Structure of this Session. Videogames & Embedded Systems. The Microchip. Other Early Games. Intel The Microprocesor

Transcription

1 Structure of this Session Videogames & Embedded Systems 1. Microprocessors and their applications 2. Video games, as example application I202, Fall 2003 Session Other Early Games Mostly text based Hunt the Wumpus, a maze game Star Trek Tapes passed around between DEC installations The Microchip Basic idea: build several onto a single module Transistors had been getting smaller, but package and wiring limits miniaturization Breakthrough is photographic process to etch transistors and connections onto silicon By 1970 can make memory chips 256-bits (64 bytes) per chip Capabilities increase rapidly 3 4 The Microprocesor Developed by Intel Ted Hoff generally credited Creative solution to creation of logic chips for pocket calculator Builds core elements of central processing unit (CPU) onto one chip Arithmetic capabilities, Logic capabilities, Registers Formerly took one or more circuit boards Couple with different programs for different systems 5 First microprocessor 2,300 transistors on one chip 4-bit (i.e. can handle numbers up to 16 easily) Uses include Burglar alarms Pioneer 10 space probe (allegedly) 8-bit and 16-bit chips follow rapidly Intel

2 Moore s Law Intel s Official Chart Coined by Gordon Moore in 1965 He observed exponential increase in economically optimal number of transistors on chip over time Common versions are not literally true Eg doubling every 18 months in RAM capacity, or doubling in processor power per $ But, increase has been impressive 7 8 Digital Watch Programmable Calculator Videogames Music Synthesizer Early Applications Each of These Is a computer Microprocessor chip Memory (RAM) chip for temporary storage Program, burned into ROM chip Called Embedded Systems Simplified operating systems High levels of integration Simpler, cheaper, lower power processors 9 10 Current Applications CD Player DVD player, VCR Cell phone TVs (closed caption, etc) Cable TV box Microwave oven Digital Camera (& control in film camera) Modern Cars Full of embedded processors Record data in event of crash Control brakes Control engine Mechanics need special computer to interface Tuning done via software Stereo/CD system

3 Space War 2: Video Games Read about this in Hackers Complex, hard, needed a PDP 1 to play Adventure Text based game Will Crowther (1972) & Don Woods (1976) Inspired by Dungeons & Dragons Single player Walk through huge cave network Read descriptions Type instructions ( Go North, Get Lamp ) Solve problems Needs powerful minicomputer to run Development at MIT, RAND Corp & Stanford Direct attempt to commercialize Space War Nolan Bushnell, 1971 Flopped game too complex for public Computer Space Created in 1972 Nolan Bushnell, founds Atari Powered by 4004 chip Around 38,000 made Pong About equal to bestselling computer in history Found in bars, laundromats, pizzerias, etc. 17 Pong Circuit board Pong used many simple chips; It did not have a microprocessor 18 3

4 Home Pong Consoles Space Invaders Quite popular Created by Taito, a Japanese firm, in 1978 Microprocessor based Get boring fast! Dozens of different versions Intel 8080 processor Hockey, tennis, football, etc. Running code burned onto ROM This one shrinks Pong to a single chip Technique called LSI for Large Scale Integration 19 Boom in early 1980s Pac Man New color games Released 1980 Biggest hit of all time Galaxian (1979) Frogger (1981) Simple Arcades spring up in every town Challenging Appeals to both sexes Pinball machines joined by video games Huge marketing event Breakfast cereal Kids hang around 20 Books Many sequels 21 Atari VCS Home Console 22 Inside the VCS Launched in 1977 Microprocessor based Atari acquired by Warner Communications Takes program cartridges Originally 2K ROM chips! Space Invaders first big hit More than a million sold By 1982, Warner makes more from videogames than movies!

5 The Boom Ends By 1983, videogame market is saturated Too many bad games, people get bored Atari almost collapses VCS stays on market until 1989 Nintendo Nintendo Entertainment System Introduced 1985 in US Revives market Late 1980s see more powerful systems SEGA Genesis (1989) Super NES (1991) s Arcades in Decline Power of home PCs and consoles matches that of specialized hardware So people play at home instead Remaining games tend to have fancy cases (guns, bikes to sit on, etc.) Also multiplayer Today s Consoles Extremely powerful 3D graphics Microsoft X-Box Playstation 2 X-Box is basically a modified PC Includes hard disk, Windows version Consoles often more powerful than desktop PCs 3D games are driving PC hardware development today