How does microcode work??

From: Richard A. Cini <rcini_at_email.msn.com>
Date: Thu Jan 8 07:52:59 1998

    I know that this is a little off-topic, but here it goes. I'm reading
the book "The Soul of a New Machine", a book about the development of DG's
Eclipse minicomputers (great book, BTW). In there, they talk about a
"microcoder," one who is responsible for developing the microcode for the
processor.

    Inutitively I know what microcode is. I think of it as hard-coded ROM
for the instruction fetch unit of the microprocessor. Since I haven't been
formally schooled in computer science or microprocessor design, I'd like to
understand (in 500 words or less <g>) how microcode works, i.e., how is it
implemented and how does the microprocessor access it.

    I know that this is probably a topic that is worthy of volumes of paper,
but the Reader's Digest version will do! Thanks.

Rich Cini/WUGNET
  Charter ClubWin! Member
  MCP Windows 95/Windows Networking
Received on Thu Jan 08 1998 - 07:52:59 GMT