Bit-Slice Microprocessor

Mr. Sunanda Das

Bit-Slice Microprocessor (BSM)

• A bit-slice microprocessor (BSM) is a microprocessor designed as a module

with the primary purpose of being able to assemble multiple identical such
microprocessors to form a larger processor of some desired word size.

• Bit-slice microprocessors can be cascaded to produce any conventional (e.g. 4-

bit, 8-bit, 16-bit) as well as unconventional word sizes (e.g. 10-bit, 12-bit, 18-
bit).

• A notable advantage of a BSM over discrete logic components is the fact that
most connections are internal to the chip with only few connections being
external.
• A departure from normal microprocessors is that fact that many bit-
slice chips do not have an instruction set architecture. 

• Such bit slicing systems allow designers to create their own

architecture and other key characteristics such as I/O pins and
address width

• This flexibility of course came with overall larger amount of ICs

References
1. https://en.wikichip.org/wiki/bit-slice_microprocessor