CPU Structure & Instruction Flashcards

CPU, Instruction cycle

Fetch Stage

Retrieve the next instruction from the main memory (RAM)

Decode Stage

The Control Unit interprets the instruction to see what action is needed.

Execute Stage

The CPU carries out the instruction (e.g., a calculation or data move).

CPU

The "brain" of the computer that processes all data and instructions.

ALU

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

Control Unit (CU)

Coordinates all CPU activities and manages the flow of data.

Registers

Extremely fast, small storage locations directly inside the CPU.

Program Counter (PC)

Holds the memory address of the next instruction to be fetched.

MAR

Memory Address Register; holds the address of where data is fetched from.

MDR

Memory Data Register; holds the actual data or instruction fetched from memory.

Clock Speed

The number of cycles the CPU performs per second (measured in Hertz).

Cache Memory

High-speed memory inside the CPU used to store frequently used data.

Cores

Independent processing units within a single CPU that can run tasks in parallel.

Accumulator (ACC)

A register that stores the intermediate results of calculations made by the ALU.

Address Bus

Carries the location of data between the CPU and RAM.

Data Bus

Transfers the actual data between the CPU and other components.

Control Bus

Carries command signals from the Control Unit to other parts of the computer.

Von Neumann Architecture

A design where data and instructions are stored in the same memory.

Overclocking

Increasing the clock speed of a CPU to make it run faster than intended.

Embedded System

A dedicated computer system with a specific function inside a larger device.