The new microprocessors

Many developments have taken place recently in the microprocessor market. New devices range from processor chips designed for use in analogue and digital communication systems to architectures which readily support high-level language run-time environments and compilers. Some of these architectures have a sophistication which was rare in large computers until recently. The paper is a tutorial survey of recent products in both low and the high ends of the microprocessor market. It explains the motivation behind the new 16-bit devices in terms of economical factors behind the market, and provides some technical background in the area of high-level language run-time software structures, necessary to understand the architectures.