About 8, 16 , 32 Bites (architecture)

markuster

Hi,

Only to confirm if SX is a 8 bites microcontroller
, Basic Stamp is a 16 Bites microcontroller
and if the Propeller is a 32 Bites microcontoller.

Thanks, Mark

allanlane5

Nope, they're all 8-bit processors.

The BS2 is based on the 16C54 PIC processor. But it has a run-time kernel set of code that turns it into a PBASIC processor. PBasic knows about 1,4,8,and 16-bit values (called BIT, NIB, BYTE, and WORD). But "under the hood" it's an 8-bit processor.

The SX is a 'super-PIC', which runs at 50 Mhz and will process one instruction per clock cycle. But again, still an 8-bit processor.

The Propeller is a slightly odd processor. It's actually got 8 'processor cores' on a single chip, each with its own local memory, and time-shared access to global memory. This is an extremely clever design, but I'm pretty sure it's still got 8-bit registers.

Mike Green

Both the SX and the Basic Stamps are 8 bit microcontrollers. The Basic Stamps also do 16 bit arithmetic by doing built-in double precision integer arithmetic.

The Propeller is a 32 bit microcontroller which also has support for 8 bit and 16 bit quantities. The Propeller is not a 8 bit microcontroller although its "hub" memory is byte addressable and accessible and there are a few instructions specifically to help with 8 bit and 16 bit signed arithmetic.

Post Edited (Mike Green) : 11/3/2009 7:53:17 PM GMT

allanlane5

I stand corrected -- the Propeller does indeed have 8 processors, each with 512 x 32 bits local memory. It IS a 32-bit processor.

James Long

markuster said...
Hi,

Only to confirm if SX is a 8 bites microcontroller
, Basic Stamp is a 16 Bites microcontroller
and if the Propeller is a 32 Bites microcontoller.

Thanks, Mark

Mark,

Also...just to keep this clear.

Those are "bits".

A Byte is a group of 8 bits.

There is no 8 byte micro that I know of.

This may just be a spelling error, or a language barrier. It doesn't matter, just do not want to have any confusion of the capabilities.

James L

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James L
Partner/Designer
Lil Brother SMT Assembly Services

Are you addicted to technology or Micro-controllers..... then checkout the forums at Savage Circuits. Learn to build your own Gizmos!

markuster

Hi

Sorry I am little confused:

Then:

SX = 8 bit architecture
Basic Stamp = 8 bit architecture
Propeller = 32 bit architecture

So, the Basic Stamp architecture could be a 8 bit architecture
but work like a 16 bit microcontroller ?

Is a Basic Stamp working like a 16 bit microcontroller ?

I am asking this because an electronic engineer ask me about
Parallax products, and I found this information at Parallax
web site but about the propeller micro. only.


Thanks, Mark

James Long

markuster said...
Hi

Sorry I am little confused:

Then:

SX = 8 bit architecture
Basic Stamp = 8 bit architecture
Propeller = 32 bit architecture

So, the Basic Stamp architecture could be a 8 bit architecture
but work like a 16 bit microcontroller ?

Is a Basic Stamp working like a 16 bit microcontroller ?

I am asking this because an electronic engineer ask me about
Parallax products, and I found this information at Parallax
web site but about the propeller micro. only.


Thanks, Mark

Mark,

The chips themselves (Basic stamp) are really only 8 bit Architecture. But the way they are programed uses 16 bit. This is fooled on the chip by using two bytes of information added together. This allows 16 bit computations. But still at a base level the chip is still only an 8 bit architecture.

There are many 8 bit chips which can be used like a 16 bit chip. It's all in the way you program it, and it having enough memory for it to be practical.

This is one reason 8 bit chips are still around. Microchips sells tens of thousands of them every year.

James L

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
James L
Partner/Designer
Lil Brother SMT Assembly Services

Are you addicted to technology or Micro-controllers..... then checkout the forums at Savage Circuits. Learn to build your own Gizmos!