Evolution of microprocessors:
We can categorize the microprocessor according to the generations or according to the size of the microprocessors.
First Generation (4-bit Microprocessors):
The first-generation microprocessors were introduced in the year 1971-1972 by Intel Corporation. It was named Intel 4004 since it was a 4-bit processor.
It was a processor on single chip. It could perform simple arithmetic and logical operations such as addition, subtraction, Boolean OR and Boolean AND.
Second Generation (8-bit Microprocessor):
The second-generation microprocessors were introduced in 1973 again by Intel. It was a first 8-bit microprocessor which could perform arithmetic and logic operations on 8-bit words. It was Intel 8008, and another improved version was Intel 8088.
Third Generation (16-bit microprocessor):
The third-generation microprocessors, introduced in 1978 were represented by Intel’s 8086, Zilog Z800 and 80286, which were 16-bit processor with a performance like minicomputers.
Fourth Generation (32-bit Microprocessors):
Several different companies introduced the 32-bit microprocessors, but the most popular one is the Intel 80386.
Fifth generation (64-bit Microprocessors):
From 1995 to now we are in the fifth generation. After 80856, Intel came out with a new processor namely Pentium processor followed by Pentium Pro CPU, which allows multiple CPUs in a single system to achieve multiprocessing. Other Improved 64-bit processors are Celeron, Dual, Quad, core processors
Table: Important Intel Microprocessors
Others microprocessors are: Pentium II, Pentium III, Pentium 4, Itanium
