MicroProcessors
The Way it is really done.
MicroProcessors
MicroProcessors are the future of computing, making computers faster, stronger and smaller. The computer itself runs off of 1 of the tiny pieces of metal below. Its amazing what technology can do. The whole world will be watching this section of computing for the next 20 years
A microproccessor
the size of it compared to a thumb
The MicroProcessor itself
this is a typical one.
An Intel Processor
Now....How It Works...
How it actually works
The computer you are using to read this page uses a microprocessor to do its work. The microprocessor is the heart of any normal computer, whether it is a desktop machine, a server or a laptop. The microprocessor you are using might be a Pentium, a K6, a PowerPC, a Sparc or any of the many other brands and types of microprocessors, but they all do approximately the same thing in approximately the same way. A microprocessor -- also known as a CPU or central processing unit -- is a complete computation engine that is fabricated on a single chip. The first microprocessor was the Intel 4004, introduced in 1971. The 4004 was not very powerful -- all it could do was add and subtract, and it could only do that 4 bits at a time. But it was amazing that everything was on one chip. Prior to the 4004, engineers built computers either from collections of chips or from discrete components (transistors wired one at a time). The 4004 powered one of the first portable electronic calculators.
To understand how a microprocessor works, it is helpful to look inside and learn about the logic used to create one. In the process you can also learn about assembly language (the native language of a microprocessor) and many of the things that engineers can do to boost the speed of a processor