Scribd
Upload
2 views7 pages

Microprocessor

The document provides an overview of microprocessors, defining them as the CPU of a computer and tracing their evolution from vacuum tubes to ultra large scale integration. It classifies microprocessors based on their applications, such as general-purpose, microcontrollers, and special-purpose processors, as well as their architecture, including RISC, CISC, VLIW, and superscalar processors. The content highlights the increasing density of elements on chips and the advancements in technology over generations.

Uploaded by

shourishpaul417
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
2 views7 pages

Microprocessor

The document provides an overview of microprocessors, defining them as the CPU of a computer and tracing their evolution from vacuum tubes to ultra large scale integration. It classifies microprocessors based on their applications, such as general-purpose, microcontrollers, and special-purpose processors, as well as their architecture, including RISC, CISC, VLIW, and superscalar processors. The content highlights the increasing density of elements on chips and the advancements in technology over generations.

Uploaded by

shourishpaul417
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Microprocessor

Microprocessor
• The microprocessor, also known as the Central Processing Unit (CPU),
contained within a single chip (integrated circuit) and is the brain of a
computer.
• The term originated in the 1970s when processors were first
miniaturized.
• The term is often abbreviated MPU for "microprocessor unit" or just
MP, the latter also spelled with the Greek µ symbol for micro (µ P).
• The density of elements on processor chips continued to rise.
• More and more elements were placed on each chip so that fewer and
fewer chips were needed to construct a single computer processor
Evolution of Microprocessor
1. The First Generation: Vacuum Tubes (1946 – 1957)
2. The Second Generation: Transistors (1958 – 1964)
◆ Replaced vacuum tubes, Smaller, Cheaper
◆ Less heat dissipation, Solid State device, Made from Silicon (Sand)
◆ Invented 1947 at Bell Labs, William Shockley et al.
[Link] Third Generation (1965 – 1971)
◆ Small scale integration - 1965 on • Up to 100 devices on a chip
◆ Medium scale integration - to 1971 • 100-3,000 devices on a chip
[Link] Generation (1972 – 1977)
◆ Large scale integration - 1971-1977 • 3,000 - 100,000 devices on a chip
Cont..
5. Fifth Generation: Very large scale integration - 1978 -1991
◆ 100,000 - 100,000,000 devices on a chip
6. Sixth Generation: Ultra large scale integration – 1991
◆ Over 100,000,000 devices on a chip
Classification of Microprocessors
• Based on the application of the processors
◆ General-purpose processors
• Used in general computer system integration
◆ Microcontrollers
• Microprocessor chips with built-in hardware for the memory and I/O ports.
• Also called single-chip computers or computer-on-a-chip or system-on-a-chip.
• It is used in machine control applications, where there is no need to change the
program.
◆ Special-purpose processors
• Designed specifically to handle special functions
Classification of Microprocessors (Contd..)
• Based on the architecture and hardware of the processors
◆ RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computing) processors • It is a
computer with a small, highly optimized set of instructions. • make
hardware simpler by using an instruction set composed of a few basic
steps for loading, evaluating and storing operations.
◆ CISC (Complex Instruction Set Computing) processors • It is a
computer that contains a large set of computer instructions that range
from very simple to very complex and specialized.
Classification of Microprocessors (Contd..)
◆ VLIW (Very Long Instruction Word) processors • It refers to instruction set
architectures designed to exploit instruction level parallelism (ILP).
• It describes a computer processing architecture in which a language
compiler or pre-processor breaks program instruction down into basic
operations that can be performed by the processor in parallel (that is, at
the same time).
◆ Superscalar processors • It is a CPU that implements a form of parallelism
called instruction-level parallelism within a single processor.
• A superscalar processor is a specific type of microprocessor that uses
instruction-level parallelism to help to facilitate more than one instruction
executed during a clock cycle.

You might also like