Lectures-10: Interfacing in Microprocessor (MPU)

 Interfacing in Microprocessor

Interface is the path for communication between two components. Interfacing is of two types, memory interfacing and I/O interfacing.

Memory and I/O Interfacing

Several memory chips and I/O devices are connected to a microprocessor.

The following figure shows a schematic diagram to interface memory chips and I/O devices to a microprocessor.


Memory Interfacing

When we are executing any instruction, the address of memory location or an I/O device is sent out by the microprocessor. The corresponding memory chip or I/O device is selected by a decoding circuit.

Memory requires some signals to read from and write to registers and microprocessor transmits some signals for reading or writing data.

The interfacing process includes matching the memory requirements with the microprocessor signals. Therefore, the interfacing circuit should be designed in such a way that it matches the memory signal requirements with the microprocessor's signals.

I/O interfacing

As we know, keyboard and displays are used as communication channel with outside world. Therefore, it is necessary that we interface keyboard and displays with the microprocessor. This is called I/O interfacing. For this type of interfacing, we use latches and buffers for interfacing the keyboards and displays with the microprocessor.

But the main drawback of this interfacing is that the microprocessor can perform only one function.

8085 Interfacing Pins

Following is the list of 8085 pins used for interfacing with other devices −

 

Ways of Communication − Microprocessor with the Outside World?

There are two ways of communication in which the microprocessor can connect with the outside world.

  • Serial Communication Interface
  • Parallel Communication interface

Serial Communication Interface − In this type of communication, the interface gets a single byte of data from the microprocessor and sends it bit by bit to the other system serially and vice-a-versa.

Parallel Communication Interface − In this type of communication, the interface gets a byte of data from the microprocessor and sends it bit by bit to the other systems in simultaneous (or) parallel fashion and vice-a-versa.


As we know that any system which process digital data needs the facility for storing the data. Interfacing is a technique to be used for connecting the Microprocessor to Memory.

 

Buffers and Latches have totally different concepts and usages. They can’t be differentiated, as Buffers can be considered as a super set of a latch.

Latch is basically a digital circuit with feedback to hold data onto it. A latch is controlled by an enable and the input data. When a latch is enabled it follows the input and throws it at the output, but when disabled the previous value before the enable going low is latched on to it (Assuming an active high logic). The use of a latch is just to hold memory and that’s all.

A Buffer on the other hand is a mixed signal component.  Its function is not just to hold memory but also to increase the drive strength, make the system noise resistant and so on.

A latch is like a water tap. When tap is disabled the water is held on to it, but when enabled it just flows the water out from the tank without any processing. But a buffer is like a water purifier which does additional featuring to the water and also has a tap fixed in it.

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