List of CPU architectures

The following is a list of notable CPU architectures.

Hitachi's SuperH architecture

All computers run using very low-level commands which

do some very basic functions, such as reading data, writing data, jumping to addresses, and calculating basic
arithmetic. (The complete list of commands that can be
run by a CPU is known as that computers instruction
set). Instruction sets are relatively small; most higherorder programming languages, such as C++, Ada, Fortran, or Visual Basic, must be compiled (or translated, or
interpreted) into these low level commands in order for a
program to run.

Axis Communications' ETRAX CRIS architecture

Power Architecture (formerly PowerPC)
EnSilica's eSi-RISC architecture
Milkymist architecture
Inmos' Transputer architectures

2 Microcomputer CPU architectures

These low-level commands are run in a series of steps,

which are synchronized with the computers clock. (One
apt analogy would be an internal combustion engine. In
an engine, the pistons, valves, and fuel systems must all
run in a very synchronized manner, so likewise a computer runs with precise timing dictating when instructions are fetched and executed, and when data is read and
written. If an engine runs in a cycle: intake, compression,
ignition, and exhaust; so does a computers CPU: fetch,
load, execute, write.)

Pre-x86
x86
Intels IA-32 architecture, also called x86-32
x86-64 with AMDs AMD64 and Intels Intel
64 version of it
Motorola's 6800 and 68000 architectures

CPU architects strive for designs that are compact and efcient, thus forcing many tradeos to be considered during design. A 32-bit architecture can move more data
than a 16-bit architecture in each cycle (thereby making
it faster), but the data bus is also twice as wide, which
takes up more area on the limited space of a chip. Despite
these challenges, continual advances in VLSI design have
made it possible for computer processors to steadily grow
exponentially more powerful over the past few decades.

MOS Technology's 6502 architecture

Zilog's Z80 architecture
Power Architecture
PowerPC)

(formerly

POWER

and

ARM's
ARM[1][2] (32-bit) (previously Advanced
RISC Machines' ARM, originally Acorn's
RISC Machine) and StrongARM/XScale
architectures

Embedded CPU architectures

ARM64 (64/32-bit)

ARM's

Renesas RX CPU architecture - Combination of

RISC and CISC architectures

ARM architecture (32-bit)

ARM64 (64/32-bit)
Atmel's AVR architecture

3 Workstation/Server CPU architectures

Microchip's PIC architecture

Texas Instruments's MSP430 architecture

DEC's Alpha architecture

Intel's 8051 architecture

HP's PA-RISC architecture

Zilog's Z80 architecture

Power Architecture
PowerPC)

Western Design Center's 65816 architecture

1

(formerly

POWER

and

8
Intel's Itanium architecture (formerly IA-64)

Comparison of CPU architectures

Oracle's SPARC architecture

List of instruction sets

Mini/Mainframe CPU architec- 8 References

tures
[1] Larabel, Michael (3 February 2014). CompuLab Utilite:

IBM's System/360, System/370, ESA/390 and

z/Architecture (1964present)
DEC's PDP-11 architecture, and its successor, the
VAX architecture
UNIVAC 1100/2200 series architecture (currently
supported by Unisys ClearPath IX computers)
MIL-STD-1750A - the U.S.'s military standard
computer
AP-101 - the space shuttles computer

Mixed-core CPU architectures

IBM's Cell architecture (a general purpose architecture that uses a POWER4 based core and 8 RISC
based co-processors)
CAS's Loongson 3
Parallax Propeller, a 160 MIPS multicore
microcontroller with eight 32-bit RISC cores.

7 See also

MIPS Computer Systems Inc.'s MIPS architecture

Burroughs large systems architecture (1961

present) currently supported in the Unisys
ClearPath/MCP series.

REFERENCES

Historically important CPUs

EDSAC - the rst practical stored-program computer
Apollo Guidance Computer, used in the moon
ights
MIL-STD-1750 An early CPU, standardized for
military and aerospace embedded systems.
MIPS R4000 - the rst microprocessor to use a 64bit datapath
Central Air Data Computer - the rst microprocessor

A Tiny, Low-Power, Low-Cost, ARM Linux Desktop.

Phoronix. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
[2] Larabel, Michael (19 June 2012). Building A 96-Core
Ubuntu ARM Solar-Powered Cluster. Phoronix. Retrieved 23 April 2014.

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

9.1

Text

List of CPU architectures Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List%20of%20CPU%20architectures?oldid=630906955 Contributors:

Ray Van De Walker, Mahjongg, ElectraFlarere, Brianhe, Mykhal, John Vandenberg, Matt Britt, Ivansanchez, Guy Harris, Blaxthos,
Kitch, Ketiltrout, Lockley, Intersoa, Intgr, Wengier, Ksyrie, Snarius, 6a4fe8aa039615ebd9ddb83d6acf9a1dc1b684f7, Rwwww, SmackBot, Henriok, Letdorf, Frap, JonHarder, Joelo, CmdrObot, The Librarian, Raysonho, Rud Almeida, Arch dude, RoseAstronomer06,
DGG, TwilligToves, UnitedStatesian, Srce, Sapphic, Rilak, Rprpr, Mritchie02, Juhuang, CoolingGibbon, FrescoBot, Tom.Reding, Castingxvoid, GoingBatty, Andza, BattyBot, Aldafas, DavidLeighEllis, Comp.arch and Anonymous: 22

9.2

Images

File:Ambox_important.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/Ambox_important.svg License: Public domain Contributors: Own work, based o of Image:Ambox scales.svg Original artist: Dsmurat (talk contribs)

9.3

Content license

Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0