Evolution of Microprocessor –

Types of Microprocessors
We might have often heard the word Microprocessor To put this shortly, every
electronic device today uses microprocessors in some form. In fact if you can
see this page is because your device uses a microprocessor.The name itself
specifies its meaning by splitting the word micro-processor into two "MICRO"
is derived from a Greek word Micros which means small (in size, quantity,
number and dignity) and "PROCESSOR" is the logic circuitry that responds to
and processes the basic instructions.

It is so called because this device comprises transistors which are small in

size (micrometer). The word micro is used in electronics and in science
generally, to mean One-millionth or 10^-6. It has also been used to denote
something very small like a very small processor or microprocessor.

The microprocessor is nothing but the CPU and it is an essential component

of the computer. It is a silicon chip that comprises millions of transistors and
other electronic components that process millions of instructions per second.
A Microprocessor is a versatile chip, that is combined with memory and
special-purpose chips and preprogrammed by software. It accepts digital data
as i/p and processes it according to the instructions stored in the memory. The
microprocessor has many functions like functions of data storage, interaction
with various other devices, and other time-related functions. But, the main
function is to send and receive the data to make the computer function well.

It has millions of transistors and electronic components to process multiple

instructions at a time. All this is on one silicon chip which has memory and
other special features to support the computer system.

It is programmable in a way to read binary instructions from memory and

then execute the task to deliver the needed output. It is useful for storing data,
device interaction, and sending/receiving data simultaneously.
A Microprocessor has many components like transistors, registers, and diodes
which come together to perform. The ability of the chip has become more
complex with technology evolution. The functionality has become better and
the speed has become faster.

Now, most devices need to have a microprocessor to function. It is the element

that brings intelligence to a device. Be it a computer or mobile phone, all
devices need an interface to handle data that only a microprocessor provides.
And it still has a long way to go with the development of artificial intelligence.

Block Diagram of a Microprocessor

Arithmetic and Logical Unit, Control Unit, and Register array make up the
microprocessor. The ALU deals with input devices or memory for receiving
data. The control unit takes care of instructions and structure. Register array
identifies and saves the registers like B, C, and accumulator.
Evolution of Microprocessors
1. First Generation – 4-bit Microprocessors
The Intel corporation came out with the first generation of microprocessors in
1971. They were 4-bit processors, namely Intel 4004. The speed of the
processor was 740 kHz taking 60k instructions per second. It had 2300
transistors and 16 pins inside.

Built on a single chip, it was useful for simple arithmetic and logical
operations. A control unit was there to understand the instructions from
memory and execute the tasks.

2. Second Generation – 8-bit Microprocessor

● The 8008 processor was invented in 1972. The clock speed of this
microprocessor is 500 KHz and instruction per second is 50K
● The 8080 microprocessor was invented in 1974. The clock speed is 2
MHz. The number of transistors used is 60k and instruction per
second is 10 times quicker as compared with the 8008 processor.
● The 8085 microprocessor was invented in 1976. The clock speed is 3
MHz. The number of transistors used is 6,500 and instruction per
second is 769230. The number of pins of this microprocessor is 40

3. Third Generation – 16-bit Microprocessor

The third generation began with 8086-88 microprocessors in 1978 with 4.77,
8 & 10 MHz speed and 2.5 million instructions per second. Other important
inventions were Zilog Z800, and 80286, which came out in 1982 and could
read 4 million instructions per second with 68 pins inside.
 ● The 8086 microprocessor was invented in 1978. The clock speed is
4.77, 8 & 10 MHz. The number of transistors used is 29000 and
instruction per second is 2.5 Million. The number of pins of this
microprocessor is 40
● The 8088 microprocessor was invented in the year 1979 and
instruction per second is 2.5 Million
● The microprocessors like 80186 or 80188 were invented in the year
1982. The clock speed is 6 MHz
● The 80286 microprocessor was invented in 1982. The clock speed is 8
MHz. The number of transistors used is 134000 and instruction per
second is 4 Million. The number of pins of this microprocessor is 68

4. Fourth Generation – 32-bit Microprocessors

Intel was still the leader as many companies came out with 32-bit
microprocessors around 1986. Their clock speed was between 16 MHz to 33
MHz with 275k transistors inside.

One of the first ones was the Intel 80486 microprocessor of 1986 with
16-100MHz clock speed and 1.2 Million transistors with 8 KB of cache
memory. Followed by the PENTIUM microprocessor in 1993 which had 66
MHz clock speed and 8-bit of cache memory.

● The Intel 80386 microprocessor was invented in 1986. The clock

speed is 16 MHz to 33 MHz. The number of transistors used is
275000. The number of pins of this microprocessor is 132 14X14 PGA
● The Intel 80486 microprocessor was invented in the year1986. The
clock speed is 16MHz to 100 MHz. The number of transistors used is
1.2 Million transistors and instruction per second is 8 KB of cache
 memory. The number of pins of this microprocessor is 168 17X17 PGA
(Pin Grid Array)
● The PENTIUM microprocessor was invented in 1993. The clock speed
is 66 MHz and instruction per second is Cache memory 8-bit for
instructions 8- bit for data. The number of pins of this
microprocessor is 237 PGA

5. Fifth Generation – 64-bit Microprocessors

Beginning in 1995, the Pentium processor was one of the first 64-bit
processors with 1.2 GHz to 3 GHz clock speed. There were 291 Million
transistors and 64kb instruction per second.

Followed by i3, i5, i7 microprocessors in 2007, 2009, 2010 respectively. These

were some of the key points of this generation.

● The INTEL core 2 microprocessor was invented in 2006. The clock

speed is 1.2 GHz to 3 GHz. The number of transistors used is 291
Million and instruction per second is 64 KB of L1 cache for each core
4 MB of L2 cache.
● The i3, i5, i7 microprocessors were invented in the years 2007, 2009,
2010 2. The clock speed is 2GHz to 3.3GHz, 2.4GHz to 3.6GHz &
2.93GHz to 3.33GHz.

Evolution of Microprocessor in Different

Applications
Evolution of Microprocessor in Different Applications
The following gadgets were implemented by using different microprocessors.

So the evolution of microprocessors in different applications is discussed

below.

Business Calculator

In the year 1971, a business calculator like Unicom 141P was invented. It was

out of the leading gadgets that include a microprocessor.

Commodore PET

In the year 1971, this PET was implemented & is mostly recognized as the

main all-in-one home computer.

Washing Machine

In 1977, the washing machines were launched which were controlled through

leading microchips.

Arcade Mania

In the year 1980, the Arcade Maina was launched. Namco established

Pac-Man within the pathway of the United States & ignited a novel trend.
Osborne 1 Laptop

In 1981, Osborne 1 Laptop was launched using five screens with 10.7kgs of

weight. For most modern laptops, it is a great grand-father.

Nintendo NES

In 1986, the consoles refreshed the gaming business like Nintendo

Entertainment System.

Computing Democratized

In the year 1991, the invention of Personal, as well as business computing,

blasted through a wide variety of desktops, laptops & tabs.

MP3 Player

In 1997, a music player was launched to enjoy music in a modern way

BlackBerry

The Smartphone insurgence boosted with the launch of RIM’s Blackberry 850.

The 1st BB was accessible in the year 1999.

Apple iPod
In the year 2001, the first iPod was launched which gave the prospect of MP3

music set-up a new range of set tunes.

Microsoft Windows Tablet

In the year 2002, Microsoft Windows Tablet was implemented, businesses

were using these tabs for more helpful works.

Netbook

In the year 2008, Netbooks were launched because of small as well as a

light-weighted device for carrying out simple jobs, enjoying media & internet

content.

Apple iPod

In 2010, Tabs hit the client’s main-stream through the release of the iPod.

Digital Signage

In the year 2011, Digital Signage was invented which was the first of the

enormous new usages of the microprocessor. Academic, internet-connected

devices were established in everyday life from commerce & retail to farming as

well as automobiles.

Ultrabook
In the year 2011, Ultrabook was implemented. The development of the PC

takes an extra gigantic step like fashionable Ultrabook devices with

high-performance computing experience.

Features of Microprocessor

● It is low in cost as it uses integrated circuit technology reducing the

overall cost of a computer system.
● It generates less heat as semiconductors emit less heat in
comparison to vacuum tube devices.
 ● The microprocessor has a very high speed due to advanced
technology, executing millions of instructions every second.
● It consumes low power because of metal oxide semiconductor
technology.
● Its small size and less power consumption make it portable as well.
● It is small in size due to less footprint but has a large-scale
integration technology.
● It has a versatile nature as it is usable for several applications.
● The microprocessor has a very low failure rate becoming reliable for
the computer system.

Basic types of Microprocessor

1. Complex Instruction Set Microprocessors

CISM can take care of orders as well as other low-level activities like
downloading, uploading, etc. to support the system. It can also perform
complex mathematical calculations with just a command.
They make good personal computers that work well with simpler compilers.
Their instructions have more than one clock cycle. Some examples are – Intel
386 & 486, Pentium, etc.

2. Reduced Instruction Set Microprocessor

RISC is to carry out small specific commands at a faster rate and high
optimization. The instruction set is shorter due to simple commands and the
same length. They reduce memory references by adding registers.

RISC follow pipelining which leads to overlapping of instruction fetching and

execution. They take one CPU cycle to execute mostly. Some examples are –
AMD K6, and K7, etc.

3. Explicitly Parallel Instruction Computing

EPIC is a mixture of RISC and CISC, with the best features of both processors.
They follow parallel instructions without a fixed width. They enable compilers
to communicate with the hardware using sequential semantics. Some
examples are – Intel IA-64, Itanium, etc.

4. Superscalar Microprocessors
The superscalar processor supports performing multiple tasks simultaneously.
They are commonly present in ALUs or multipliers as they are capable of
carrying multiple commands. They use different operational units for
transmitting instructions inside the processor.

5. Application Specific Integrated Circuit

ASICs are common for automotive emissions control use or as a personal
digital assistant. Their architecture is very properly specified but at the same
time made with off-the-shelf gears.

6. Digital Signal Multiprocessors

The DSPs are famous for encoding and decoding video files or converting
analog to digital and vice versa.

They are excellent for mathematical calculations. RADAR, home theaters,

SONAR, etc. use these chips for the task execution. Companies like Intel,
Motorola, DEC, etc. have made many such microprocessors like this.

7. SIMD Processors
Single Instruction Multiple Data are for computations in vectors using
elements in parallel instead of serially. They have more than one ALUs and
each of them has a local memory for data storage.

8. Symbolic Processors
Symbolic processors are mainly for expert systems, machine/artificial
intelligence, and pattern recognition. They don’t need floating-point
operations to function.

9. Bit-Slice Processors
The Bit-Slice processors have specific word lengths and building blocks
according to the user preference. They have 4-bit ALUs, generators, and micro
programs sequencers. Some examples are – AMD-2900, 29300 series, and
Texas instrument SN-74AS88XX series.

10. Transputers
Transputer microprocessors are famous for managing internal components
like Chip RAM and serial links, etc. The communication link is one of the
elements that connect all transputers. Some examples are – INMOS T414 and
INMOS T800.

11. Graphics Processors

A microprocessor by Intel that is made for high definition games and movies.
Some examples are Intel 82786, Intel i860, and Intel i750.

Advantages of Microprocessors
● High-speed processing
● Brings intelligence to the system
● Is flexible in nature
● Has a compact size
● Is easy to maintain

Disadvantages of Microprocessors
● Leads to overheating due to continuous use.
● The data size decides the performance
● Larger than microcontrollers
● Doesn’t support floating-point operations

Applications of the Microprocessors

● It is present in single-board microcomputers as they use low
configuration with software and hardware.
● It is embedded in the PC making it suitable to access and use
applications.
● It’s present in superminis and CAD enhancing their performance.
● It acts as an instrument because of its accepting programmability.
● It acts as a controller in many home appliances like toasters,
televisions, stereo systems, etc. In the science industry, it is useful
for measuring speed, temperature, moisture, etc.
● The telecom sector uses it for a digital telephone system, telephone
exchange, and modem while the hospitality sector uses it for railway
and airline reservation systems.
● Office automation uses it for word processing, spreadsheet
operations, storage, etc.
 ● The publication uses it for automatic photocopies, high-quality
printing, and good speed.
● Consumers are using it for toys, amusement devices, and house held
devices frequently nowadays.
● It is also present in wireless communication equipment allowing
them to interact and connect with devices.

Important Intel Processors