CHAPTER-1

An Introduction to Microprocessor and Computer

1.1 Introduction to Computer:
It is a programmable machine. Its characteristics are
1) It responds to a specific set of instructions in a well defined manner
2) It can execute a pre-defined list of instructions (a program)
Modern computers are electrical and digital
The actual machinery wires, transistors and circuits are called Hardware, the
instructions and data are called Software.
1.1.1 All general purpose computers require the following hardware components
Memory: enables a computer to store the data, programs either temporarily or
permanently.
Mass Storage Devices: allows a computer to permanently retain large amount of
data. Eg: disk etc
I/P Device: Usually a keyboard and mouse are i/p devices through which data and
instructions are entered into a computer
O/P Devices: A display screen, printer or other devices that lets you see what computer has
accomplished.
CPU: heart of the computer, actually executes instructions.
1.1.2

Microcomputer: It is generally synonymous with personal computer or a

computer depends on microprocessor (p)
There are designed to be used by individuals, whether in the form of PCs,
workstations (like a personal computer but it has a more powerful p and
higher quality monitor) or notebook computers.
Microcomputer contains CPU on a microchip, a memory system (RAM,
ROM), a bus system and I/O ports.

1.1.3 Microcomputer Organization: the basic components of a microcomputer

are

Clock Generator:

 Operations inside the microprocessor (p) as well as in the other parts

of the microcomputer are usually synchronous by nature.
The clock generator generates the appropriate clock periods during
which instructions executes are carried out by the p.
1.2 The Microprocessor:
A silicon chip that contains a CPU. In the world of personal computers, the
terms microprocessor and CPU are used interchangeable.
A microprocessor combined with memory and input/output devices forms a
microcomputer.

(a)

(b)

Structure of a microprocessor

a structure of a microcomputer

A microprocessor is a single very large scale integrated circuit (VLSI) with a

CPU and other structural sections like register sets, register files, caches,
parallel ALUs to enhance processing speed of instructions.
An integrated circuit that contains all the functions of a central processing
unit of a computer.
CPU built on single Silicon Chip.
1.3 The Microprocessor based personal computer system:
Figure shows the block diagram of the personal computer.

The above block diagram having four parts, those are

1) The Microprocessor:
Sometimes, microprocessor referred to as the CPU. It is the
controlling element in a computer.
The microprocessor performs three main tasks
1. Data transfer between itself and the memory or I/O systems
2. Simple arithmetic and logic operations
3. Program flow via simple decisions.
2) Buses:
A bus is a no.of wires organized to provide a means of communication among
different elements in a microcomputer system. Figure shows the buses of microcomputer
systems.

1. Address Bus: It is a group of wires or lines that are used to transfer the
addresses of Memory or I/O devices. It is unidirectional.
2. Data Bus: As name tells that it is used to transfer data within Microprocessor
and Memory/Input or Output devices. It is bidirectional as Microprocessor
requires to send or receive data.
3. Control Bus: Microprocessor uses control bus to process data, that is what to
do
with the selected memory location. Some control signals are Read, Write and
Opcode fetch etc. Various operations are performed by microprocessor with
the help of control bus and it is also a bidirectional.

3) I/O Devices: I/O devices which allow the microprocessor to communicate

between

itself and outside the world.

4) Memory: The first personal computer based upon the 8088 introduced in 1981
by IBM. Memory system is divided into three main parts, those are
1) TPA (Transient Program
Area): It holds the DOS
operating System and
other programs that
control the computer
system. The length of the
TPA is 640 K bytes.
2) System Area: It contains
program on a ROM or
Flash memory and areas
of RAM for data storage.
The size of the system
area is 384 K bytes. So,
total memory size is 1M
bytes. This is the real
memory.
3) XMS
(Extended
Memory System): In the
8086 or 8088, The TPA
and the systems area
exist, but the XMS is
absent. On a 80286/386,

the extended memory

limit is 16 M bytes and
on
80486/Pentium/Pentium
Pro, it is 4 G bytes.

4)
5)

1.4 Overview of Architectures: for designing microprocessor, there are two dominant
computer architectures exists. Those are
6)
1) Von Neumann
2) Harvard
7)
8)

9)

The computer has single storage

memory for storing both
data and
program
Processor needs two clock
cycles
to
complete
an instruction.
Pipelining the instruction is not
possible
with
this
architecture.
This is relatively older
architecture and
was
replaced
by
Harvard
architecture.

The computer has two separate

memories for storing data
and program.
Processor can complete an
instruction in one cycle.
Pipelining the instruction is
possible
with this
architecture.

 Most of the modern computing

architectures are based on

Harvard
architecture