[1] : WordNet (r) 2.0

microprocessor
     n : integrated circuit semiconductor chip that performs the bulk
         of the processing and controls the parts of a system; "a
         microprocessor functions as the central processing unit
         of a microcomputer"; "a disk drive contains a
         microprocessor to handle the internal functions of the
         drive"

[2] : The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03)

microprocessor
     
         or "micro" a computer whose entire cpu is
        contained on one or a small number of integrated circuits.
     
        the important characteristics of a microprocessor are the
        widths of its internal and external address bus and data
        bus and instruction, its clock rate and its instruction
        set.  processors are also often classified as either risc
        or cisc.
     
        the first commercial microprocessor was the intel 4004 which
        appeared in 1971.  this was the cpu member of a set of four
        lsi integrated circuits called the mcs-4, which was
        originally designed for use in a calculator but was marketed
        as "programmable controller for logic replacement".  the 4004
        is referred to as a 4-bit microprocessor since it processed
        only 4 bits of data at a time.  this very short word size is
        due mainly to the limitations imposed by the maximum
        integrated circuit density then achievable.
     
        as integrated circuit densities increased with the rapid
        development of integrated circuit manufacturing technology,
        the power and performance of the microprocessors also
        increased.  this is reflected in the increase in the cpu word
        size to 4, 8, 16, and by mid-1980s, 32 bits.  the smaller
        microprocessors have relatively simple instruction sets,
        e.g., no floating point instructions, but they are
        nevertheless suitable as controllers for a very wide range of
        applications such as car engines and microwave ovens.
     
        the intel 4004 was followed with, among others the 4040,
        8008, 8080, 8086, 80186, 80286, 80386, 486 and
        pentium.  other families include the motorola 6800 and
        680x0 families, national semiconductor ns16000 and
        ns32000, sparc, arm, mips, zilog z8000, powerpc
        and the inmos transputer family.
     
        the larger, more recent microprocessors families have
        gradually acquired most of the features of large computers.
        as the microprocessor industry has matured, several families
        of microprocessors have evolved into de facto industrial
        standards with multiple manufacturers and numerous "support"
        chips including ram, rom, i/o controllers etc.
     
        a single chip microprocessor may include other components such
        as memory ram, rom, prom, memory management,
        caches, floating-point unit, input/output ports and
        timers.  such devices are also known as microcontrollers.
     
        the one-chip microcomputer is in many respects, a landmark
        development in computer technology because it reduces the
        computer to a small, inexpensive, and easily replaceable
        design component.
     
        microcomputers have given rise to a new class of
        general-purpose machines called personal computers.  these
        are small low cost computers that are designed to sit on an
        ordinary office desk or to be portable and fuelled the
        computer boom of the late 1980s.  the most widespread example
        is the also ibm pc, based on microprocessors from intel
        corporation.  apple computers, inc. have also produced a
        range of personal computers, as have several other companies.
     
        see also killer micro, minicomputer, cpu info center.
     
        2002-07-16
     
     
see also:
cpu integrated circuits address bus data bus clock rate instruction set 
risc cisc intel 4004 lsi instruction sets 
floating point 4040 8008 8080 8086 
80186 80286 80386 486 pentium 
motorola 6800 680x0 national semiconductor ns16000 
ns32000 sparc arm mips zilog z8000 
powerpc inmos transputer ram rom 
i/o controllers prom memory management caches floating-point unit 
microcontrollers personal computer ibm pc intel corporation apple computers, inc. 
killer micro minicomputer cpu info center 

Microprocessor >> M Words
Microprocessor, definition of term: Microprocessor
microprocessor_pag1.html

In-Stat/MDR - Fall Processor Forum
... ..
http://www.mdronline.com/mpf/, score=100, date indexed=December 29, 2005, 7:08 pm

DDJ Microprocessor Center
... ..
http://x86.ddj.com/, score=99, date indexed=December 30, 2005, 12:09 am

In-Stat - Technology Research
...Godson-2 Microprocessor Is China's Great Leap Forward, Says In-Stat's ... others who need a plain-talk crash course on microprocessor technology. ... ..
http://www.chipanalyst.com/, score=97, date indexed=December 29, 2005, 11:49 pm

DDJ Microprocessor Center
... ..
http://www.x86.org/, score=97, date indexed=December 29, 2005, 10:47 pm

MPE - MicroProcessor Engineering Limited
... ..
http://www.mpeltd.demon.co.uk/, score=96, date indexed=January 27, 2006, 12:10 am

Microprocessor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
...Microprocessor, here an AMD Athlon64 X2 4200+. A microprocessor ( ... a variation of a microprocessor which combines the microprocessor core ... ..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microprocessor, score=95, date indexed=February 4, 2006, 4:00 am

Microprocessor instruction set cards
...... instruction set cards. A number of microprocessor instruction set ... Programming Cards. . Here is a list of the microprocessor assembler ... ..
http://archive.comlab.ox.ac.uk/cards.html, score=94, date indexed=December 21, 2005, 3:28 am

EEMBC -- The Embedded Microprocessor Benchmark Consortium
... ..
http://www.eembc.org/, score=93, date indexed=December 29, 2005, 10:47 pm

VLSI Microprocessors: A Guide to High-Performance Microprocessor Resources
...MXi 32-bit CISC microprocessor. Future Cyrix microprocessor, an ... Am5x86 CISC microprocessor Nx586 CISC microprocessor Am486 CISC ... ..
http://www.microprocessor.sscc.ru/, score=93, date indexed=January 20, 2006, 4:42 am

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