8-bit refers to the number of bits used in the data bus of a computer. It is the number of bits of data transferred on each read or write of the memory, and the number of bits used internally in the CPU to carry out processing. Similarly, a 4-bit CPU would process 4 bits at a time, a 16-bit CPU would process 16 bits at a time etc. A data unit of 8 bits is commonly called a byte (although the precise name is an octet), whereas a unit of 4 bits (a hex digit) is sometimes referred to as a " nibble".
8-bit processors normally use a 16-bit address bus, which means that their address space is limited to 64 Kilobytes; this is not a "natural law", however, and thus there are exceptions.
The first widely adopted 8-bit microprocessor was the Intel 8080The Intel 8080 was an early microprocessor designed and manufactured by Intel. The 8-bit CPU was released in April 1974 running at 2 MHz, and is generally considered to be the first truly usable microprocessor CPU design. Description The Intel 8080 was th, being used in many hobbyist computers of the late 1970sMillennia: 1st millennium 2nd millennium 3rd millennium Centuries: 19th century 20th century 21st century Decades: 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s Years: 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 Events and trends and early 1980sMillennia: 1st millennium 2nd millennium 3rd millennium Centuries: 19th century 20th century 21st century Decades: 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s 2030s Years: 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 Events and trends, often running the CP/MCP/M C ommand P rocessor for M icrocomputers was an operating system for Intel 8080/ 85 and Zilog Z80 based microcomputers. It was created by Digital Research, Inc. founded by Gary Kildall. The combination of CP/M and S-100 bus computers patterned on the operating systemIn computing, an operating system OS is the system software responsible for the direct control and management of hardware and basic system operations, as well as running application software such as word processing programs and web browsers. In general, t. The Zilog Z80The Zilog Z80 is an 8-bit microprocessor designed and manufactured by Zilog from 1976 onwards. It was widely used both in desktop and embedded computer designs, and is one of the most popular CPUs of all time. Although Zilog made several attempts to move (compatible with the 8080) and the Motorola 6800The 6800 is a microprocessor produced by Motorola and released shortly after the Intel 8080 in 1975. It had 78 instructions, including the (in)famous, undocumented Halt and Catch Fire (HCF) bus test instruction. It may have been the first µP with an index were also used in similar computers. The Z80 and the MOS Technology 6502The MOS Technology 6502 is an 8-bit microprocessor designed by MOS Technology in 1975. When it was introduced it was the least expensive full featured CPU on the market by far, at about 1/6th the price, or less, of competing designs from larger companies 8-bit CPUs were widely used in home computers and game consoles of the 70s and 80s. Many 8-bit CPUs or microcontrollers are the basis of today's ubiquitous embedded systems.
There 28 (256) possible permutations for 8 bits.
Computer terminology
