2. General Purpose Registers Overview

Address Register

Holds the memory address of the word to be accessed.

Data Register

Temporary storage for data read from or to be written to memory.

Accumulator

Stores intermediate results produced by the ALU.

Program Counter (PC)

Holds the address of the next instruction to be executed.

Instruction Register (IR)

Holds the currently fetched instruction for decoding and execution.

Temporary Register

Holds transient data during processing.

Input Register

Captures data from input devices (e.g., keyboard).

Output Register

Holds data to be sent to output devices (e.g., printer, monitor).

Word

A basic memory unit; in this context a word = bits = bytes.

Byte

Fixed number of bits.

Memory size calculation

Memory size = words × bits/word.

Number of words in memory

Determined by the number of bits used in addresses.

Word size

Each word holds bytes.

Address representation

Binary strings of bits ranging from 0000 0000 0000 to 1111 1111 1111.

Instruction Fetching Step

Fetch the 16-bit instruction into the Instruction Register.

Instruction Decoding Step

Decode fields, where MSB decides between direct vs. indirect addressing.

Opcode in Instructions

3 bits that select the ALU operation.

Operand in Instructions

12 bits that provide the memory address for the data.

Execute Operation

Perform using the ALU with operands possibly in Accumulator or Temporary Register.

Update Program Counter

Move to the next instruction address after execution.

Direct Addressing Mode

Addressing mode where the address is directly specified.

Indirect Addressing Mode

Addressing mode where the address is specified indirectly through another address.

Instruction Format

The structure that defines how the instruction is represented in bits.

ALU

Arithmetic Logic Unit, responsible for performing calculations.

16-bit instruction

An instruction that is composed of 16 bits.

Fetch/Decode Cycle

The cycle involving fetching, decoding, executing, and updating instructions.

Register Size

Determined by the number of bits they can handle.

Memory Address

The location in memory that the CPU can access.

Instruction Execution Cycle

Sequence of steps taken to process an instruction.

Address Calculation

Determining the location of data in memory using an address.

Data Transfer

Moving data between memory and registers.

Register Types

Different registers including address, data, accumulator, and others.

Transient Data

Data that is temporarily held during processing.

Full Word

A word that encompasses all the bits in a given size.

Memory Decoding

Process of interpreting the address given by the Address Register.

Bit Width

Length in bits of a register, which defines its capacity.

Memory Access

The operation of reading from or writing to the memory.

Register Roles

The function each type of register serves in the CPU.

Fetching Process

The step where the instruction is retrieved from memory.

Decoding Process

The interpretation of an instruction's bits to determine the operation and address.

Execution Process

The actual operation performed by the CPU based on the decoded instruction.

Program Flow Control

Managing the sequence of instruction execution in a program.

Control Unit

Part of the CPU responsible for directing operations.

Memory Interface

The connection between CPU registers and memory.

Microarchitecture

Specific architecture implementation of a CPU.

Instruction Set Architecture (ISA)

The part of the computer architecture related to programming.

Load Instruction

An instruction that retrieves data from memory into a register.

Store Instruction

An instruction that sends data from a register to memory.

Immediate Operand

Constant data specified within an instruction.

Register Addressing

Method of accessing data using register contents.

Effective Address

The actual address used for data access.

Logical Operations

Bitwise operations performed by the ALU.

Arithmetic Operations

Operations that involve numerical calculations like addition and subtraction.

Pipeline Architecture

Method where multiple instruction phases are overlapped.

Cache Memory

Small, fast memory for frequently accessed data.

Bus System

Communication system that transfers data between components.

Data Path

The part of the computer architecture that performs data processing.

Parallel Processing

Executing multiple instructions simultaneously.

Sequential Execution

Executing instructions one after the other.

Branching Instructions

Instructions that alter the flow of execution.

Memory Mapping

Associating memory addresses with specific resources.

Register File

Collection of several registers for a processor.

Hardware Abstraction Layer

A layer that allows software to interact with hardware.

Instruction Latency

Time delay between instruction fetch and execution.

Throughput

The number of instructions completed in a unit of time.

Bus Width

The number of bits that can be transmitted simultaneously.

Control Signals

Signals used to control the operation of various components.

Data Fabrication

The creation of data patterns in memory.

Memory Bandwidth

Rate at which data can be read from or written to memory.

Clock Speed

Frequency at which a CPU executes instructions.

System Architecture

Overall design of hardware and software in a computer.

Error Checking

Methods for detecting and correcting data errors.

Data Integrity

Maintaining accuracy and consistency of data.

Operating Frequency

Rate at which a CPU clock generates pulses.

Interconnect Architecture

Design of communication pathways between components.

Latency Sensitivity

The need for quick response times in computing tasks.

Multi-Core Processors

CPUs with more than one processing unit.

Instruction Set

Set of instructions that a CPU can execute.

Bus Arbitration

Method of managing access to the bus by multiple devices.

Static Memory

Memory that retains data without power.

Dynamic Memory

Memory that requires periodic refreshing to retain data.

Firmware

Software programmed into the hardware.

Virtual Memory

Memory management technique that gives an application the impression of a contiguous working memory.

Sign Extension

Process of increasing the bit-width of a number.

Bit Manipulation

Operations that directly manipulate bits in a word.

Code Optimization

Improving the efficiency of code execution.

Software Interrupts

Mechanisms for a program to signal the OS.

Context Switching

Saving and restoring the state of a CPU.

Digital Logic

Foundational principles behind computer circuits.

Circuit Design

The process of designing the physical layout of electronic circuits.