Intro to Microprocessors

Actually, the original title implied that one wanted to learn about microprocessors. I pointed out that learming about micorPROCESSORs, which are hardware devices, was a very different task from learning about microCOMPUTERs, which is essentially a course in programming and operating systems. The suggestion that an evaluation board was a good choice for the former is one with which I have little difficulty. My own preference is for as little dedicated hardware as possible, since, as I've maintained, less is better. The fact is, however, that some knowledge of programming is certainly warranted, since all the microprocessor hardware you want won't solve a problem at all without effectively constructed code. This requires knowledge of microCOMPUTING. While microCOMPUTING requires little knowledge of hardware, microPROCESSORs won't do much without it. I like the idea of using that evaluation board for the 68HC11, but it doesn't offer any more opportunity to learn about the hardware elements, the microPROCESSORs, because all the hardware is already done for you. With the application of that emulator cable that you can attach to the evaluation board, you can learn a fair amount about the hardware in a target system, since the target responds to stimuli provided by the cable. However, it still runs at the rate determined by the evaluation circuit, though it's possible to use a clock however, and I wouldn't recommend that in a residential area unless you want to see the neighbors carrying torches and pitchforks. Dick ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike Ford" <mikeford(a)socal.rr.com> To: <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org> Sent: Friday, July 20, 2001 2:22 AM Subject: Re: Intro to Microprocessors person up