Intel 80186

Intel 80186
80186

   <processor> A {microprocessor} developed by {Intel} circa
   1982.  The 80186 was an improvement on the {Intel 8086} and
   {Intel 8088}.  As with the 8086, it had a 16-bit {external
   bus} and was also available as the {Intel 80188}, with an
   8-bit external {data bus}.  The initial {clock rate} of the
   80186 and 80188 was 6 MHz.  They were not used in many
   computers, but one notable exception was the {Mindset}, a very
   advanced computer for the time.  They were used as {embedded
   processors}.

   One major function of the 80186/80188 series was to reduce the
   number of chips required.

   "To satisfy this market, we defined a processor with a
   significant performance increase over the 8086 that also
   included such common peripheral functions as
   software-controlled wait state and chip select logic, three
   timers, priority interrupt controller, and two channels of DMA
   (direct memory access).  This processor, the 80186, could
   replace up to 22 separate VLSI (very large scale integration)
   and TTL (transistor-transistor logic) packages and sell for
   less than the cost of the parts it replaced."

   -- Paul Wells of Intel Corporation writing in Byte (reference
   below)

   New instructions were also introduced as follows:

    ENTER	Make stcak frame for procedure parameters
    LEAVE	High-level procedure exit
    PUSHA	Push all general registers
    POPA	Pop all general registers
    BOUND	Check array index against bounds
    IMUL	Signed (integer) multiply
    INS	Input from port to string
    OUTS	Output string to port

   ["The Evolution of the iAPX 286", Bob Greene, Intel
   Corporation, PC Tech Journal, December 1984, page 134].

   ["The 80286 Microprocessor", Paul Wells, Intel Corporation,
   Byte, November 1984, p. 231].

   (1999-05-10)