
in one direction, but blocks it in the opposite
direction.
A diode's current-voltage, or I-V,
characteristic can be approximated by two
regions of operation.
 Resistors

A resistor is an electrical component

designed to have an electrical resistance that
is independent of the current flowing through
it.
The common type of resistor is also designed
to be independent of temperature and other
factors. Resistors may be fixed or variable.
Variable resistors are also called
potentiometers or rheostats
 Capacitors

A capacitor (historically known as a

"condenser") is a device that stores energy in
an electric field, by accumulating an internal
imbalance of electric charge.
An ideal capacitor can store electronic energy
when disconnected from its charging circuit,
so it can be used like a fast battery.
In AC or signal circuits it induces a phase
difference of 90 degrees, current leading
potential.
 Microprocessor system

 Microprocessors are powerful pieces of hardware, but not much

useful on their own.
 They do not have the sense of their own.
 Like the human sample it needs some instructions inputs and
outputs to process some task.
 As per instruction given to the microprocessor.
 A microprocessor system is microprocessor plus all the
components it requires to do a certain task.
 Shortly, a microprocessor needs help of some components to make
up the task to fulfill.
 These components are input, output, storage, and memory.
 All these components and microprocessor make up a
microprocessor system.
 Personal Computer is an example of microprocessor System.
Another example is the microcontroller.
Microprocessors Building Blocks
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 Bit

A short of binary digit , smallest unit of data

in computer
Single binary value 0 or 1
Designed to store data and execute
instructions in bit multiple called byte
Mostly 8 bits in a byte
Either above or below value of electrical
charge in capacitor
Abbreviated with b
  Nibble
Half a byte (four bits) is called nibble
 Byte

Unit of data that is 8 binary digits long

Mostly used to represent a character
Can also hold a string of bits
 Abbreviated with B
  Octet
Used for an eight–bit unit instead of byte
 Kilobyte

KB or kbyte approximately 1000 bytes

2 to the power 10th or decimal 1024 bytes
 MegaByte

MB 2 to 20th power byte or 1,048,576 bytes

  GigaByte
2 to the 30th power or 1,073,741,824 bytes
 Terabyte

2 to the 40th power or 1024 gigabyte

 Petabyte

2 to the 50th power bytes or 1024 gigabyte

 Exabyte
2 to the sixtieth power bytes or
1,152,921,504,606,846,976
Unit Abbreviation Alternate Use Storage
Bit b - Binary digit, single 1 or 0
Nibble b 22 4 bits
Byte/octet B 23 1024 bytes
Kilobyte KB 210 1024 KB
Megabyte MB 220 1024 MB
Gigabyte GB 230 1024 GB
Terabyte TB 240 1024 TB
Petabyte PB 250 1024 PB
Exabyte EB 260 1024 EB
Zettabyte ZB 270 1024 ZB
Yottabyte YB 280 1024 YB