[SOLVED] could 2 x 8 bit cpu's be put together to make a 16 bit cpu?

[the666]

so, say if you had 2 x z80 processors, these could be put together to run a 16 bit system?

 

[-Fran-]

so, say if you had 2 x z80 processors, these could be put together to run a 16 bit system?

While you can emulate at the software level higher "bittage", you can't do it at the hardware level. When you say a CPU is "x-bit", it implies the math (integer) operations are x-bit wide, the registers for pointers (memory) are (up to) x-bit in length and some other specific hardware implications. Having 2 CPUs with lower bittage won't be able to individually address more memory or calculate higher (hardware) bittage operations.

So, in short: nope.

On a more general note, the waters are a bit murkier nowadays thanks to SIMD engines in CPUs, as they support really wide bittage operations.

Cheers!

 

[gamerk316]

Sounds suspiciously like a homework question.

But not, you'd have two 8-bit CPUs working in parallel.

 

[AllanGH]

If you have 2 - Z80 processors, you'll probably have a Z800 (Z280 at release) processor lying around, too--use that instead.