History Of Central Processing Unit

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

What is computer architecture? Computer architecture can also be known as CA. Computer architecture is to form a computer platform or system by interaction between a hardware and software. In another explanation in short, computer architecture is what technologies a computer capable to compatible with and how to create or design a computer system.

The word architecture has other meanings and contexts, computer architecture are similar to the art of determine the requirements of systems, users or technologies while also creating logical standards and designs based on the needs.

1.2 Computer

A computer can be function as a programmable machine. That means a computer will be able to carry out a programmed list of instructions and react to new instructions that is given. However, nowadays this term is mostly utilized to refer to the laptop and desktop computers that a majority of people use. When a desktop model is referred, the term "computer" only refers to the computer itself theoretically but not the input devices like mouse, keyboard or monitor. Still, everything is acceptable to be referred together as the computer. In a really technical way, we can also call a computer the "system unit"

1.3 Central Processing Unit (CPU)

Central Processing Unit is a component in a computer that is utilized to operate the computer. A CPU is a key component of a computer system, an example is our brain that we use to execute or interpret the program instructions.

1.4 Bus

A bus is a communication pathway that connects two or more component of devices. Means that data are transferred point to point, device to one device or also capable of device to more than one device.

2.0 Answer of Question 1

2.1 Central Processing Unit

What is a CPU? A CPU can also be known as "The Central Processing Unit". CPUs are considered as a brain of a computer. It also can be known as processor, microprocessor, central processor and computer processor. A CPU’s responsibility is to execute and interpret the order that is given by the computer’s software and hardware. Most of the central processing units have pins on the bottom but not all, the ones that do have pins at the bottom can be easily bent. Not all central processing units have pins on their bottom sides, but in the ones that do, the pins are easily bent. Every CPU have a motherboard. Every motherboard supports certain types of CPU.

2.2 History of Central Processing Unit

The history of the processor is full of advanced technology and fierce competition. The first processor is a 5MHZ 8086 processor, and with today’s advanced technology, processors are up to 1.8GHz to 2GHz, this is the difference of the growth between 20 years. There are many changes gone through on CPUs through the years when first one came out which is Intel. Intel’s 8088 processor are chosen for the brains of the very first PC by IBM. Intel is made the leader of the CPU market with this choice by IBM. Till now, Intel is still the leader of development of microprocessors. While there are many other contenders that developed many kinds of technologies for their own processors, Intel remains more than a viable source of new technology in the market. The four generations of Intel processor that are first introduced used the "8″ as their series name, which is why the types refer to this family of chips as 8086, 8088, and 80186, and that goes right up to the 80846 or can also be known as 486.

The five generations of Central Processing Units are Vacuum Tubes, Microprocessors, Integrated Circuits, Artificial Intelligence and Microprocessors.

2.2.1 First Generation (1946-1958) Vacuum Tubes

Dependable, expensive, slow and huge is the words to describe the first generation computers. ENIAC electronic computer were built by John Mauchly and Presper Eckert in the year of 1946. The two Americans used vacuum tubes but not the MARK 1 mechanical switches, a large number of vacuum tubes were utilized by the ENIAC, which used plenty of space and gave up lots of heat like what the light bulbs do. UNIVAC 1 (Universal Automatic Computer) and the EDVAC (Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer) are the vacuum type computers that are created by the ENIAC.

In the advancement of computer, the vacuum tubes have really high importance. It was invented at the same time when Thomas Edison invented light bulbs and it works just same as the light bulbs. A switch and amplifier is what the vacuum tube act as. Without any parts that are movable, the vacuum tube may get very weak signal and it make the signal stronger by amplifying it. Vacuum tube may also start and stop electricity flows. ENIAC computer were made possible by these two properties.

So much heat was given off by the ENIAC so that they utilized gigantic air conditioners to cool them off. However, vacuum tubes still get overheated often with these massive coolers. Something new was needed.

2.2.2 Second Generation (1959-1964) Transistor

The second generation is the transistor. The transistor computer didn’t last longer than the vacuum tube. However its importance could not be ignored in the computer technology’s advancement. In the year of 1947, three men named William Shockley, John Bardeen and Walter Brattain worked as scientists at AT&T's Bell Laboratories. They invented what that would swap place with the vacuum tube forever. The invention was the transistor that works similarly like the vacuum tube to switch and relay electronic signals. Obviously, there are many differences between the vacuum tube and the transistor. The transistor works faster than the vacuum tube, and it is smaller, more reliable, and much cheaper to build too. A transistor equals to almost 40 vacuum tubes. Solid material is utilized to build these transistors, there are also a minority of transistors were made of silicon, an element that is found in beach sand and glass, so that it won’t cost the earth to produce. Transistors conduct electricity better and faster compare to vacuum tubes. Their size was smaller too and it also gave off not much heat not like the vacuum tubes. The transistor marked a new beginning for the computers. They were also much smaller and gave off virtually no heat compared to vacuum tubes.  Their use marked a new beginning for the computer.  With this invention, space travelling in the 60s made possible, however, a newer invention will further advance human’s ability to utilize computers.

2.2.3 Third Generation (1965-1970) Integrated Circuits

The second generation transistor was a tremendous invention in advancing the computer but no one predicted that we can complete thousands or even millions of transistors in just a small space. Third generation, the integrated circuit, or sometimes it is called semiconductor chip. It packs a large number of transistors onto just a single wafer of silicon. Two guys named Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments and Robert Noyce of Fairchild Corporation both independently found out the incredible ability of integrated circuits by placing large numbers of transistors on a chip will infinitely boost the power of a computer and reduce its cost.

        Since the integrated circuits were invented, the number of transistors that are able to place on a chip has been doubled every two years. Both the cost and size of the computers shrank even further but the computer’s power enhanced. The majority of electronic devices nowadays utilize some form of integrated circuits to place on circuit boards which is a thin piece of fiberglass that contains electric connections that are etched on them, sometimes it is called mother board.

        These computers are capable of carrying out instructions in just billionths of a second. A size of small cabinet is the size of these machines. However, the largest advancement in the era of computer has not yet been discovered.

2.2.4 Fourth Generation (1971-Present) Microprocessors

  The fourth generation can be categorized by both the invention of the microprocessor (a chip that capable of doing all the processing of a full-scale computer) and the jump to monolithic integrated circuits (millions of transistors put on one integrated circuit chip). By placing millions of transistors into one chip faster speed and more calculation will be achieved by computers. This is because electricity is able to travel a foot in a billionth of a second, smaller distance will get greater speed of computers. However, is the invention of microprocessor that has great impact to our lives and triggered the great growth of computer. A guy named Ted Hoff, an employee of Intel which is Robert Noyce's new company created a chip that are small like an eraser that are capable of doing all logic and computing work of a computer. It is made to be utilized in the calculators instead of computers. However, it led to the invention of microcomputers and personal computers. Until the 70’s that people started to buy computer for personal use. Altair 8800 computer kit was the earliest personal computers. In the year of 1975, we are able to buy this kit and place it together to make our own personal computer. While in the year of 1977, public bought the Apple II and in the year of 1981 IBM entered the personal computer market too. We heard of Intel and its Pentium® processors nowadays and that’s how we know how it all begun. Computers of next generation have millions upon millions of transistor on one single chip and are capable of performing up to a billion calculations in just a single second. There are no chance there is end in sight for the computer movement.

2.2.5 Fifth Generation (1992-present) Pentium

After the invention of fourth-generation chips, chip manufacturers came up with new features and architectures that are incorporated into fifth generation chips. This defines the fifth generation processors from AMD, Intel and many others. It can well-matched with the older Intel processors, but there are also differences between them in many ways. One of the difference is revolutionary. Twin data pipelines are featured by the Pentium that will enable to execute more than one instruction at the same time. This technology is a plus compared to the performance provided by the 486.

2.3 Conclusion

A CPU also known as the microprocessor can be described as the "brains" of any digital computer include the Amigas, Macs and even some simple game console that does also consists a CPU. In a simple term, our desktop PC is impossible to work or run without the CPU, so that in a simple way, the CPU runs the computer, executes the operating system software and also user applications like Excel, Word, Power Point, games and other OS like the Linux, Unix, OS2, assembler and everything. Obviously, there are also some subsystems that are needed by the CPU so that the system can work together like the sound and graphic hardware. And there is also memory that CPU use to remember and store data.

With few generations of CPU already exists, and one better than another, I believe in these days that almost everything related to Information Technology, there will be many more advancement on the development of CPUs, beyond and not beyond our thinking.

3.0 Answer of Question 2

3.1 Bus

A bus is a transmission path which signals are picked up or dropped off at each and every device that are joined to the line. Attention is only paid to them once the devices are addressed. A bus is a also a circuit arrangement or network topology that all the device are joined to a line directly and each of the device will get the signal. There is a unique identity on every device to recognize those signals. A data path is also what a bus acts on the motherboard that connect the microprocessor and with attachments in the slots of expansion. For example CD-ROM drives, hard disk drives and graphic adapters.

3.2 Bus Interconnection

Bus interconnection is a very important component of a computer architecture and act as a communication channel. Various computer components are attached together to communicate with each other.

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Address Bus

To transfer data device to device is what an address bus does. A direct memory access (DMA) enabled device or a CPU uses an address bus to locate physical addresses to correspond with the write or read commands. A CPU or a DMA is used to write or read the address buses in the form of bits. Address bus is a part of the bus architecture system that the reason to developing it is to enhance modular integration and decrease cost, but nowadays the majority of computers utilize a variety of individual buses to perform some specific tasks. Every individual computer will have a system bus in it to attach all the main components of a computer. There are some main elements which is the data bus, address bus and also the control bus.

The number of memory that a system are able to retrieve is to measure the address bus. 4GB of memory space can be addressed by a system with a 32-bit address bus. The newer computers nowadays that use a 64-bit address bus are capable of addressing up to 16GB of memory, which is nearly unlimited.

Data Bus

A data bus does the work of transferring data from a component to the other to a system board or a motherboard, it can also transfer between two computers. This also includes from or to the memory. It can also transfer to other components from the central processing unit. All of them are created and designed to handle lots of bits of data at a same time. A bandwidth is what they call as the number of data a data bus is capable of handling. Basically, a data bus is 32-bits wide. That means it travel over a data bus every second with up to 32 bits. Computer nowadays are capable of handling 64-bit or even 96-bit of data paths. Data buses are designed to handle more bits and also making devices handle higher bitrates at the same time. In the older personal computers, data bus that was connected directly to the computer’s peripherals and memory in motherboards were created by manufactures. By running parallel to one another and also had few connections are how electrical buses were designed. This direct connection has some problems however, but because devices were forced to work at a same speed.

Control Bus

A control bus’ function is to communicate with other devices that consist in the computer by the CPU. This happens through physical connections such as printed circuits and the cables. A control bus is utilized by the CPU to transmit control signals to devices and components. One of the primary functions of the bus is to use as little line as possible that is required to communicate. An individual bus allows device to communicate to each other by using one data channel. The control bus helps the CPU to synchronize control signals to external components and internal devices. It is contains byte enable lines, interrupt lines, read and write signals and also status lines.