The Computer Revolution/Hardware/Microprocessor

What is a Microprocessor?

A microprocessor (microscopic processor or processor on a chip) is the miniaturized circuitry of a computer processor -- the CPU, the part that processes, or manipulates, data into information. It is the most important part of personal computers and workstations. It controls logic of almost all digital devices, for example: mobile devices, clocks and computers. Microprocessors are different on the basis of instructions set, bandwidth and clock speed. It is very tiny in size but it can perform various operations within a matter of few seconds. It is like a engine that goes on when the computer starts. Computers cannot perform any operations without a microprocessor. Microprocessors take the data as an input, translate it into a machine language and display the result as an output. We use so many things in our daily life which work with embedded systems and microprocessors are a part of it. Microprocessors technology has taken a once bulky series of switches and miniaturized powerful electronic circuitry to be able to fit in personal computers, cell phones, pda's, and other popular devices. When referring to microprocessors, people are usually talking about the CPU, which is made up of at least one microprocessor that handles the chief "brain" functions.

A microprocessor die with 7nm features.

According to scientific law, the speed of microprocessors will increase rapidly from year to year, and you can see evidence of this as current technology becomes outdated very quickly. Microprocessors are necessary in almost any engineering project. Circuit board design may depend on a specific microprocessor construction that can be supplied through contract manufacturing, and outsourced services.

Some examples of Microprocessor brands are:

• Intel Core series processors.
• AMD Ryzen series processors.
• Qualcomm Snapdragon series embedded microprocessors.
• Apple M series embedded microprocessors.

Workstation

The Work Station Computer is an expensive, powerful personal computer, usually used for the complex scientific mathematical and engineering calculations and for computer aided design and manufacturing. These computers are commonly used by engineers and other scientific people who would need the extra power in a computer, and just as importantly, the reliability and additional floating point accuracy often offered by workstation components. Workstations typically have incredible graphic capabilities, though these tend to be focused to rendering accurate drawings then for say, real time gaming. The capabilities of a low end workstation overlap those of a high end desktop microcomputer.

Further Reading

• Microprocessor Design