CHAPTER 1
… 1
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THE MICROPROCESSOR-BASED PERSONAL
COMPUTER SYSTEM
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BUS?
A bus is a series of common connections that carry
the same kind of information.
Example- An address bus is a bus with 20 connections
that carry the memory address to the memory.
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THE MEMORY AND THE INPUT/OUTPUT SYSTEM
The memory structure of all Intel 80x86 to Pentium 4
based personal computer systems are similar.
This includes the first computers based on 8088
introduced in 1981 by IBM to the most modern computers
based on Pentium 4.
The memory structure of microprocessor-based computer
systems can be divided into three main regions. These are
1. Transient program area (TPA)
2. System area
3. Extended memory system (XMS)
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THE TRANSIENT PROGRAM AREA (TPA)
The transient program area or TPA holds the DOS
operating system and other programs that control the
computer system.
The TPA also holds other active or inactive application
programs.
TPA is 640Kb and since it holds DOS on it a part of this
640 Kb is used up by DOS operating system.
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REVIEW OF NUMBER SYSTEMS AND THEIR
REPRESENTATION
A number system is a set of symbols used to
represent values derived from a common base or
radix.
As far as computers are concerned, number systems
can be classified into four major categories:
1. decimal number system
2. binary number system
3. octal number system
4. hexadecimal number system
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CONT..
The term decimal is derived from a Latin prefix deci,
which means ten.
Decimal number system has ten digits ranging from 0-9.
Because this system has ten digits; it is also called a base
ten number system or denary number system.
A decimal number should always be written with a
subscript 10 e.g. X10
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CONT..
But since this is the most widely used number system in
the world, the subscript is usually understood and ignored
in written work.
However, when many number systems are considered
together, the subscript must always be put so as to
differentiate the number systems.
The magnitude of a number can be considered using
these parameters.
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CONT..
2. Binary numbering system
It uses two digits namely, 1 and 0 to represent numbers.
unlike in decimal numbers where the place value goes up
in factors of ten, in binary system, the place values
increase by the factor of 2.
binary numbers are written as X .
2
consider a binary number such as 1011 .
2
The right most digit has a place value of 1×20 while
the left most has a place value of 1×23.
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CONT..
3. Octal number system
Consists of eight digits ranging from [Link] place value of
octal numbers goes up in factors of eight from right to left.
4. Hexadecimal number system
This is a base 16 number system that consists of sixteen
digits ranging from 0-9 and letters A-F where A is
equivalent to 10, B to 11 up to F which is equivalent to 15
in base ten system.
The place value of hexadecimal numbers goes up in
factors of sixteen.
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NUMBERS SYSTEM CONVERSION
[Link] to binary
Example 1. Convert 147 to base 2 using
10
the division-remainder method.
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CONT..
Example 2. Convert 0.34375 to binary with 4 bits
10
to the right of the binary point.
Reading from top to bottom, 0.34375 = 0.01011
10 2
to four binary places.
We simply discard (or truncate) our answer when
the desired accuracy has been achieved
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CONT..
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2. Binary to decimal
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CONT..
Example 2. Convert 11.011 to a decimal number.
2
Solution
Convert the integral and the fractional parts separately then
add them up.
1×21= 2.000 0.011
=0*2-1+1*2-2+1*2-3 =0+1*1/22+1*1/23
1×20= +1.000 =0+1*0.25+1*0.125
3.000 =0.25+0.125
10 =0.37510
So, answer is 3.37510
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CONT..
3. octal number to binary
Example 1. Convert octal number 321 to its binary
8
equivalent
Solution
Working from left to the right, each octal number is
represented using three digits and then combined we get
the final binary equivalent. Therefore:
3=0112
2=0102
1=0012
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CONT..
Convert 1100100111012 to octal and
hexadecimal.
110 010 011 101 = 6235 Separate into groups of
2 8
3 for octal conversion
1100 1001 1101 = C9D Separate into groups of
2 16
4 for octal conversion
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