For this reason, Motorola termed it a 16/32-bit processor.Īs one of the first widely available processors with a 32-bit instruction set, and running at relatively high speeds for the era, the 68k was a popular design through the 1980s. Internally, it uses a 16-bit data arithmetic logic unit (ALU) and two more 16-bit ALUs used mostly for addresses, and has a 16-bit external data bus.

The address bus is 24 bits and does not use memory segmentation, which made it easier to program for. The design implements a 32-bit instruction set, with 32-bit registers and a 16-bit internal data bus.

The Motorola 68000 ( sixty-eight-thousand also called m68k, Motorola 68k, sixty-eight-kay) is a 16/32-bit complex instruction set computer (CISC) microprocessor, introduced in 1979 by Motorola Semiconductor Products Sector.