Processors Flashcards
Name 3 buses used to convey information between registers.
Control bus - transmits control signals from the control unit.
Data bus - carries the data from one place to another
Address bus - carries the location address (register) where the data is going
Explain the need for the program counter
– Is needed to store the address of the next
instruction (to be processed)
– Value is then sent to the MAR
– After sending the value the PC is
incremented / changed to address held in
CIR if the operation is a Jump
Explain the need for the Memory Address Register (MAR)
– Contains the address of the instruction
(to be accessed in memory)…
– …address of instruction sent from PC
– Contains the address of the data (to be
accessed in memory)…
– …address of data sent from CIR
Explain the need for the Memory Data Register (MDR)
– Contains the instruction which has been
accessed from memory
– Contains the data which has been
accessed from memory
– That is referenced by the MAR /
Instruction sent to CIR
– acts as a buffer
Describe 2 ways in which the accumulator is used.
-Temporary storage
-for data being processed / during calculations
-I/O in processor…
-… used as a buffer / gateway
What is the role of the control unit in the processor?
- Decodes instructions. [1]
- Sends control signals to coordinate movement of data through the
processor / execute instruction. [1] - Controls buses [1]
What is a Processor?
A processor, also known as a Central Processing Unit (CPU), is the brain of a computer responsible for executing instructions, performing calculations, and controlling the flow of data within a computer system.
What is the function of the Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)?
The ALU is a component of the processor responsible for performing arithmetic and logical operations, such as addition, subtraction, AND, OR, and NOT operations.
What is the Control Unit (CU)?
The Control Unit is responsible for fetching instructions from memory, decoding them, and executing them by coordinating the activities of other parts of the processor.
What is the Clock Speed of a processor?
The Clock Speed refers to the number of cycles per second measured in Hertz (Hz) at which the processor can execute instructions. A higher clock speed generally indicates faster processing.
What is a Cache Memory?
Cache memory is a small, high-speed memory unit located within or very close to the CPU that stores frequently accessed data and instructions to reduce access time and improve overall system performance.
Define Pipelining.
Pipelining is a technique used in processors where multiple instructions are overlapped in execution, allowing the processor to execute different stages of multiple instructions simultaneously, thus improving overall efficiency.
What is the difference between RISC and CISC architectures?
RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer) processors have a simpler instruction set, aiming for high performance through faster execution of a smaller set of instructions. CISC (Complex Instruction Set Computer) processors have a more extensive instruction set, often including complex instructions that can perform multiple operations in a single instruction.
Explain the concept of Von Neumann architecture.
Von Neumann architecture is a design concept for computers where program instructions and data share the same memory and are both stored in binary format. It consists of four main components: CPU, memory, input/output devices, and a control unit.
What is the difference between Harvard and Von Neumann architectures?
In Harvard architecture, separate memories are used for instructions and data, allowing simultaneous access to both. In Von Neumann architecture, instructions and data are stored in the same memory, which may lead to data transfer bottlenecks.
