Q. Explain about Microcomputers?

Microcomputers: A microcomputer's CPU is a microprocessor. They are characteristically used as single usercomputer though present day microcomputers are very powerful. They can support highly interactive environment especially like GUI (graphical user interface) like windows. These computers are famous for home and business applications. The microcomputer initiated in late 1970's. First microcomputers were built around 8-bit microprocessor chips. What do we understand by an 8-bit chip? It implies that chip can retrieve instructions/data from storage, manipulate as well as process an 8-bit data at a time or we can say that chip has a built- in 8-bit data transfer path. A development on 8-bit chip technology was seen in early 1980s when a series of 16-bit chips called 8086 and 8088 were developed by Intel Corporation every one with advancement over the other one.

8088 was an 8/16 bit chip which means that an 8-bit path is used to transfer data between chip and primary storage (external path) however processing was done within the chip employing a 16-bit path (internal path) at a time. 8086 was a 16/16-bit chip it implies that external and internal paths both were 16 bits wide. Both of these chips could support a primary memory of storage capacity of 1 MB (Mega Byte).

Identical to Intel's chip series there exist another famous chip series of Motorola. First16-bit microprocessor of this series was MC 68000. It was a 16/32-bit chip as well as could support up to 16 MB of primary storage. Advancement over 16/32 bit chips was 32/32 chips. A number of the famous 32-bit chips were Intel's 80486 and MC 68020chip.