A central processing unit (CPU) contained within a single chip. Today, all computer CPUs are microprocessors. The term originated in the 1970s when CPUs up until that time were all comprised of several chips. Thus, when the entire CPU (processor) was miniaturized onto a single chip, the term "micro" processor was coined. Since the turn of the century, the semiconductor manufacturing process has become so sophisticated that not only one, but two or more CPUs, are built on a single chip (see dual core and multicore).
Microprocessor is often abbreviated MPU for "microprocessor unit" or just MP, the latter also spelled with the Greek µ symbol for micro or the letter "u" as an alternate (µP or uP).
They Started as 8-Bit
The first microprocessors were created by Texas Instruments, Intel and a Scottish electronics company. Who was really first has been debated. First-generation 8-bit families were Intel's 8080, Zilog's Z80, Motorola's 6800 and Rockwell's 6502.
Today's Microprocessors Are 32 and 64-Bit
The 32-bit and 64-bit microprocessors found in most of today's workstations and servers are the x86, PowerPC and SPARC lines. More than 200 million of these chips ship inside general-purpose computers each year.
Eight-Bit Lives On
For embedded systems, newer versions of 8- and 16-bit, first-generation microprocessor families are widely used and exceed the desktop computer and server market in volume. Each year, millions of microprocessors and billions of microcontrollers are built into toys, appliances and vehicles. A microcontroller contains a microprocessor, memory, clock and I/O control on a single chip (see microcontroller). See chip and embedded system.
The 386 Microprocessor
No technology is more incredible than the microprocessor. Every second, trillions of switch openings and closings occur all within a thousandth of an inch below the surface. The older 386 chip is shown here because it contains a mere 275,000 transistors, and you can see some slight detail. Contemporary chips contain hundreds of millions of transistors, which at this magnification would show up only as a sea of gray. (Image courtesy of Intel Corporation.)
The First 25 Years of Evolution
In 25 years, the number of transistors on a microprocessor chip grew from a couple thousand to more than five million. By the turn of the century, the number routinely exceeded 100 million on top-of-the-line chips.
Microprocessor is often abbreviated MPU for "microprocessor unit" or just MP, the latter also spelled with the Greek µ symbol for micro or the letter "u" as an alternate (µP or uP).
They Started as 8-Bit
The first microprocessors were created by Texas Instruments, Intel and a Scottish electronics company. Who was really first has been debated. First-generation 8-bit families were Intel's 8080, Zilog's Z80, Motorola's 6800 and Rockwell's 6502.
Today's Microprocessors Are 32 and 64-Bit
The 32-bit and 64-bit microprocessors found in most of today's workstations and servers are the x86, PowerPC and SPARC lines. More than 200 million of these chips ship inside general-purpose computers each year.
Eight-Bit Lives On
For embedded systems, newer versions of 8- and 16-bit, first-generation microprocessor families are widely used and exceed the desktop computer and server market in volume. Each year, millions of microprocessors and billions of microcontrollers are built into toys, appliances and vehicles. A microcontroller contains a microprocessor, memory, clock and I/O control on a single chip (see microcontroller). See chip and embedded system.
The 386 Microprocessor
No technology is more incredible than the microprocessor. Every second, trillions of switch openings and closings occur all within a thousandth of an inch below the surface. The older 386 chip is shown here because it contains a mere 275,000 transistors, and you can see some slight detail. Contemporary chips contain hundreds of millions of transistors, which at this magnification would show up only as a sea of gray. (Image courtesy of Intel Corporation.)
The First 25 Years of Evolution
In 25 years, the number of transistors on a microprocessor chip grew from a couple thousand to more than five million. By the turn of the century, the number routinely exceeded 100 million on top-of-the-line chips.
 | Reproduced with permission from Computer Desktop Encyclopedia. Copyright (c) 1981-2008 The Computer Language Company Inc. All rights reserved. |
Additional Resources
- Dell's netbook arrives this week
- Dell's netbook arrives this weekIt is time that both of them come >:)I am waiting this one and the Lenovo to see which is one is better between them and the EeePC 900 Linux.ARM Rules--$98 mininote!Check [url=http://techvideoblog.com/ifa/98-linux-laptop-the-hivision-mininote/]this out for $98![/url]ARM rules.Look Nick, its a $98 laptop !!...and negroponte rolls in...
- Discussion threads 2008-09-03
- Intel unveils Nehalem 'turbo mode'
- At IDF, the chipmaker announced a power-control feature in its new micro architecture, claiming it is 'pretty compelling' for enterprises. Intel unveiled on Tuesday a new aspect of its upcoming microprocessor architecture, which promises better power management and efficiency. Speaking in the afternoon keynote on day...
- News items 2008-08-20
- Before Intel's big show, AMD launches an attack
- Before Intel's big show, AMD launches an attackIt will take more then empty ....... rhetoric to give them back the title. Even if Intel is copying them it is little solice considering Intel's manufacturing lead.liars.Intel had IMC first in Timna before AMD had it in any of their chips....
- Discussion threads 2008-08-18
- The more things change
- The more things changeBe productive with a touch only computer ?"The potential is amazing - you can imagine was well as I can, I think, what a 12″ iPhone replacement for the traditional laptop could do for user productivity"You are talking of home user or of business user ?Because i...
- Discussion threads 2008-07-30
- AMD CEO Ruiz out; Can Meyer turn it around?
- Updated: AMD CEO Hector Ruiz has stepped down and the chipmaker has named chief operating officer Dirk Meyer as its new leader. The news comes amid the latest financial miss for AMD--a second quarter loss that missed estimates by a wide margin. Meyer's job: Restore credibility. According...
- Blog posts 2008-07-17
- Remote code execution through Intel CPU bugs
- Remote code execution through Intel CPU bugsAnother attack path: Just what we need!Now that there are millions of instances of every type of microprocessor, ANY bug in one will be in millions of systems. Relying on bugs is---um---buggy, but just checking every system you can (as a criminal,...
- Discussion threads 2008-07-16
- Intel's second quarter delivers; Cheap laptop demand up
- Updated: Intel on Tuesday reported second quarter earnings of $1.6 billion, or 28 cents a share, on revenue of $9.5 billion, up 9 percent from a year ago. The results topped Wall Street expectations. According to Thomson Financial, Intel was expected to report earnings of 25 cents...
- Blog posts 2008-07-15
- Intel rolls out Centrino 2 processor; Earnings on tap
- Intel rolls out Centrino 2 processor; Earnings on tapCentrino 2 processor25 watts for a processor aimed at battery powered laptops??!!?? What world does Intel live in? Why not use the ARM chip which is widely used in low power devices such as mobile phones and set top boxes because it...
- Discussion threads 2008-07-15
- Global PC COU shipments slowed in Q1 2008 to –9.2%
- Worldwide PC microprocessor shipments slowed notably in Q1 2008, resulting in sequential growth of -9.2% over Q4 2007. In YOY comparisons, overall unit shipments and market revenue grew by 25.7% and 15.9% respectively, according to IDC. Shipments of processors for desktop PCs led the slowdown in Q1 2008, with sequential...
- Blog posts 2008-06-29
- High-tech trifecta dabbles in solar technology
- What is it with high-tech giants and solar energy research and development? Apparently, as it turns out, many of the same manufacturing and design ideas that people have been applying to computer systems and microprocessor technology matter in the world of solar. Intel is the third huge...
- Blog posts 2008-06-16
- AMD makes its notebook move; Puma goes live
- AMD on Wednesday unveiled its notebook microprocessor platform, formerly known as Puma, and notched a small win over rival Intel. AMD's notebook platform (AMD Turion-X2 Ultra), which aims to integrate graphics capabilities with its processors, stays off Intel's ultra mobile PC turf, but has hit the...
- Blog posts 2008-06-03
- AMD rejiggers management; Forms central engineering group
- AMD on Monday named a new head of its computing solutions group and created a central engineering unit to improve execution at the chipmaker. Among the moving parts: Randy Allen was promoted to lead the computing solutions group at AMD, which focuses on the...
- Blog posts 2008-05-12
- AMD's new roadmap: Can it execute?
- AMD has revamped its server processor roadmap with plans to jump to six and then 12 cores in the first half of 2010, but the larger question is whether the company can actually deliver. Given that AMD has had a hard time delivering its quad-core chips and...
- Blog posts 2008-05-08
- Apple's PA Semi buyout: A defensive move?
- According to reports, Apple purchased embedded chip maker PA Semi this week and the rumors are flying: that Apple is back in chipset business; or that Apple is going back to the PowerPC for some future device (since PA Semi made PowerPC-based processor). However, some chip analysts say that it...
- Blog posts 2008-04-25
- Intel's first quarter report: What to expect
- Intel rolls out the first big technology earnings report after market close Tuesday and analysts are expecting a quarter in line to slightly below expectations. Intel all resources is expected to report earnings of 25 cents a share and sales of $9.63 billion for the quarter ending...
- Blog posts 2008-04-15
- AMD's CTO steps down; Chipmaker says bench strong
- Phil Hester, AMD's chief technology officer, has stepped down. According to the company, Friday is Hester's last day at the company and he's looking at other opportunities. Before AMD Hester had been CEO of Newisys, a Sanmina-SCI company, and spent 23 years at IBM. Hester was responsible...
- Blog posts 2008-04-11
- (Photos: PARC prints green tech)
- (Photos: PARC prints green tech)PARC Exaggerations[i]PARC is like the Stonehenge of Silicon Valley. The mouse, the PC, Ethernet, and a lot of printer technology came out of its labs.[/i]The mouse was invented by Doug Englebart at Stanford Research Institute. The laser printer was invented by Xerox in NY, before...
- Discussion threads 2008-04-04
- Not just hot air: Some details on Dell's server thermal design
- It takes a whole lot more than just a new multi-core microprocessor or even whiz-bang virtualization technology to create a greener server. A few weeks back, I wondered out loud exactly why Dell's latest PowerEdge M-Series blades were getting so much notice as a green option -- after having several...
- Blog posts 2008-03-24
- Intel moving to six-cores this year; What will you do with them?
- Intel outlined plans to produce six-core chips in the fourth quarter. The move is that latest salvo in a game to out-core AMD on everything. AMD finally gets its quad-core chip out the door and Intel moves to six. The future looks like this: Four cores, six cores, eight cores,...
- Blog posts 2008-03-18
- Asus Eee PC 900: The wow starts. . .later?
- Asus announced yesterday a new version of its Eee PC at the CeBIT tradeshow. The subnotebook has won a lot of good press and it seems a few fans. But when it comes to the operating system, the wow hasn't started now. . .and apparently it won't anytime soon. Among...
- Blog posts 2008-03-06
Neighboring Terms
Premier Vendor Content Whitepapers, webcasts & resources from our Power Center Sponsors
- Intel IT Data Center Efficiency Initiative - Going Green
-
"See how Intel is consolidating down to 8 global data center hubs through the use of consolidation, virtualization and standardization. The initiative is expected to save Intel $1.8B by project completion.
- See how Intel plans to save $1.8 billion >>
- Visit the all new ZDNet Enterprise Mobility Hub sponsored by Verizon Wireless. It has the latest news, commentary, and resources for your mobile strategy development.
- Read the latest from Matthew Miller's The Mobile Gadgeteer Blog
- Five steps to protect mobile devices anywhere, anytime
- Watch a video about Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS)
- Learn how you can fetch your email from anywhere
- All this and more on the ZDNet Enterprise Mobility Hub
