4 ms·
Apparently, there have been 4 bit microprocessors made! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4-bit_computing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4-bit_computing
by stcredzero 3y ago
Apparently, there have been 4 bit microprocessors made!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4-bit_computing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4-bit_computing
- microtherion 3y agoAnd bit-slicing microprocessors, where you could build up your register width in multiples of 4 bits just by running several of them in parallel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMD_Am2900 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMD_Am2900
- shrubble 3y agoThe lowest-end VAX, 11/730 used 8 of them in parallel to get a cheap 32-bit CPU.
- HeyLaughingBoy 3y agoYep. A lot of older kitchen appliances ran on 4-bit microcontrollers for cost reasons.
- RetroTechie 3y agoSurprisingly, in the list on that page OKI isn't even mentioned. I had a small OKI databook once with a variety of 4-bit cpus in them (most if not all CMOS, iirc). Obviously geared towards deeply embedded uses like toys, sensors, basically: battery powered uses where speed isn't important but every uA counts. Allthough it's possible those OKI parts where just 2nd sources of ones in the WP list.
- flohofwoe 3y agoFWIW, the Z80 has a 4-bit ALU, despite registers and databus being 8 bits wide: https://www.righto.com/2013/09/the-z-80-has-4-bit-alu-heres-how-it.html https://www.righto.com/2013/09/the-z-80-has-4-bit-alu-heres-...