History of the microprocessor !

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History of the microprocessor

The CPU is known as the central processing unit, and this term is synonymous with microprocessor. The microprocessor is considered the brain of the computer, and Intel invented the term in 1971. There was a previous 8-bit chip developed in 1969 known as the Four-Phase AL1; however, Intel invented a better component and coined the term microprocessor.

In 1971, Intel’s first microprocessor generated an equal amount of processing power as the world's most-powerful computer at that time. This computer was known as the ENIAC, and it was large enough to fill an entire room. The first commercially available microprocessor was known as the Intel 4004, followed by the 8008. In 1978, Intel developed the 16-bit 8086 processor, followed by the 8088 processor a year later. The 8088 processor integrated technology that offered backward-compatibility with previous 8-bit chips. This chip was selected by IBM to power the original IBM PC.
During the early 1990s, Intel developed a more-powerful processor known as the i386. The i386 was the first 32-bit microprocessor available for commercial use. This microprocessor offered multitasking capabilities on personal desktop computers. The i486 microprocessor was the successor to the i386, and it offered memory cache, a math co-processor and improved data transfer.

Intel developed the Pentium processor in 1993, and this was the first microprocessor capable of performing two instructions during each clock cycle. The microprocessors released later in the Pentium line revolutionized the way data was stored and transferred on chips. As of 2014, Intel offers multi-core, 64-bit chips that eclipse the power of previous chips.

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Definition of Microprocessor

 Microprocessor


A microprocessor is a tiny electronic chip found inside a computer's central processing unit and other electronic devices. Its basic function is to take input, process it and then provide appropriate output.

Microprocessor

On the surface, a microprocessor’s job may seem like an easy task, but modern microprocessors perform trillions of instructions per second.
A computer’s central processing unit handles all the processing functions of a computer including processing instructions from peripheral devices as well as input from running programs.
From the time a computer is turned on to the time it is shut down, a microprocessor will have performed millions of logic and arithmetic operations. These operations utilize tiny number holding spaces called registers. Typical arithmetic operations include adding, subtracting and comparing two or more values.
To perform the operations, a microprocessor has to receive specific instructions as part of its design. For instance, when a computer is started, the microprocessor receives its first set of instructions from the basic input-output system.

A microprocessor’s speed is measured in megahertz. It is common to associate a higher megahertz with better performance but this is not always true. A computer’s overall performance is influenced by several factors such as the amount of available memory, the bus architecture, the applications running on the computer and the efficiency of the processor

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