4.7.1 Internal hardware components of a computer Flashcards
The processor
Executes program instructions to run applications
Main Memory
Includes RAM & ROM to store program instructions and frequently used data.
- faster than secondary storage, storing frequently used data in RAM & ROM helps the processor to execute quickly
Buses
Series of parallel wires that connects the internal components of a computer system allowing signals to be passed between them
- number of parallel wires called the width has a direct relationship to the number of bits transferred simultaneously by the bus
Address bus
Transports memory addresses specifies where data is sent/received from
Increasing Address bus
Increasing the width increases the range of address that it can specify, increases the addressable memory
- adding a single wire doubles number of addressable memory locations
Addressable memory location
Portion of memory accessed by address
- If not enough addresses available some portions of memory go unused
Data bus
Sends data and instructions to and from different components of the computer system.
Increasing data bus
Increasing the width, increases the volume of data that can be transferred over the bus at any one time
Control bus
Carries control signals that regulate the operation of the computer system. carries computer clock signal
I/O controllers
Pieces of hardware control communication of data between processor and external hardware devices (keyboard, mice, monitor)
Harvard architecture
Processor uses two separate main memory locations one for instructions one for data. can give each piece of memory its own characteristics.
- used in embedded systems such as digital signal processing
Von Neumann architecture
Both instructions and data stored in same location, they perform worse sand the buses have to be shared for fetching both instructions and data
- used in general purpose computer systems such as laptops and smart phones
