Editing Processor design (section)

{{short description|Task of creating a processor}}
'''Processor design''' is a subfield of [[computer science]] and [[computer engineering]] (fabrication) that deals with creating a [[processor (computing)|processor]], a key component of [[computer hardware]].

The design process involves choosing an [[instruction set]] and a certain execution paradigm (e.g. [[Very long instruction word|VLIW]] or [[Reduced instruction set computing|RISC]]) and results in a [[microarchitecture]], which might be described in e.g. [[VHDL]] or [[Verilog]]. For [[microprocessor]] design, this description is then manufactured employing some of the various [[semiconductor device fabrication]] processes, resulting in a [[Die (integrated circuit)|die]] which is bonded onto a [[chip carrier]]. This chip carrier is then soldered onto, or inserted into a [[CPU socket|socket]] on, a [[printed circuit board]] (PCB).

The mode of operation of any processor is the execution of lists of instructions. Instructions typically include those to compute or manipulate data values using [[Processor register|registers]], change or retrieve values in read/write memory, perform relational tests between data values and to control program flow.

Processor designs are often tested and validated on one or several FPGAs before sending the design of the processor to a foundry for [[semiconductor fabrication]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.anandtech.com/show/14798/xilinx-announces-world-largest-fpga-virtex-ultrascale-vu19p-with-9m-cells|title=Xilinx Announces World Largest FPGA: Virtex Ultrascale+ VU19P with 9m Cells|first=Ian|last=Cutress|date=August 27, 2019|website=[[AnandTech]]}}</ref>