CPU Structure & Instruction Flashcards

Fetch stage

Retrieve instruction from memory

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

The main component of a computer that processes instructions and controls operations.

Control Unit (CU)

Directs the flow of data and controls how instructions are executed.

Program Counter (PC)

Stores the address of the next instruction to be executed.

Instruction Cycle

The sequence of steps the CPU follows to execute an instruction.

Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)

Performs arithmetic calculations and logical comparisons.

Register

Small, fast storage inside the CPU used to hold data temporarily

Instruction Register (IR)

Holds the current instruction being processed by the CPU.

Decode Stage

The CPU interprets the instruction to understand what action is needed.

Execute Stage

The CPU performs the operation specified by the instruction.

Store Stage

The CPU saves the result back into memory or a register.

Clock Cycle

A single timing pulse that synchronizes CPU operations.

Pipelining

A technique that overlaps instruction stages to improve performance.

Pipeline Stage

One step in the instruction execution process within a pipeline.

Pipeline Hazard

A problem that prevents the next instruction from executing properly.

Data Hazard

Occurs when an instruction depends on the result of a previous instruction.

Control Hazard

Happens when the CPU makes a wrong decision due to branching.

Structural Hazard

Occurs when hardware resources are insufficient for parallel execution.

RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer)

Uses simple instructions that execute quickly, often in one clock cycle.

CISC (Complex Instruction Set Computer)

Uses complex instructions that may take multiple cycles to execute.