MICROPROCESSOR

 THE MICROPROCESSOR WAS BORN

In 1971 two companies, both in the USA, introduced the world to its future by producing microprocessors. They were a young company called Intel and their rival, Texas Instruments. The microprocessor and its offspring, the microcontroller, were destined to infiltrate every country, every means of production, and almost every home in the world. There is now hardly a person on the planet that does not own or know of something that is dependent on one of these devices. Yet curiously, so few people can give any sort of answer to the simple question ‘What is a microprocessor?’ This, and ‘How does it work?’ form two of the starting points for this book.

LET'S START BY LOOKING AT A SYSTEM

The word ‘system’ is used to describe any organization or device that includes three features. A system must have at least one input, one output and must do something, i.e. it must contain a process. Often there are many inputs and outputs. Some of the outputs are required and some are waste products. To a greater or lesser extent, all processes generate some waste heat.