Microcomputer and System Bus

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Block Diagram of a Simple Microcomputer:

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Microcomputer Structure

DATA BUS

INPUT CONTROL BUS CONTROL BUS

I/O
CPU MEMORY( RAM
PORTS AND ROM)
OUTPUT

ADDRESS BUS

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Block Diagram of a Simple Microcomputer:

• Components of Microcomputer:
• CPU

• Memory

• Input / Output circuitry

• System Buses:

• Address bus
• Data bus
• Control bus
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Microcomputer Structure
o A Microcomputer system is one which uses a microprocessor as its CPU.

o In addition the Microcomputer also has a memory unit, input/output devices

o It consists - Address Bus, Data Bus, Control Bus

What is a Bus?
A group of lines used to transfer bits between microprocessor and other system
components like memory and I/O devices.
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CPU - Central Processing Unit
• It controls the operation of computer

• The CPU fetches binary-coded instructions from memory

• Decodes the instructions into a series of simple actions

• Carries out these actions in a sequence of steps

• Important components: IP (Instruction Pointer), General purpose registers

and Control bus signal generating circuits

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CPU
•Fetches the binary-coded instructions from memory, decodes the instructions into a
series of actions and carries out these actions in a sequence of steps.

•Contains an address register to hold the address of next instruction to be fetched

•General purpose registers to store binary data temporarily, and circuitry to generate
the control bus signal.

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Memory

• It usually consists of a mixture of RAM and ROM. It may also have

• Two purposes:
• Store the binary codes of instructions

• Store the binary coded data

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Memory:
• It stores the binary codes for the sequence of instructions and binary coded data. Example: ROM, RAM

and Magnetic disks

• RAM can be read and written to anytime the CPU commands it, but ROM is pre-loaded with data and

software that never changes, so the CPU can only read from it.

• ROM is typically used to store the computer's initial start-up instructions.

• In general, the contents of RAM are erased when the power to the computer is turned off, but ROM

retains its data indefinitely.

• In a PC, the ROM contains a specialized program called the BIOS that orchestrates loading the

computer's operating system from the hard disk drive into RAM whenever the computer is turned on

or reset.
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System Bus:
• The microcomputer’s system bus contains three buses: address, data, and control bus

• When a memory or an I/O chip receives data from the microprocessor, it is called a
WRITE operation, and data is written into a selected memory location or an I/O port
(register).

• When a memory or an I/O chip sends data to the microprocessor, it is called a READ
operation, and data is read from a selected memory location or an I/O port.

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Address bus
•Consists of 16, 20, 24, 32, or 36 parallel signal lines. Therefore it is that bit long.

•The number of locations that the CPU can address is determined by the
number of address lines.

•On these lines the CPU sends out the address of the memory location.

•If the CPU has N address lines then it can directly address 2N memory locations.

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Address Bus:
• It is a Unidirectional bus.

• Information transfer takes place from the MP to the memory or I/O elements.

• On these lines the CPU sends out the address of the memory location or I/O
port that is to be written to or read from.

• For example : microprocessor with 32 address pins can generate

232= 4,294,964,296 bytes

• Example : if address line 16 then 216 memory locations

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Control Bus:
• It consists of a number of signals that are used to synchronize
operation of the individual microcomputer elements.

• Consists of potentially many signals. Typically:-

•CPU sends signal on the control bus to enable the outputs of

•Memory Read, Memory Write, I/O Read, I/O Write.

•To read a byte of data the CPU sends out the memory address of the
desired byte on the address bus and sends out Memory Read signal.

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Data Bus:
• It is a bidirectional bus, i.e. CPU can read or send data both

• Data can flow in both directions, that is, to or from the microprocessor.

• The size of the data bus varies from one microprocessor to another.

• Usually matches the word length of the microprocessor

• Usually a multiple of 8

• We talk of 4-bit (nibble), 8-bit, 16-bit , 32-bit and 64-bit processors

•Allows the computer to take in data from the outside world or send
data to the outside world.

•Keyboards, monitor, printer are connected to I/O section.

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I/O Unit:
• Input/output (I/O), refers to the communication between an information processing system (such

as a computer), and the outside world possibly a human, or another information processing system.

• Inputs are the signals or data received by the system, and outputs are the signals or data sent

from it.

• Devices that provide input or output to the computer are called peripherals like the keyboard and

mouse, and output devices such as the display and printer, hard disk drives and optical disc

drives serve as both input and output devices.

• Computer networking is another form of I/O.

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Fetching & Execution Cycles:
Fetching Cycles
• The fetch cycle takes the instruction required from memory, stores it in the
instruction register, and
• Moves the program counter by one so that it points to the next instruction.

Execute cycle
• The actual actions which occur during the execute cycle of an instruction.
• Depends on both the instruction itself and the addressing mode specified to
be used to access the data that may be required.
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Fetching & Execution Cycles:
Step 1
Instruction Pointer (IP) or a program counter is a register, that holds the
address of the next instruction to be fetched.

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Fetching & Execution Cycles:
Step 2

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Fetching & Execution Cycles:
Step 3

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Fetching & Execution Cycles:
Step 4

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Fetching & Execution Cycles:
Step 5

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Fetching & Execution Cycles:
Step 6

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Simple Microcomputer - All Bus Operation
1. A microcomputer fetches each program instruction in sequence, decodes the instruction and executes it.

2. The CPU in a microcomputer reads data from memory by sending out an address on the address bus and
a Memory Read signal on the control bus. The memory output the addressed instruction or data word to
the CPU on the data bus.

3. The CPU writes a data word to memory by sending out an address on the address bus, sending out the
data word on the data bus and sends a Memory Write signal to memory on the control bus.

4. To read data from a port the CPU sends out the port address on the address bus and send an I/O Read
signal to the port device on the control bus. Data from the port comes into the CPU on the data bus.

5. To write data to a port the CPU sends out the port address on the address bus, sends out the data to be
written to the port on the data bus, and sends an I/O Write signal to the port device on the control bus.

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