Week 1 Flashcards
What is a microprocessor?
A microprocessor is a computer processor where the data processing logic and control is included on a single integrated circuit, or a small number of integrated circuits.
What are the benefits/features of microprocessors?
Low Cost − Thanks to the integrated circuit (IC) technology
High speed - Capable of executing millions of instructions per
second, and getting faster
Portable − Assembled to small chips
Low Power Consumption
Versatile − The same chip can be used for numerous applications
as long as the programming is changed
Reliable − The failure rate in the production is extremely low
Whats the job of the microprocessor?
Microprocessors act as a commander, coordinating all activities in the system. In computer systems, they are recognised as CPUs.
What 3 components make up a computer system?
CPU - executes program
Memory - stores memory and data
I/O - allows input for processing and outputs the program
How is data transferred?
Wires are used to transfer data. 1 wire transfers 1 bit of data
Whats a bus?
A strip of wires to connect the CPU to memory and I/O devices. The wider the bus the more data it can carry
What are the 3 types of buses?
Control bus
Data bus
Address bus
Bytes and powers of 2
1 byte is 8 bits
2^10 bytes = 1024 bytes = 1 KB
2^20 = 1 MB
2^30 = 1 GB
2^40 = 1 TB
Functions of the CPU
The job of a CPU is to execute programs. Initially, the instructions are
stored in the memory in a sequential order.
The CPU fetches those instructions from the memory, then decodes it and executes those instructions till STOP instruction is reached.
How would you know if something had a microprocessor?
Programming is involved
Whats the fetch-decode-execute cycle?
The CPU fetches the instruction from memory already in binary form. It then decodes to make sense of the binary code. It then executes the cycle.
CPU vs MPU
- CPU is a function-wise definition
- MPUs are not necessarily CPUs. E.g. GPU
- A CPU could contain multiple microprocessors
