32k > NatSemiNS32032E-10G

Modified: May 30, 2005, 8:56 pm

Manufacturer:	National Semiconductor
Model:	NS32032E-10G
Speed:	10MHz
Type:	32K
Data Code:	8640
Introduced:	1983
Transistors:	70,000
Package:	68CLCC
Process:	??
Architecture:	32 bit
Used in:	Computers
Description:	Like the 68000, the 320xx family consisted of a CPU which was 32-bit internally, and 16 bits externally (later also 32 and 8), as indicated by the first and last two digits (originally reversed, but 16032 just seemed less impressive). It appeared a little later than the others here, and so was not really a choice for the IBM PC, but is still representative of the era. Elegance and regular design was a main goal of this processor, as well as completeness. It was similar to the 68000 in basic features, such as byte addressing, 24-bit address bus in the first version, memory to memory instructions, and so on (The 320xx also includes a string and array instruction). Unlike the 68000, the 320xx had eight instead of sixteen 32-bit registers, and they were all general purpose, not split into data and address registers. There was a lso a useful scaled-index addressing mode, and unlike other CPUs of the time, only a few operations affected the condition codes (as in more modern CPUs). Also different, the PC and stack registers were separate from the general register set - they were special purpose registers, along with the interrupt stack, and several "base registers" to provide multitasking support - the base data register pointed to the working memory of the current module (or process), the interrupt base register pointed to a table of interrupt handling procedures anywhere in memory (rather than a fixed location), and the module register pointed to a table of active modules. The 320xx also had a coprocessor bus, similar to the 8-bit Ferranti F100-L CPU, and coprocessor instructions. Coprocessors included an MMU, and a Floating Point unit which included eight 32-bit registers, which could be used as four 64-bit registers.