Structure and Function of the Processor

These flashcards cover key vocabulary related to the structure and function of a processor in computer science.

Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU)

The component of the CPU that performs arithmetic and logical operations.

Control Unit (CU)

The part of the CPU that directs its operations and manages the flow of data within the system.

Registers

High-speed small memory cells within the CPU used to temporarily store data and instructions.

Program Counter (PC)

A register that holds the address of the next instruction to be executed.

Accumulator (ACC)

A register that stores the results of calculations.

Memory Address Register (MAR)

A register that holds the address of the memory location being read from or written to.

Memory Data Register (MDR)

A register that temporarily stores data being read from or written to memory.

Current Instruction Register (CIR)

A register that holds the current instruction being executed, divided into operand and opcode.

Buses

A set of parallel wires that connect two or more components inside the CPU, allowing data transfer.

Data Bus

A bi-directional bus used to transport data and instructions between components.

Address Bus

The bus used to transmit memory addresses that specify where data is to be sent or retrieved from.

Control Bus

A bi-directional bus used to transmit control signals between internal and external components.

Fetch-Decode-Execute Cycle

The sequence of operations performed by the CPU to execute an instruction.

Pipelining

The method of overlapping the fetch, decode, and execute phases for multiple instructions to improve processing efficiency.

Von Neumann Architecture

A computer architecture that uses a shared memory and data bus for both instructions and data.

Harvard Architecture

A computer architecture with separate memory storage for instructions and data, allowing parallel access.

Cache Memory

CPU's onboard memory used to store frequently accessed instructions for quicker retrieval.

Clock Speed

The speed at which a CPU can execute instructions, determined by the system clock's frequency.

Number of Cores

Indicates how many independent processors are present in the CPU, affecting its ability to execute tasks.