CPU Structure & Instruction Flashcards

CPU

The brain of the computer that processes data and instructions.

ALU

ALU

Performs arithmetic and logic operations in the CPU.

Control Unit

Controls and directs the flow of instructions in the CPU

Register

Small fast storage inside CPU to hold temporary data.

Program Counter (PC)

Stores the address of the next instruction to execute.

Instruction Cycle

The process CPU uses to run instructions step by step

Fetch

Gets the instruction from memory

Decode

Understands what the instruction means

Execute

Performs the instruction operation

Memory Unit (MU)

Stores and retrieves data during execution

Cache Memory

Fast memory that stores frequently used data.

Memory Access

Reads or writes data from memory if needed

Pipeline

A series of stages where instructions are processed in parallel

Register Write-Back

Stores the execution result into a register

Instruction Pipelining

A technique where the next instruction starts before the previous one finishes

Store

Moves data from a register to memory.

RISC

Uses simple instructions and load/store operations

Structural Hazard

Occurs when two instructions need the same hardware resource

Control Hazard

Happens when instruction flow depends on branch decisions.

Data Hazard

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