Types of Processor (1.1.2)

Question 1

What are RISC processors?

Answer 1

In reduced instruction set computers there is a small instruction set where each instruction is one line of machine code and takes one clock cycle.

Question 2

What are CISC processors?

Answer 2

In complex instruction set computers there is a large instruction set where the aim is to use as few lines of assembly code possible. These instructions are built into hardware and mostly use in micro controllers and embedded systems.

Question 3

RISC VS CISC

Answer 3

• In a RISC processor the compiler as to do more work to translate high level code into machine code where as less work is required in a CISC processor.
• RISC processing uses more RAM to store the code which can cause bottlenecks
• In RISC pipelining is possible as each instruction takes one clock cycle, in CISC it take many.
• In CISC there are many specialized instructions.
• In RISC there are limited addressing modes.

Question 4

What are multi-core CPUs?

Answer 4

They have multiple independent cores which can each complete a task at once.

Question 5

What are the different approaches to parallel processing?

Answer 5

• Single instruction multiple data- same operation carried out on multiple pieces of data at once.
• Multiple instruction multiple data- different instructions carried out on different pieces of data- achieved on multiple cores