Intended for two- or four-year electrical engineering, engineering technology, and computer science students; ideal for use in a one-semester Microprocessors or Programming/Architecture course at the senior level. Eliminating the mystery of what a microprocessor is and what it does, this in-depth, hands-on exploration of the Intel 80X86 microprocessor family provides thorough and detailed coverage of its hardware and software - giving equal treatment to both. Written in a clear and progressive manner and enhanced with hundreds of illustrations, it fuels student interest and understanding with over 70 examples of a variety of real-world applications, and later guides them through the construction of their own 8088-based computer.