Micro-link college

Computer Engineering Department

Microcomputer and interfacing

introduction
 Introduction
It act as a brain of a computer system.
Computers are of two types: analog computers
and digital computers.
A digital computer makes processing of digital signals
or numbers while
Analog computer processes analog signals
(Continuous quantity)
A digital computer is a programmable machine
 Introduction …
The CPU executes instructions given by the
programmer.
 The input device is used to feed programs and
data to the computer.
The memory is storage device. It stores programs,
data and result.
 The output device displays or prints programs,
data and/or results according to the instruction
given to the computer.
“ The central Processing Unit (CPU) built on single
IC is called microprocessor.”
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 A digital computer in which one microprocessor has
been provided to act as CPU, is called
microcomputer.
 “ A microprocessor is a multipurpose,
programmable, clock driven, registerbased
electronic device that reads binary instructions from
storage device called memory, accepts binary data
as input and processes data according to those
instructions, and provides results as output.”
 The microprocessor operates in binary digits, 0 and 1,
also known as bits. Each microprocessor recognizes
and processes a geoup of bits called the word
 Introduction …
 Microprocessor: This is a normal CPU (Central Processing Unit)
as you can find in a PC. Communication with external devices is
achieved via a data bus, hence the chip mainly features data and
address pins as well as a couple of control pins. All peripheral
devices (memory, floppy controller, USB controller, timer, . . . )
are connected to the bus. A microprocessor cannot be operated
stand-alone, at the very least it requires some memory and an
output device to be useful
 Microcontroller: A microcontroller already contains all
components which allow it to operate standalone, and it has
been designed in particular for monitoring and/or control tasks.
In consequence, in addition to the processor it includes
memory, various interface controllers, one or more timers, an
interrupt controller, and last but definitely not least general
purpose I/O pins which allow it to directly interface to its
environment. Microcontrollers also include bit operations which
allow you to change one bit within a byte without touching the
other bits.
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Word Length of a Microprocessor:
 The word length of micromputer or microprocessor is
given as “n-bit” where, n= 4, 8, 16, 32 or 64.
 An 8-bit microprocessor can process 8-bit data at a
time. Its ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit) is of 8 bit, its
general purpose registers which holds data for
processing, are 8-bit. E.g the earliest microprocessor
(the Intel 8088 and Motorola’s 6800)
 Similarly, a 16 bit processor handles 16 bit data at a
time and its ALU, general purpose registers, are of 16
bits. E.g. Later microprocessors (8086 and 68000)
 A processor of longer word length is more powerful
and can process data at faster speed.
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Words, Bytes, etc.
 Microprocessors can handle large numbers even if
they are 8 or 16 bit data bus, but in order to process
these numbers, they broke them into 8-bit pieces and
processed each group of 8-bits separately.
 A group of 8-bits were referred to as a “half-word” or
“byte”.
 A group of 4 bits is called a “nibble”.
 Also, 32 bit groups were given the name “long word”.
 Today, all processors manipulate at least 32 bits at a
time and there exists microprocessors that can
process 64, 80, 128 bits
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History of microprocessor
Introduction
Introduction …
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Microprocessor architecture
 Inside the microprocessor
Internally, the microprocessor is made up of 3
main units.
The Arithmetic/Logic Unit (ALU)
The Control Unit.
An array of registers for holding data while it is being
manipulated.
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