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เนื้อหาย่อ : In 1970 the first microprocessor was built. Since that time, microprocessors have become a pervading influence on our lives. The first were basically in- tended as controllers, but as technology developed the uses of these micropro- cessors increased to the point where they are now the brains of small com- puters known as microcomputers. A microprocessor-based microcomputer can be constructed on specif- cally designed pieces of silicon dioxide (sand) one square inch in area that is capable of more and faster calculations than older computers that occupied the space of a table. We are truly the computer generation. Computers are all around us, influ- encing our daily lives from calculating our purchases in large chain stores to directing our children's toys. In this text we are interested in the smallest com- puter, the microprocessor-based microcomputer. Microprocessors are also the heart of digital watches, calculators, and TV video games. They control the radar ovens and the street lights at many inter- sections. They are found in some typewriters used for automatic typing, in word processors, and in automobiles to control gas flow and cylinders for better gas mileage (e.g., the clean-burn engine). The field of microprocessors and microcomputers is developing so rapidly that it is difficult to keep up with the changes. A large push now is in the field of home computers, which are all run by microprocessors. In the science fields more and more instruments are being built that are microprocessor controlled. For many scientists it has become necessary to un- derstand the fundamentals of microprocessors and microcomputers in order to use these instruments. Though a basic scientist (biologist, chemist, physicist, etc.) need not know how to construct a microprocessor from its parts (this is a job for an engineer), scientists must be aware of the terminology used so that they can communicate with the engineers. A person interested in the hobby or home computer field should also have some knowledge of these fundamentals in order to make comparisons between the different computers available and to use the computer to its maximum ability. The objective of this text is to teach the basic fundamentals of micropro- cessors and microcomputers. It was developed around the Motorola MC6800 microprocessor, though discussion and comparisons with other microproces-