Section 1: Computer Systems Flashcards
What is the CPU?
processes instructions
performs the FDE cycle
what is the CU?
Control unit
sends control signals to direct the operation of the flow of data
runs f-e cycle
What is the ALU?
Arithmetic Logic unit
performs simple calculations and logical operations
What is cache?
temporarily stores frequently used instructions
cache is slower to access than registers but faster than RAM
What is the fetch-execute-decode cycle?
performed by the CPU millions of times every second
the cycle is how the CPU processes data and instructions for each program
what is a register?
a small storage space for temporary data in the cpu
what are the 4 essential registers used in the F-E cycle?
program counter PC
MAR
MDR
accumulator ACC
what is the PC?
a register that tracks the RAM address of the next instruction to be fetched
what is the MAR?
stores the RAM of the current instruction the CPU needs to access
what is MDR?
stores the instruction that has been transferred from RAM to CPU
what is the ACC?
stores the result of mathematical or logical calculations
what is the role of the CPU in the F-E cycle?
Fetch: fetches an instruction from memory
Decode: decodes the instruction into machine code
Execute: runs the instruction
how does cache memory improve performance?
cache memory is closer to the CPU then RAM, meaning it can provide data and instructions to the CPU at a faster rate
more cache; higher performance
Too much cache can be detrimental
as it will take longer to find the instructions in cache
what is clockspeed?
measure of how quickly a CPU can process instructions
measured in GigaHertz
how does clock speed improve performance?
the faster the clock speed, the faster the computer can perform F-E cycles resulting in better performance
what is overclocking?
computer’s clock speed is increased higher than the recommended rate
this will make the computer perform faster
what is underclocking?
computer’s clock speed is decreased lower than the recommended rate
what is a core?
a core is a complete set of CPU components
Each core is able to perform its own F-E cycle
how does the number of cores improve the performance?
as a computer with cores can process more instructions at once
Parallel processing can take place
multitasking
what is an embedded system?
is a computer system built into a larger machine to provide a means for control
examples of embedded systems
washing machine
lift
traffic light
