Processor (computing)

In computing, a processor or processing unit is a digital circuit which performs operations on some external data source, usually memory or some other data stream.^[1] It typically takes the form of a microprocessor, which can be implemented on a single metal–oxide–semiconductor integrated circuit chip; in the past, processors were constructed using multiple individual vacuum tubes, multiple individual transistors, or multiple integrated circuits.

The term is frequently used to refer to the central processing unit in a system.^[2] However, it can also refer to other co-processors.^[3]

Examples[edit]

^ "Oxford English Dictionary". Lexico. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
^ "Oxford English Dictionary". Lexico. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
^ Sakdhnagool, Putt (4 September 2018). "Comparative analysis of coprocessors". Concurrency and Computation Practice and Experience. 31 (1) – via Wiley Online Library.

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v t e Digital electronics
Components	Transistor Resistor Inductor Capacitor Printed electronics Printed circuit board Electronic circuit Flip-flop Memory cell Combinational logic Sequential logic Logic gate Boolean circuit Integrated circuit (IC) Hybrid integrated circuit (HIC) Mixed-signal integrated circuit Three-dimensional integrated circuit (3D IC) Emitter-coupled logic (ECL) Erasable programmable logic device (EPLD) Macrocell array Programmable logic array (PLA) Programmable logic device (PLD) Programmable Array Logic (PAL) Generic array logic (GAL) Complex programmable logic device (CPLD) Field-programmable gate array (FPGA) Field-programmable object array (FPOA) Application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) Tensor Processing Unit (TPU)
Theory	Digital signal Boolean algebra Logic synthesis Logic in computer science Computer architecture Digital signal Digital signal processing Circuit minimization Switching circuit theory Gate equivalent
Design	Logic synthesis Place and route Placement Routing Register-transfer level Hardware description language High-level synthesis Formal equivalence checking Synchronous logic Asynchronous logic Finite-state machine Hierarchical state machine
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Design issues	Metastability Runt pulse

v t e Basic computer components
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Removable data storage	Disk pack Floppy disk Optical disc CD DVD Blu-ray Flash memory Memory card USB flash drive
Computer case	Central processing unit Microprocessor Motherboard Memory RAM BIOS Data storage HDD SSD SSHD Power supply SMPS MOSFET Power MOSFET VRM Network interface controller Fax modem Expansion card
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