System Bus timings: Minimum mode 8086 system and timings

System Bus timings: Minimum mode 8086 system and timings

In a minimum mode 8086 system, the microprocessor 8086 is operated in minimum mode by strapping its MN/MX* pin to logic1. In this mode, all the control signals are given out by the microprocessor chip itself. There is a single microprocessor in the minimum mode system. The remaining components in the system are latches, transreceivers, clock generator, memory and I/O devices.

The opcode fetch and read cycles are similar. Hence the timing diagram can be categorized in two parts, the first is the timing diagram for read cycle and the second is the timing diagram for write cycle.

Fig 1.2 shows the read cycle timing diagram. The read cycle begins in T1 with the assertion of the address latch enable (ALE) signal and also M/IO* signal. During the negative going edge of this signal, the valid address is latched on the local bus. The BHE* and A0 signals address low, high or both bytes. From Tl to T4, the M/IO* signal indicates a memory or I/O operation. At T2 the address is removed from the local bus and is sent to the output. The bus is then tristated. The read (RD*) control signal is also activated in T2 .The read (RD) signal causes the addressed device to enable its data bus drivers. After RD* goes low, the valid data is available on the data bus. The addressed device will drive the READY line high, when the processor returns the read signal to high level, the addressed device will again tristate its bus drivers.

A write cycle also begins with the assertion of ALE and the emission of the address. The M/IO* signal is again asserted to indicate a memory or I/O operation. In T2 after sending the address in Tl the processor sends the data to be written to the addressed location. The data remains on the bus until middle of T4 state. The WR* becomes active at the beginning ofT2 (unlike RD* is somewhat delayed in T2 to provide time for floating). The BHE* and A0 signals are used to select the proper byte or bytes of memory or I/O word to be read or written. The M/IO*, RD* and WR* signals indicate the types of data transfer as specified in Table

Table 2.5 Read write cycle