Question

Consider two microprocessors having 8- and 16-bit-wide external data buses, respectively. The two processors are identical otherwise and their bus cycles take just as long. Suppose all instructions and operands are two bytes long.By whatfactor do the maximum data transfer rates differ?

Answer 1

The maximum data transfer rate of a 16-bit bus is twice that of an 8-bit bus since it can transfer twice the amount of bits in the same bus cycle.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student is asking about the difference in maximum data transfer rates between two microprocessors with different external data bus widths. Given that all other factors are the same and using an 8-bit and 16-bit wide external data bus, the maximum data transfer rate of the 16-bit bus would be twice that of the 8-bit bus.

This is because the width of the data bus determines how many bits of data can be transferred simultaneously. If each instruction or operand is two bytes (16 bits) long, the 16-bit bus can transfer one instruction per cycle, while the 8-bit bus would need two cycles for the same instruction, effectively halving its data transfer rate.