TABLE OF CONTENTS The microcomputer system electronic components are known as computer hardware. (The programs that the computer runs are called software.) The basic microcomputer parts are the CPU, memory, and I/O (input and output peripherals). We next expand upon this discussion of important components and their associated operations.
The central processing unit is a microprocessor. It is an integrated circuit similar to the one shown in Figure 4.16a. It contains thousands of transistors and diodes on a chip of silicon small enough to fit on the tip of a finger. It includes some form of arithmetic logic unit (ALU), as well as registers for data and instruction storage and a control section. The chip is housed in a rectangular, flat package similar to the one shown in Figure 4.16b. Newer versions of a microprocessor are packed in a flat package that has pins all the way around the perifery. The CPU gets program instructions from a memory device.
Permanent memory, called ROM, maintains its contents even when power is turned off. ROM is used for CPU instructions requiring permanent storage.
There are several types of memory devices available, and each has its own special features. Systems such as those found in the automobile that must permanently store their programs use a type of permanent memory called read-only memory (ROM). This type of memory can be programmed only one time and the program is stored...
