Talk:8-bit computing

applications/gadgets

What applications/gadgets still have 8bit processors in this era of 64 bit processors?

Controllers, for example, [1] because such tasks rarely need much CPU-power or memory. Low power-consumption, low design complexity and device size are more important in such cases. In space travel, they stick to more robust and simple hardware also because it is less sensitive to radioactivity. Therefore, you probably won't see any common 64-bit CPUs in space anytime soon. --217.87.87.117 (talk) 19:46, 22 November 2007 (UTC)

Most applications/gadgets still use 8 bit processors. For example, all of the following use 8 bit processors:

• mouse (computing) -- some examples at optical mouse
• computer keyboard#Control processor
• the touch-sensitive wheel in some iPods -- the 8-bit Cypress PSoC [2]
• microwave oven
• the key fob of a remote keyless system

Should I put these usage examples into the article, similar to the way the propane article lists a few usage examples? --68.0.124.33 (talk) 21:40, 26 June 2009 (UTC)

Why 8 bits?

Seems to me, the section fails to answer the question it raises. thus, should either be expanded, moved elsewhere or edited out. cheers. 132.69.253.48 (talk) 02:57, 18 July 2009 (UTC)

IA-8

Why does this term link to this page? Ive not seen one thing on this page that suggests any sort of confusion justifying its inclusion. Simply put: How do you confuse IA-8 with 8-bit (aside from the dash and the number 8.) It seems like a mistake. 74.128.56.194 (talk) 19:21, 28 June 2011 (UTC)

IA-8 was originally an article talking about the 8-bit Intel 8008, Intel 8080, or Intel 8085 processors, by analogy to IA-32 being a term referring to the instruction set of the 32-bit Intel x86 processors.

It was then made into a redirect here; the discussion for that can be found at Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/IA-8, but no rationale was given for the decision. (I would have voted Delete.)

It now redirects to IA8, which is a disambiguation page that points to two Iowa-related pages ("IA" being the US two-letter code for the state of Iowa), and also points here because, presumably, IA-8 redirects to the disambiguation page and sounds like a name for Intel's 8-bit architecture (along the lines of "IA-32" and "IA-64"), speaking of it as "an unofficial backronym for Intel's 8-bit processor architecture", with "8-bit" being linked.

Whether 1) it's a backronym used anywhere other than the imagination of the person who put that entry on that page and 2) if it is (so that it shouldn't just be removed), whether it should link to "8-bit", Intel, or to one of the Intel processor pages, are separate matters. Guy Harris (talk) 02:00, 5 November 2021 (UTC)

I found nothing to indicate that anybody uses "IA-8" or "IA8" to refer to Intel's 8-bit instruction sets, so I removed the link from IA8. Guy Harris (talk) 04:48, 5 November 2021 (UTC)

Reversible Logic

Many 8-bit shift registers use reversible logic for energy efficiency. (https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rohini-Hongal/publication/329317259_Design_and_Implementation_of_8_Bit_Shift_Register_using_Reversible_Logic/links/5ca312fba6fdccab2f67d3a1/Design-and-Implementation-of-8-Bit-Shift-Register-using-Reversible-Logic.pdf) and (https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/5166832). Are there any thoughts on including that in the article? CessnaMan1989 (talk) 00:41, 5 November 2021 (UTC)

The first of those papers is about the general concept of using reversible logic for shift registers; the one they happened to design was an 8-bit register, but they talk about other bit widths as well. Is there some reason why this is relevant to 8-bit computing rather than to, say, shift registers (or barrel shifters, if that's what that first circuit really was)? Guy Harris (talk) 01:28, 5 November 2021 (UTC)

Hmmm...I think it allows for more situations where 8-bit computing becomes more efficient that other alternatives, especially when I think about parallel processing. However, I readily admit those applications are not in the source, and I have to honestly concede that including those applications would be in violation of the prohibition on original research. Shift registers are the main reason I mentioned it. CessnaMan1989 (talk) 01:56, 5 November 2021 (UTC)

But would that first design still "[allow] for more situations where 8-bit computing becomes more efficient that other alternatives" if they produced a 16-bit or 32-bit or 64-bit reversible-logic shift register? Would the 8-bit ones be more efficient than the larger ones? And would using 8-bit shift registers require more shift registers than using the larger ones? If so, would it still be more efficient? Guy Harris (talk) 04:52, 5 November 2021 (UTC)

Quantum Computing

Does anybody know if 8-Qubit registers are used in Quantum Computing? CessnaMan1989 (talk) 00:43, 5 November 2021 (UTC)