Microprocessor

A microprocessor (abbreviated as µP or uP) is a computer electronic component made from miniaturized transistors on a single semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) (aka microchip or just chip). The central processing unit (CPU) is the most well known microprocessor, but many other components in a computer have them, such as the GPU on a video card.

Notes

• The RCA 1802 had what is called a static design, meaning that the clock frequency could be made arbitrarily low; this let the Voyager/Viking/Galileo spacecraft run the processor at very low speeds (to the degree of 0 Hz, i.e. a total stop condition), hence using a minimum of electrical power for long uneventful stretches of the voyage. Timers and/or sensors would awaken/speed up the processor in time for important tasks, such as navigational updates, attitude control, data acquisition, and radio communication.