Microprocessors: from Basic Chips to Complete Systems
- 237 - MICROPROCESSORS: FROM BASIC CHIPS TO COMPLETE SYSTEMS R. W. Dobinson,*) University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, USA. "Good-morning, good morning!", the General said When we met him last week on our way to the line. Now the soldiers he smiled at are most of them dead, And we're cursing his staff for Incompetent swine. "He's a cheery old card," grunted Harry to Jack As they slogged up to Arras with rifle and pack. * * * * But he did for them both by his plan of attack. Siegfried Sassoon April 1917 1. AIMS OF THESE LECTURES Microprocessor technology has, since its conception and birth in the early 1970's, entered very many areas of our lives. No end to its growth is in sight, and new uses appear almost daily. The semiconductor industry continues to produce ever more powerful integrated circuits (known far and wide as chips); more functionality and speed at lower cost is every salesman's cry. These lectures aim to present and explain in general terms some of the characteristics of microprocessor chips and associated components. They will show how systems are synthesized from the basic integrated circuit building blocks which are currently available; processor, memory, input-output (I/O) devices, etc. It is not my intention to discuss in detail the many different microprocessors now available on the market, nor will a complete catalogue of support chips be presented. Time will not permit this. Instead, emphasis will be placed on explaining the basic principles of different types of chip. As far as possible X will avoid talking too much about any specific devices; thus I will spend some time discussing a generic microprocessor accessing generic memory and talking to the outside world via generic I/O devices.
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