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4TRY.DOC
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1994-03-02
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4TRY.DOC 4 screens
The DX varieties of the '386 and '486 processors also have a
"Maths Co-processor" that is capable of more complex scientific
calculation.
Many specialised modern programmes, used in the area of design
and scientific calculation, require the Maths Co-processor to be
installed so that they can operate.
Normal home computing rarely requires more than a DX type of
machine.
Data BUS
────────
If you think of this BUS as a roadway between various parts of
the computer, and a BYTE, or character of information as the
vehicle, the following may be a little clearer.
The earliest of the true "personal computers" had a BUS that was
8 bits wide that was able to transfer 1 character of information
at a time between the CPU and the RAM chips, though inside of
the CPU itself, different areas of the chip could be addressed
on a 16 bit BUS.
Later models of computer, from the '286 upward, are able to
transfer information, or bits, between the CPU and RAM along a
BUS of 16 bits width.
This means that 16 ons or offs, or 2 BYTES of information, can
travel at the same moment of time from the CPU to the RAM chip
(or back).
As the technology improved in the hardware department so also
did the programmes to run on them.
Items like the popular "WINDOWS" (tm MICROSOFT) were designed
for transferring no less than 2 BYTES of information at a time
and are therefore unable to run on the older XT, or 8088 class
of machines.
The more expensive and powerful of the newer PC's have a 32 bit
BUS, with whewee fast critters running 64 bit BUS's transferring
big mobs of info real quick.
Of course software technology reaches out to close the gap and
there are new operating systems competing with WINDOWS that are
designed to run on these 32 bit data buses with incredible
efficiency.
Random Access Memory Chips
──────────────────────────
How the RAM chips actually work could probably be best
described (keeping in mind that we are dealing here with a
series of on and off conditions) in the same manner as the start
of this MODULE.
"If the light is on I will be at home" could be translated to
say that "If the light is still on it is because I have not
switched it off, and therefore am still at home."
Now, are you ready for it?
If a switch being either left on or off represents a zero or a
one .....
....and a bank of eight switches in various states of
being on or off can represent any of 256 ASCII characters ...
... by having
a memory chip comprised of something similar to many miniature
switches arranged in banks of eight (each with an address so
that they can be found again) it is possible to send a character
to each of a series of 8 switches that represent stored
information.
It needs a lot of switches, which of course is exactly what
integrated circuit silicon chips can do well.
┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ The information stored in your RAM memory chips are only as good │
│ as your power supply, the moment you turn off the power the │
│ whole lot disapears forever to "software heaven" as all the │
│ switches return to their natural resting state. │
│ │
│ You are in fact at this moment staring at an electrical │
│ illusion. │
│ │
│ For this reason, permanent, or SECONDARY, storage is required in │
│ the shape of disk and or tape drives. │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘