Comparing Motorola 6800 vs Intel 8080 Microprocessors

Introduction

The world of microprocessors has come a long way since the inception of the 8-bit microprocessors. Two of the significant microprocessors that were introduced in that era are Motorola 6800 and Intel 8080. Both have their own unique features and capabilities that set them apart. In this blog post, we will take a deep-dive into both and compare them.

Motorola 6800 Microprocessor

The Motorola 6800 microprocessor was introduced in 1974 and was a 8-bit microprocessor. It was used in many systems like automotive control, test equipment, peripherals, and industrial control. It was also used in early gaming consoles like the Atari 2600.

Features

• Operated at a clock speed of 1 MHz
• 16-bit address bus (able to address up to 64K of memory)
• 8-bit data bus
• 72 instructions (including both small and complex types)
• Cost-effective

Intel 8080 Microprocessor

The Intel 8080 microprocessor was introduced in April 1974 and was the first successful 8-bit microprocessor. It was used in many systems like home computers, arcade games, and military equipment.

Features

• Operated at a clock speed of 2 MHz
• 16-bit address bus (able to address up to 64K of memory)
• 8-bit data bus
• 78 instructions (including both small and complex types)

Comparison

Computational Power

The Intel 8080 microprocessor had a computational power of 0.5 MIPS (Million Instructions Per Second), whereas the Motorola 6800 microprocessor had a computational power of 0.4 MIPS. Hence, Intel 8080 had an edge in terms of computational power.

Price

The Motorola 6800 microprocessor was cheaper than Intel 8080, which made it more popular in the industry.

Energy Consumption

Both microprocessors consumed almost the same amount of power.

Instruction Set

The two microprocessors had a different instruction set, which made it difficult to perform the same task on both at the same time.

Conclusion

The Intel 8080 microprocessor had an edge over the Motorola 6800 in terms of computational power, but the Motorola 6800 was cheaper. The choice of which microprocessor to use would depend on the specific application and requirements.

We hope this comparison has helped you understand the differences between these two 8-bit microprocessors!

References

• "Motorola 6800." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Aug. 2022, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorola_6800.
• "Intel 8080." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Aug. 2022, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_8080.