Computer structure Flashcards
what is the purpose of the control unit
controls the sequencing of fetching, decoding and executing instructions.
what is the purpose of the arithmetic logic unit (ALU)
performs all calculations and logical operations
what is the purpose of registers
temporarily stores memories within the processor
why are memory locations given a unique address within RAM
so that the computer can read and write data to that location correctly
what are the two different types of buses
Address bus and Data bus
what is the function of the Address bus
this identifies the memory location that is going to read from or written to.
What is the data bus
the transfers data between the memory and the memory and vice-versa
what are the two types of translators used to translate high level language to binary
compiler and interpreter
how does an interpreter translate High Level Language to computer code
translates the program one line at a time into machine code and executes immediately. Machine code is not retained, so must be translated each time.
how does a compiler translate High Level Language to computer code
translate whole program, and then save machine code version. Translate code can be run again, and again.
what is a compiler good for
translating programs that are already ready for release
what is an interpreter good for
testing the translated could to make sure their are no errors within the code
