Expanded single-chip principles in practical application

ABSTRACT

For the past two decades the semiconductor industry has been in a headlong rush to pack more and more features on a single piece of silicon. The creation of the microprocessor as a single LSI device naturally gave inspiration for further advances. The microcomputer on a chip followed quickly and was again a technological stepping point rather than a final goal. New generations and process development variations made possible larger, faster, and more powerful systems on a chip. There is, however, a limit on the amount of CPU, ROM, RAM, and special-purpose devices that can be placed on a single, easily manufactured silicon die with current technology. In order to give the cost-reducing features of a one-chip computer with the flexibility of a multichip set, the expanded single-chip computer was developed. This paper will explain the theory behind that development, and then explore its application in a specific example.