The Coprocessor reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Jul-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Coprocessor

A coprocessor is a computer processor used to supplement the functions of the primary processor (the CPU). For example, the Intel 80386 microprocessor used an optional "math" coprocessor (the 80387) to perform floating point operations directly in hardware.

Sometimes an entire computer is made out of coprocessors instead of a single CPU. This is the case of e.g., the Nintendo 64 video game console. Because of today's highly advanced degree of miniaturization in VLSI circuits, it is relatively rare to see coprocessors in computer architecture anymore.

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