Today, microcomputer is now referred to as personal computer of PC which defines that it has been devise to be use by one person at a time.
Similar to SAP 1 the memory is in form of RAM, memory storage device are usually combined with the CPU on the system bus in a single unit.
All data transfer, storage and processing done by a microcomputer is performed digitally using binary codes just like in SAP 1. the binary system translates every character entered in the computer into a set of 1's and 0's.
All microcomputers share a common overall design as illustrated below.
As seen in the figure above, the CPU serves as the brain of the computer containing all circuitry for performing arithmetic and logic operations and for directing data to and from memory. This CPU is usually contained on a single chip which is sometimes called microprocessor. Based on the illustration above, when a data is inputted through a device such as keyboard, disk drive, etc., it will be processed in the CPU and will go to the memory, and from memory data will be sent back to CPU for processing and will later be outputted as information by means of monitor, printer, disk drive and the likes.
When the CPU performs a calculation, the data for the calculation are held in registers inside the CPU. Each piece of data must be in register. The size of these registers referred to as WORD LENGTH, determines the number of bits that the CPU can manipulate in one operation. The BUS connects the CPU to the rest of the computer. The bus is a set of wires that carries signal from one component of the computer to another.
SAP 1 ARCHITECTURE
SAP 1 or Simple As Possible Computer is the type of computer specially designed for the academic purpose and nothing has to do with the commercial use. The SAP 1 architecture is composed of 8bits and comprises 16x8 memory performing only addition and subtraction. These arithmetic operation are achieved by an adder/subtractor unit. SAP 1 can't store program having more than 16 instructions.
SAP 1 Architecture Diagram
Considering both early designs of microcomputer and SAP 1 i must say that there is not much difference at all, like in how they process data, both uses memory and registers and finally how they output results.
