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Research on the history of microprocessors
Research on the history of microprocessors
Research on the history of microprocessors
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Introduction
As a Computer Science student in Computer Engineering/Computer Science 285, I’ve grown to appreciate using a prototype board to get through the class. As a person more inclined to software than to hardware, the sixteen-week journey has been a process. Part of my appreciation comes from my curiosity in the equipment of this class, in learning about other components and the potential the board had. Learning not only about the 8051 microcontroller and board but also how to deal with it.
Microcontroller vs. Microprocessor
The first thing that needs to be done is to know the basics of what the 8051. The 8051 refers to a microcontroller. Microcontrollers are pieces of hardware that have set amounts on its parts, like RAM, ROM, and its input and output ports. Microcontrollers are more cost efficient than microprocessors, which need separate RAM, ROM, according to the needs of the user. Microcontrollers come in handy when making embedded systems in applications so that it can control specific actions of a computer in an efficient way, in both processing and cost.
8051 History
Like most technology, there is always the struggle to make the hardware more efficient, much like the story of the 8051 microcontroller. In 1980, Intel introduced the 8051 microcontroller as a successor to the 8048. It was efficient. It was not the best piece of equipment, but it worked at the time and was successful. 8-bits, multiple I/O ports, 128kb of RAM, it was a standard piece to use.
From here comes the real success of the 8051 microcontroller. Intel decided that it was not smart to keep the hardware strictly theirs. They allowed other companies to come in and make different versions of the 8051 microcontroller: different boards and different ...
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...s fastest (and "bestest") 8051-compatible core”.
Conclusion
8051 microcontrollers were an important milestone in technology and are still useful to this day. Computers and other applications still run using 8051 and its being used in classrooms today. Whether or not the microcontroller is dated or obsolete is always up to debate. In my opinion, the 8051 microcontroller has proved itself to be a useful piece of hardware in teaching engineers the relationship between code and hardware.
Much like the review above, being able to see hardware with a direct correlation to software has given me more appreciation for it. Especially when making our final project, seeing the effect that a line of code has on the entire output has shown me that hardware and software go hand in hand, and that this classes being titled CECS, Computer Engineering/Computer Science, is fitting.