Evolution of the Microprocessor

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Published: 23rd March, 2015 Last Edited: 13th December, 2017

Introduction

A microprocessor is that programmable IC that is used for executing instructions

to the process of digital data or exercise digital control over the devices. It is
primarily works as the central processing unit of computer system. The
complexity of today's microprocessors make even modest description how
microprocessors work beyond scope of the page.

The world's 1st microprocessor 4004, was co-developed by Buisson i.e. Japanese
manufacturer of calculators, & Intel U.S. manufacturer of semiconductors. After
the development of a general-purpose LSI not only the desktop calculators but
also the business machines are originally based on the decimal computer with the
stored program methods a basic architecture 4004 was developed on August
1969; a plan for the 4004 system was finalized in Dec 1969; and the 1st
microprocessor was successfully developed in Mar 1971. Microprocessors which
becomes the "technology to open up a new era," brought 2 outstand impacts,
"power of intelligence" and "power of computing".

1st microprocessors opened up the new era of programming through replacing

with the software, the hardwired logic based on I of the former era of logic. At
same that time, microprocessors allowed young engineers use "power of
computing" for creative development of the personal computers and computer
games & which in turn led to the growth in software industry & they paved the
way to the development of the high-level performance of microprocessors. Also
an engineer must be the armed with firm belief that on his mission is nothing but
the development & must be determined to the go of his own way, never
following others's track. 4004 performance was only 0.06MPS with 2238
transistors & 750 KHz operating frequency.

Microprocessors evolved 4 bit - 64 bit microprocessor, introducing computer

technologies such pipeline & super-pipeline & super scalar & VLIW& cache
memory, and virtual memory system. Now is possible integrate 16 sets of the
microprocessor with the 64GB of memory on board.

In the 20th century, microprocessors are used for increase in the power of
intelligence.
In 21st century, microprocessors will evolve into the "tool to bring forth wisdom"
for whole mankind .

The Breakthrough In Microprocessors

The switching units in computers that were used in the early 1940s were the
mechanical relays. These were devices that opened and closed as they did the
calculations. Come the 1950, and the vacuum tubes took over. The Atanasoff
Berry Computer used in vacuum tubes as its switching units rather than relays.
The switch from mechanical relay to vacuum tubes was an important
technological advance as vacuum tubes could perform calculations considerably
faster and more efficient than relay machines.This technological advance was
short-lived because the tubes could not be made smaller than they were being
made and had to be placed close to each other because they generated heat.

Then came the transistor which was acknowledged as a

revolutionary development. In “Fire in the Valley”, describe the transistor as a
device which was the result of a series of developments in applications of physics.
Transistor has changed the computer from giant electronic brain to commodity
like TV set. As a result of the technological breakthrough of transistors, the
introduction of minicomputers of the 60s & the personal computer revolution of
the 70s was made it possible.

However, researchers did not stop at the transistors. They wanted a device
that could perform more complex tasks—a device that could integrate a number
of transistors into a more complex circuit. Hence, the terminology, integrated
circuits or ICs. Because physically they were tiny chips of silicon, they came to be
also referred to as chips. Initially, the demand for ICs was typically the military and
aerospace industries which were great users of computers and who were the only
industries that could afford computers

Later, an engineer at Intel, developed a sophisticated chip. This chip could extract
data from its memory and interpret the data as an instruction. The term that
evolved to describe such device was “microprocessor”.

Therefore,“microprocessor” first came into use at Intel in 1972. A microprocessor

was nothing more than an extension of the arithmetic and logic IC chips
corporating more functions into one chip. Today, the term still refers to an LSI
single-chip processor capable of carrying out many of the basic operations of a
digital computer.
Development Of Microprocessors

Microprocessors essentially evolved from mechanical relays to IC what aspects of

the computing industry led to the development of microprocessors.

(1) Digital Computer Technology

We know the computer industry learned to make large, complex digital

computers capable of processing more data and also how to build and use
smaller, less expensive computers. The digital computer technology is been
growing steadily since the late 1940s.

(2) Semiconductors

It had also been growing steadily since the invention of the transistor in the late
1940s.In 1960s we saw the integrated circuit develop from just a few transistors to
many complicated tasks, all of the same chip.

(3) The Calculator Industry

It appears as if this industry grew overnight during the 1970s from the simplest of
four-function calculators to very complex programmable scientific and

financial machines.

Generation Of Microprocessor

Microprocessors were categorized into five generation Their characteristics are

described below:

A. First-Generation

The microprocessors that were introduced 1971 to 1972 were referred as the first
generation systems. They processed their instructions serially fetched the
instruction, decoded it, then executed it. When an instruction was completed,
microprocessor updated the instruction pointer and fetched the next instruction,
performing this sequential drill for each instruction in turn.

B. Second Generation

By the late 1970s , enough transistors were available on the IC to usher in the
second generation of microprocessor sophistication: 16-bit arithmetic and
pipelined instruction processing. Motorola's MC68000 microprocessor,
introduced in 1979, is an example. Another example is Intel's 8080.

This generation is defined by the overlapped fetch, decode, and execute steps .
As the first instruction is processed in the execution unit, the second instruction is
decoded and the third instruction is fetched. The distinction between the first and
second generation devices was primarily the use of newer semiconductor
technology to fabricate the chips. This new technology resulted in a five-fold
increase in instruction, execution, speed, and higher chip densities.

C. Third Generation

The third generation, introduced in 1978, was represented by Intel's 8086 and the
Zilog Z8000, which were 16-bit processors with minicomputer-like performance.
The third generation came about as the IC transistor counts approached 250,000.
Motorola's MC68020, for example, incorporated an on-chip cache for the first
time and the depth of the pipeline increased to five or more stages. This
generation of microprocessors was different from the previous ones in that all
major workstation manufacturers began developing their own RISC-based
microprocessor architectures .

D. Fourth Generation

As the workstation companies converted from commercial microprocessors to in-

house designs, microprocessors entered their fourth generation with designs
surpassing a million transistors. Leading-edge microprocessors such as Intel's
80960CA and Motorola's 88100 could issue and retire more than one instruction
per clock cycle

E. Fifth Generation

Microprocessors in their fifth generation, employed decoupled super scalar

processing, and their design soon surpassed 10 million transistors. In this
generation, PCs are a low-margin, high-volume-business dominated by a single
microprocessor