computer science

Hewlett-Packard Nanoprocessor

Hewlett-Packard Nanoprocessor is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Hewlett-Packard Nanoprocessor rather than just read about it. In short: The Hewlett-Packard Nanoprocessor from HP (part number 1820-1692) was a small Control-Oriented Processor microcontroller without an ALU nor the ability to add or subtract. It was released in 1974 by HP and used in many HP products.

Key takeaways

Hewlett-Packard Nanoprocessor belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Hewlett-Packard Nanoprocessor to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Hewlett-Packard Nanoprocessor from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Hewlett-Packard Nanoprocessor from HP (part number 1820-1692) was a small Control-Oriented Processor microcontroller without an ALU nor the ability to add or subtract. It was released in 1974 by HP and used in many HP products. It was packaged in a 40-pin ceramic DIP that dissipated less than one watt.

Description The Nanoprocessor is an 8-bit control-oriented CPU built from nMOS logic. It has an 11-bit address bus that can directly address 2048 bytes of program ROM, expandable to 512 KB with bank switching. The processor has sixteen 8-bit registers and an 8-bit accumulator. A 1-bit Extend register (E) acts as a carry flag. As well as the 11-bit program counter (PC), it has an 11-bit subroutine return register (SRR) and 11-bit Interrupt Return Register (IRR), each acting as a single-level stack. In place of an arithmetic logic unit, it has a Control Logic Unit (CLU) and a magnitude comparator. For input/output, the Nanoprocessor has 7 bidirectional control lines as well as 15 input and 15 output ports for 8-bit data transfers. Code for the Nanoprocessor was written in assembly language using an assembler and loader that ran on an HP 2100 computer.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Hewlett-Packard Nanoprocessor

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Hewlett-Packard Nanoprocessor claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Hewlett-Packard Nanoprocessor before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Hewlett-Packard Nanoprocessor ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Hewlett-Packard Nanoprocessor

In research: Hewlett-Packard Nanoprocessor appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Hewlett-Packard Nanoprocessor in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Hewlett-Packard Nanoprocessor is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics HP microprocessors, Microcomputer stubs, Microcontrollers, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Hewlett-Packard Nanoprocessor outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Hewlett-Packard Nanoprocessor in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Hewlett-Packard Nanoprocessor means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Hewlett-Packard Nanoprocessor out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Hewlett-Packard Nanoprocessor in simple terms?

Why does Hewlett-Packard Nanoprocessor matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Hewlett-Packard Nanoprocessor?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Hewlett-Packard Nanoprocessor.