1.2 Types Of Processor

Question 1

RISC

Answer 1

• Reduced Instruction Set Computers
• Small instruction set
• Each instruction is one line of machine code
• Takes one clock cycle
  LDA R1, X
  LDA R2, Y
  MULT R1, R2
  STO R1, X

Question 2

CISC

Answer 2

• Complex Instruction Set Computers
• Large instruction set
• Try & accomplish tasks in as few lines of assembly code as possible
• Used in embedded systems
• E.g (MULT A, B)

Question 3

RISC VS CISC

Answer 3

RISC:
- Compiler has to do more work translating high level code into machine code
- More RAM required
- Can pipeline

CISC:
- Compiler has less work to do translating
- Less RAM required
- Many specialised instructions are made, even though only a few of them are used

Question 4

Multi Core & Parallel Systems

Answer 4

• Multi-core CPUs: Multiple independent cores that can complete instructions separately, means higher performance
• Parallel Systems: Complete tasks with a single core, by using threading
• Multi-core systems perform better in larger projects than parallel systems

Question 5

Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)

Answer 5

GPU: Lots of independent processors which work in parallel
- Efficient at completing repetitive tasks
- E.g image processing, machine learning
- GPUs are a co-processor, secondary processor designed to supplement the activities of main processor