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A  (PGA) version, used by the .

A pin grid array (PGA) version, used by the Macintosh II.

The Motorola 68020, also referred to as the 68020 or '020, is a 32-bit CISC processor that was produced by Motorola's Semiconductor Products Sector, superseding the Motorola 68000 and 68010. The 68020 was only used in the Macintosh II and Macintosh LC as it was soon succeeded by the Motorola 68030.

Features

A  (QFP) version, used by the .

A quad flat package (QFP) version, used by the Macintosh LC.

Introduced in 1984, processor efficiency of the 68020 was improved over the 68000 with a 256-byte instruction cache and a 3-stage pipeline that aimed to keep three sections of the CPU simultaneously occupied during each clock cycle. With a 32-bit address bus, the 68020 could theoretically access up to 4GB of RAM. However, logic board designs and classic Mac OS limitations kept the actual operating maximum much lower. The 32-bit data bus doubled the efficiency of memory throughput, though the 16-bit bus of the lower-end Macintosh LC only took advantage of half of it.[1]

Variants

Related coprocessors

The 68020 can manage up to 8 coprocessors, though no 68k-based Macintosh ever shipped with more than one math coprocessor and/or memory management unit.[2]

A  HMMU from a stock .

A VLSI VI475 HMMU from a stock Macintosh II.

References

  1. Mac LC by Cheryl Spencer, Macworld. 1990-12.
  2. Assembly Language Programming with the 68020 by M. Rafiquzzaman, Microprocessor Theory and Applications with 68000/68020 and Pentium p.225. 2008-09-22.
  3. Section 1: Generation Description by Motorola, MC68881/MC68882 Floating-Point Coprocessor User's Manual p.1-1. 1987.

External links

Motorola 68k series processors
Central processing units : 68000 · 68010 · 68020 · 68030 · 68040 · 68050 · 68060
Floating-point units :   (n/a)  ·   (n/a)  · 68881 · 68882 · (SANE)
Memory management units :   (n/a)  · 68451 · 68851
Other :                           (VI475)
Superseded by PowerPC processors in March 1994
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