Processors.

Processors.


This is going to be a tutorial that will (hopefully) teach you something about some of the more popular processors in computers.

This is the first part of it. This one covers Intels beginings and goes up to the 486, When i get a little more time ill finish where i left off at which is where the pentium begins) And then i will start on other brands and companies that made processors. (well if i get a good responce i will, if no one likes it ill stop though.)




Intel:


The Most popular CPUs in use today are designed by Intel, and typically found in IBM based PCs. The first processor by Intel was the 8088, the CPU found in the original IBM PC.

It originally had an internal and external CPU click speed of 4.7 MHz, and there was no L1 or L2 cache. Cache memory wasn’t needed because the memory ran at the exact same speed as the internal and external CPU clock.

The address bus on the CPU was 20 bits wide, a number chosen to enable the computer to address 1,048,576 bytes of memory, or 1MB. Not very much huh?
But think about it like this, back then you didn’t need much RAM anyway, almost everything was character based.
But even this was 16 times the usual 65,536 bytes or 64K which was common in those days.

Most engineers thought this was more than a computer would ever need. The address BUS was 8 bits wide, but internal operations could be performed at either 8 or 16 bit logic. The 8 bit data bus made it cheap and easy to build computers around the chip.

The 8088 was followed by the 8086, which was the first Intel processor to have a 16 bit data path. Besides that it was identical to the 8088. Later on, clock speeds soared to a whopping 20 MHz. Intel has built on this CPU ever since, following it up with other processors that became popular in PC computers.

The 80286 was the beginning of the 80x86 line, featuring more advanced chip functionality to provide more commands to the end user (Back when end users knew what a command was.) and higher clock speeds of 8, 16, and even 20 MHz.
This chip also ran at identical internal and external clock speeds, and had no L1 and L2 cache.

The 80386 introduced a 32-bit address and data bus, and still higher clock speeds of 16, 20, and even a turbo like 40 MHz.
This chip was the first in the Intel 80x86 chip family that could perform operations using 32 bits of data at a time.

Because the chips were so fast, running at speeds over 16 MHz, they were the first Intel chips in this line to support external, or L2, cache.

The external and internal clocks on the chip were still the same but new instructions were introduced.
Like the 8088 and 8086 combination, this chip also came in two data port versions. The 80386 was officially called the 80386DX and had a 32 bit data path.

For “Hey we want to make money” reasons they also made a chip that had a slight problem in it, but they called it a feature and marketed it as the 80386SX, which had a 16 bit external data path and 24 bit address bus width.

The next chips released were the 80486 family, the first line of chips in which Intel used different internal and external clocks.
This chip is the first one to have L1 cache on the chip, which runs at the internal CPU speed, as well as features for external L2 cache, which runs at the speed of the external clock.

Unique in the 80486 line was the inclusion of hardware dedicated to performing mathematical operations. Some 486 models, the initial ones known as DX chips, ran at the same internal and external clock speed.

Newer models identified as DX2 or DX4 chips, ran internally at two or four times the external clock. This is the last series of chips Intel made that had a “little brother” with a reduced data path, referred to as the 80 486SX.

Just some URL's you might find useful for your tutorial. There are tons on the net as you know i am sure but these ones are quite good.


http://www.intel.com/intel/intelis/m...f/hof_main.htm

http://www.hardwarecentral.com/hardw...utorials/25/2/

Thanks, ill check that out. If i get a good responce fromt his one ill kepp going. The next one i plan on doing is going to be where this one left off. Ill prolly just add it as a post to this thread and start with the pentium and work my way up and then start on either AMDs or something else like Alphas.

Nice, keep em comming. Thats a good info for people who are not very hardware literate.

Cheers.

pleasw rite some stuff about AMD processors because im thinking about buying one ...and want to know how good it is and stuff :)

Well, so you dont have to wait for me to write about it, check out these sites:

http://www.amd.com/us-en/


http://www.amdzone.com/

Also i have an AMD Athlon XP 2200+ that runs at 2.13 GHz without over clocking it at all. Im happy as hell with it. One thing i would recommend though, make sure your system has some extra fans because AMDs are known to run a lil warm.

I just realised something....people still buy DOS.

http://amdzone.pricegrabber.com/sear...44186a7ba2ba03

nice work gore

Maybe some more hardware tuts in the future ?

Greetz,

I dont know, when i get more time im going to work on this one more and add more to it and then maybe go for something else. I was thinking of a Free BSD install tutorial. whio knows. just some ideas.

Great tutorial gore, the only thing is, The first processor by Intel was the 8086, only to be re-done a few months later, and sold as an 8088. Sorry, I'm a huge comp. history freak!

Great Tut..look forward to reading more! :)



http://lowendpc.com/tech/8086.shtml

=O

My books have lied to me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


EDIT:

Checked my book, it says 8088 was first.... hmmmmmmmm.

1978 Intel 8086 released
1979 Intel 8088 released

Depending on what your requirements for the statement are.... When the 8086 was released, it didn't run on anything, it wasn't really compatible, so then Intel had to go redesign it, and they released the 8088. Now, the 8088 was the first useable processor, but the 8086 was the first released. . . it's just that it wasn't useable...

Do a google on

intel 8088 8086 released year

More Links to said information
http://www.msci.memphis.edu/~ryburnp...microhist.html

Thanks for the links and info. My book has lied to me :( oh well, at least its fixed.

sorry guys, but the 8086 was not the first chip produced by intel either. They put the 8080 in machines as far back as 1974. Intel was around making chips way before this as well, they were just used mostly in space and military uses.


"The Altair 8800, often called the first personal computer on the market, was sold to hobbyists as a $439 kit. It was based on Intel's 8080 microprocessor, had 256 bytes of basic memory, and was programmed by flipping toggle switches on its front panel. One early user recalls that writing programs for the Altair wore blisters on his fingertips."

quoted from-
http://www.coopsjokes.com/amz/amzintel.htm

The 4004 was Intel's first microprocessor. This breakthrough invention powered the Busicom calculator and paved the way for embedding intelligence in inanimate objects as well as the personal computer.

Source : http://www.intel.com/intel/intelis/m...f/hof_main.htm

i may be wrong too :-D

Quote:

---

Originally posted here by MemorY
actually that isnt true either

The 4004 was Intel's first microprocessor. This breakthrough invention powered the Busicom calculator and paved the way for embedding intelligence in inanimate objects as well as the personal computer.

Source : http://www.intel.com/intel/intelis/m...f/hof_main.htm

i may be wrong too :-D

---

I never said it was the first chip. I just said the 8080 was put out before the 8086 or 8088. I think the 8080 applies more to what is being discussed here as it was used in what many consider to be the first personal computer. The 8008 also came out before the 8080, but the machines that it powered(Micral) were not even close to what we consider a computer today. The altair also isn't like our machines today, but a little bit closer.

Gore's tut is correct in that he says it was used in the first IBM microcomputer, the only thing that isn't correct is that he says it was also the first Intel chip. Good info anyways..

hey guys just so as to stop the which came first and when etc if you check out the link i posed earlier it explains all, it is straight from intel so i think they would know guys !

http://www.intel.com/intel/intelis/m...f/hof_main.htm

enjiy and good tutorial by the way gore !

live well and love life

Actually, the 4004 was the first. It was a four-bit processor but wasn't a commercially available. The 8080 was used by the Imsai, Cromemco and other old, original 8-bit (kit--as in you built them yourself most times) systems, before the Zilog Z-80 took over the 8-bit field(used in the KayPro, Osborne and other CP/M systems).

Otherwise, excellent line of thinking. A good, solid source of technical information on the processor lineages would be very helpful.

Cut my assembler teeth on Z-80.

geepod ... didnt i post the link just one post above yours ¿¿¿
and rapier ...i also said that the 4004 was the first ..but the rest of the info was good

I got some flashbacks to the 80's

me and my uber 1337 286 12Mhz...

all my friends were still using 8086's and didn't have VGA !

yeah.. life was great !!

now back to the computer history:

get me a 8080


btw you people forgot the 80186 featured in the tandy 2000

MemorY yes you did post the link one post above mine but seeing as you asked i actiually posted it on the first page of the thread ! nont hat it really matters as long as people got it.

Dunno whether you negged me for that but someone did, strange people ! just thought i was being helpful that was all, never mind no pleasing some people.

anyway good post and some interesting history that came flooding back with memories of processors gone by !

Very Good. Keep it goin im not hardware Literate and its very interesting to me. Question How old i everyone here?? You guys sure know a hell of alot. Im 16 and im goin to Ehove next year. Im takin the class CNT computer networking technology. when i get there i might be able to understand some of what you guys are talkin about.. well thanks for the tut. ill read it a couple of times more so i can like understand a lil bit more.. Thx

nice , but i think that i knew it before :) , i heared it from my father , he`s teacher (computers and electronics :) )

im 20 and iv had a computer for 3 years (i learned fast)