Servicing Personal Computers, 3rd Edition

2 Servicing Personal Computers

Figure 1.1. Basic internal configuration of

a

microcomputer

operations on binary numbers consisting of either 8 or 16 bits. They are thus respectively

known as

8-bit

and 16-bit microprocessors.

Clearly, 16-bit microprocessors will tend to be more powerful than their

8-bit

counterparts.

For many purposes, however, there is little to choose between the two. Common applications

programs are, from the user's point of view, the same whether they are run on an

8-bit

or

16-bit system.

In a microcomputer based on an

8-bit

microprocessor, the data bus will have eight separate

lines.

In a 16-bit system the data bus wil