Ebook: Microprocessor 2: Core Concepts ─ Communication in a Digital System

The second volume is devoted to aspects of communication in digital systems from the point of view of buses. Their mam characteristics are presented, as well as their communication, access arbitration, and transaction protocols, their interfaces and their electrical characteristics. A classification is proposed and the mam buses are described.

This volume consists of four chapters and looks at the microprocessor and its communication system, linking its different components, or functional subunits, both internally and externally. Communication revolves around the notion of the “bus”. The bus is the backbone of all communication, and forms a “digital information highway”. It has been, and remains, the preferred form of interconnection in computer systems. However, just like on a highway, this shared communication medium is also one of (von Neumann) bottlenecks, winch arise when all of the connected entities want to use it at the same time. Astute design and sizing are therefore vital for maximizing computer performance. Here, we present their main characteristics, the protocols for communication, access arbitration and transaction, their interfacing, and the electric aspects.