Microprocessors and Microcomputer-Based System Design, 2nd Edition

8

RISC MICROPROCESSORS: INTEL 80960, MOTOROLA MC88100 AND POWERPC

This chapter provides an overview of the hardware, software, and interfacing features associated with three popular RISC microprocessors namely, the Intel 80960 SA/SB, the Motorola MC88100, and the PowerPC. Finally, the basic features of typical 64-bit RISC mircoprocessors are discussed.

8.1    Basics of RISC

RISC is an acronym for Reduced Instruction Set Computer. This type of microprocessor emphasizes simplicity and efficiency. RISC designs start with a necessary and sufficient instruction set. The purpose of using RISC architecture is to maximize speed by reducing clock cycles per instruction. Almost all computations can be obtained from a few simple operations. The goal ...