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Chip Definitions
Microprocessor, Micro Processor Unit (MPU), and Central Processor unit (CPU)
Antique microprocessors are classified as one of four types of devices: single-chip processing units (ex. Intel 4004), multi-chip processing units (Fairchild 3850), multi-chip bit-slice units (ex. AMD 2901), and single-chip microcomputers, also called microcontrollers (ex. TI TMS1000). Modern technology also includes a type that has an entire computer system-on-chip. Collectors sometimes don’t distinguish between the types …
Control Unit
Control Units are the traffic cops of a microprocessor. The Control Unit implements the microprocessor’s instruction set. The Control Unit handles the order of execution of programs and fetches and decodes the instructions to be executed Based on the bit combinations of the instructions the Control Unit moves data around the microprocessor and sends the …
Microcomputer, Micro Computer Unit (MCU), and Microcontroller
Microcomputers, microcontrollers, or Micro Computer Units are MPU’s that include RAM and ROM on a single chip. The are often referred to as being a computer-on-a-chip. This on-board memory allows a very inexpensive computing solution. Where a computer with an MPU may have several chips on a printed circuit board, the MCU includes all of …
Floating Point Processor (FPU) and Math Coprocessor
Antique ALU’s often could only do integer math. For data that was floating point, any number with a decimal point, the calculation was handled by writing programs to break down the math operation into a series of integer operations. As this was a slow calculation, special purpose arithmetic chips were developed. These circuits were developed …
Chip Making Technologies
Bipolar A chip technology where transistors are implemented as NPN or PNP junction type transistors. MOS See MOSFET MOSFET Metal Oxide on Silicon Field Effect Transistor. A chip technology where the transistors are implemented as Field Effect Transistors. Silicon Gate A MOS or CMOS technology where FET gates are implemented with silicon Metal Gate A …
Arithmetic and Logic Unit
Arithmetic and Logic Units provide mathematical and logic functions. Without getting too technical ALU’s really only perform logic functions. Math is performed by logic operations that have the effect of adding and subtracting. Boolean logic, AND, OR, NOT, XOR are performed. ALU’s can also shift bits left and right. And, also, through logic functions ALU’s …
Intel’s Micro Computer Set (MCS)
MCS originally stood for Micro Computer Set, Set referring to the “set” of chips in the family. Intel continued to use this naming convention to describe its other families processors and eventually the “Set” became “System”. The Sets included the processor chip and other chips specifically designed for used with processor, primarily memory and interface …
Bit Slice, or Bit-slice, Microprocessor
Bit-slice microprocessors are the Legos of microprocessors. In bit-slice microprocessors the MPU is split apart into CU and ALU chips. At first blush, this may seem to go against the rationale for using a MPU. Splitting these functions apart into multiple increases complexity and expense. After all the MCU was built to shrink a computer …