How much memory can an 8-bit processor address?

These processors have 8-bit CPUs with 8-bit data and 16-bit addressing. The memory on these CPUs is addressable at the byte level. This leads to a memory addressable limit of 216 × 1 byte = 65,536 bytes or 64 kilobytes.

Is the 6502 still used?

It’s Still in Production These are being used in all sorts of commercial devices, including external sound interfaces from companies like MOTU, medical devices and scanners, hand-held games and more. Bill Mensch is one of the holders of the 6502 patent, so who better to work on it today than him.

What is a Z80 microprocessor?

The Z80 is an 8-bit microprocessor introduced by Zilog as the startup company’s first product. The Zilog Z80 is a software-compatible extension and enhancement of the Intel 8080 and, like it, was mainly aimed at embedded systems.

Is the Z80 still used?

Z80s are still used even today, where a high-power processor isn’t needed. Many Texas Instruments graphing calculators still use Z80 processors today, as well as many other low-cost devices that need a little processing power.

What does 8-bit mean in a microcontroller?

The term “8-bit” generally refers to the bit-width of the CPU. Thus an 8-bit microcontroller is one which contains an 8-bit CPU. This means that internal operations are done on 8-bit numbers, that stored variables are in 8-bit blocks, and external I/O (inputs/outputs) is accessed via 8-bit busses.

Is the 6502 a RISC processor?

Several (common) characteristics of RISC were identified, and the article ultimately concluded that the 6502 was not RISC. One characterstic was a large number of general purpose registers.

How does the Z80 work?

The Z80 uses a 16-bit program counter (PC) to hold the memory address of the next instruction to execute. This register gradually steps through memory as instructions are executed, but some instructions can alter it directly to cause the flow of the program to branch to a new location.

What does 8-bit memory mean?

In computer architecture, 8-bit integers, memory addresses, or other data units are those that are 8 bits (1 octet or 1 Byte) wide. Also, 8-bit CPU and ALU architectures are those that are based on registers, address buses, or data buses of that size. The Intel 8008 was used in the famous Mark-8 computer kit.