Topic 3.1 - Computer Architecture

Question 1

Central processing unit (CPU)

Answer 1

-installed as an integrated circuit on a single microchip

-processing of all the instructions and data in a computer
application

Question 2

The CPU consists of…

Answer 2

• control unit(CU)
• arithmetic and logic unit(ALU)
• registers and buses

Question 3

Arithmetic and logic unit(ALU)

Answer 3

-allows the required arithmetic or logic operations to be carried out

Question 4

Control unit(CU)

Answer 4

Fetch (goes and brings the instructions)
Decode (understands the instructions)
Execute (carries out the instructions)

-Ensures synchronization of data flow and program instructions throughout the computer

Question 5

System clock

Answer 5

clock speed measures the number of cycles your CPU executes per second, measured in GHz(gigahertz)

clock cycle (or clock tick): the amount of time between two pulses of an oscillator

*ensures that the vital synchronization takes place

Question 6

Volatile

Answer 6

volatile: when the power goes, the data goes

hard disk is non-volatile (power off, data still in)

RAM is volatile (power off, the file is gone)

ROM(read-only memory) is non-volatile

The USB stick is non-volatile

BIOS is non-volatile

Question 7

RAM

Answer 7

• Immediate Access Store(IAS)
• holds all the data and programs needed to be accessed by the CPU
• CPU takes data and programs held in a backing store (e.g. a hard disk drive) and puts them into RAM temporarily

CACHE: immediate access to frequently used data

Question 8

5 Registers

Answer 8

• Current instruction register
• accumulator
• memory address register
• memory

(incomplete)

Question 9

Memory

Answer 9

-The address will uniquely identify every location in the memory

Question 10

Memory - READ example & WRITE example

Answer 10

check google slides (incomplete to be inserted)