Re: LZ: Info about processor in Ti-85 re


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Re: LZ: Info about processor in Ti-85 re



On Fri, 18 Oct 1996 20:06:28, -0500, you wrote:


>>> > Also what is the word size of this processor? 8-bit?
>>>Memory addresses are 16-bit
>>Yes I know it has 16 bit addressing.  But what is its word size?
>>The address size is not always the same as the word size.
>True.  You need to know:  A WORD is always two (2) bytes, or sixteen=20
>(16) bits.  A BYTE is always eight (8) bits.


Actually, a word isn't always 16 bits.  All the new 32 bit processors
(which include 32 bit OS's and languages such as Java and newer C++
stuff) all define a word as 32 bits.  I think some of the new risc
processors (dec alpha?) define a word as 64 bits!  With superscaler
design (like in the pentium pro), a 1 word instruction can be broken
up into over 60 microinstructions in a single clock cycle, so word
size doesn't mean anything anymore, except to the programmer.


The only thing that's constant is that a BYTE is 8 BITS, which is 2
NIBBLES.  For the sake of argument, up until about 10-15 years ago, a
word was generally considered 16 bits.


-Mel


<pre>
--
The TI Memory Expansion Homepage
http://pilot.msu.edu/user/tsaimelv/expander.htm
</pre>


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