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HardNetSoft Blog
The computer that you are using right now to read this page Web uses a microprocessor to carry out its work. The microprocessor is the heart of any normal computer. Or a servant or a laptop, all needs one, and or a Pentium, Sparc or anyone of the many existing marks or types of microprocessors, will approximately do the same of a very similar form.
A microprocessor - also known as CPU or central unit process - is a complete element of computation, made in a single chip. The first microprocessor was the Intel 4004, which was introduced in 1971. He was not too powerful - everything what could make add and remain, and only could simultaneously do it with 4 bits. Even so, the incredible thing was that all these functions were in a single chip. Previously to this first model of microprocessor, the engineers constructed computers with long collections of Chips or more discreet components, like the transistors. Like anecdote, microprocessor 4004 was integrated in one of the first portable electronic calculators.
In order to understand as a microprocessor works, he is very useful to watch in his interior and to learn of the logic used when creating one. In order to know all the process it would be necessary to even learn assembly language - officially the language of the machines and the native language of the microprocessors, but we will try to simplify it a little for a greater understanding of its operation.
A microprocessor executes a series of instructions in the language previously mentioned to say to him to the processor that is what must do. Being based on these instructions, a microprocessor makes three things basic:
- Using its arithmetical logical drive (ALU), a microprocessor can conduct mathematical operations like adding, remaining to multiply and to divide. The modern microprocessors contain floating processors that can conduct operations very sophisticated.
- A microprocessor can move data of a location from memory to another one.
- A microprocessor can make decisions and to jump to a new group of instructions based on those decisions.
- A address bus, that can be of 8, 16 or 32 bits, and that east address takes to the memory.
- A bus of data, that can be of the same bits previously mentioned, that can send data to the memory and receive data of the memory.
- A line of reading (RD) and another one of writing (WR) to say to him to the memory if it wants to form or to locate the address.
- A line for the clock that sends pulses in sequence to the processor.
- A line to resetear the accountant of the program to zero and to reinitiate the execution.
Until now it has been spoken on the address of the instructions and the buses of data, and the lines of writing and reading. These buses and lines must go connected to rom memory and ram, generally to both.
Rom memory - It is a memory of only reading (Read Only Memory). A chip ROM is formed by a series of predefined bytes. The bus says to the chip ROM to him that byte to take and to locate in the bus of data. When the line reading changes its state, this chip presents/displays the byte selected in the bus of data indicated above.
Ram memory - It is a ram (Random Memory Access). It contains bytes of information, and the microprocessor can read or write in those bytes following if the lines of reading and writing are signalized. This type of memory forgets all the information that contains once the energy goes out. By this the computer needs the rom memory.
