Lesson 1: Microcomputer and Organization
1.1 Learning Objectives On completion of this lesson you will be able to:
• understand structure of a microcomputer
• understand communication techniques between processor and other devices
• understand telecommunications for distant microcomputer.
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1.2 Architecture of a Microcomputer
The most modern microcomputers utilize a motherboard, a single large circuit board containing the microprocessor unit (MPU), ROM, RAM, and other associated circuits. These elements are linked through a series of parallel metal lines etched into the motherboard called the system bus. The system bus carries three types of information; these are: control, address, and data. Control information is carried by a number of control lines, addresses by a number of address lines and data by data lines. The width of the bus is important to the performance of the computer. The wider the bus, the more information can be carried at one time and the greater the throughput of the system. Most 16-bit microcomputers use 8 or 16-bit buses, 32-bit microcomputers use 8-bit, 16-bit, and 32-bit buses, while 64-bit microcomputers use 16-bit, 32-bit and 64-bit buses. A number of slots provide access to the system bus (Figure 3.1). Input/output devices can be connected to the microcomputer through the slots and appropriate interface circuit boards. The slots can also be used to expand the RAM capability of the microcomputer.
Communications between an input/output device and the MPU take place through an interface. The interface converts the data from a form used by one of these devices to a form acceptable by the other. It must also adjust for speed differences between the processor and the other device. The interface circuits of microcomputers correspond to the I/O control units used on larger computer systems.
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