Portable computer capable of switching CPU clocks

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention has been made in consideration of the above situation, and has as its object to provide a mechanism for arbitrarily switching clock frequencies generated by a microprocessor.
The microprocessor is to generate necessary clocks by internally performing a frequency dividing operation on an externally supplied fundamental clock.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable computer using the mechanism.
In order to achieve the above objects, according to the present invention, there is provided a portable computer comprising a one-chip microprocessor including a clock generating section which incorporates a clock frequency setting register.
The clock generating section is designed to generate an operation clock by frequency-dividing an externally supplied fundamental clock in accordance with a value set in the register.
The portable computer further comprises input means for inputting data designating a frequency switching operation of the operation clock, and means for detecting the data, input from the input means, which designates the frequency switching operation of the operation clock.
The portable computer further comprises the value held in the register, thereby changing the frequency of the operation clock.
With the above-described arrangement, for example, the user can arbitrarily switch operation clock frequencies for the microprocessor.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.
The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.