Computer Architecture Concepts - CC-INTCOM11 Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards reviewing fundamental components of a computer system, storage types, input/output devices, motherboard pathways, and the fetch-decode-execute cycle from CC-INTCOM11 notes.

CPU (Central Processing Unit)

The brain of the computer system that executes instructions and does all the actual computation.

Control Unit (CU)

A core sub-part of the CPU that directs traffic by fetching instructions from memory, decoding them, and telling other components what to do and when without doing calculations itself.

Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)

A core sub-part of the CPU that performs actual mathematical calculations (addition, subtraction) and logical comparisons (greater than, equal to, AND/OR operations).

Registers

Tiny, ultra-fast storage locations inside the CPU that hold data the CPU is actively working on right now.

RAM (Random Access Memory)

Temporary, volatile working memory that holds open programs and in-progress calculations while actively in use, losing all contents when power is turned off.

ROM (Read-Only Memory)

Permanent, non-volatile memory containing factory-written instructions needed to boot up (such as BIOS/firmware) that survives power loss and is typically not rewritten during normal use.

HDD (Hard Disk Drive)

Traditional mechanical secondary storage that magnetically stores data on a spinning physical disk (platter) using a mechanical arm to read and write data.

SSD (Solid State Drive)

Modern secondary storage with no moving parts that stores data electronically on flash memory chips, providing faster speed and shock resistance compared to HDDs.

USB Flash Drive

A small, portable, plug-and-play storage device using flash memory technology designed for transferring files and quick backups rather than primary storage.

Optical Disc

Secondary storage using physical discs (CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays) read by a laser detecting patterns of microscopic pits and lands etched onto the surface.

Input Devices

Devices that bring data into the computer system, such as keyboards, mice, microphones, scanners, and webcams.

Output Devices

Devices that send processed data out to the user, such as monitors, speakers, and printers.

Motherboard

The main circuit board that physically connects the CPU, memory, storage, and I/O devices so they can communicate.

Buses

The actual pathways that data travels along between components in a computer system.

Data Bus

A pathway that carries the actual data being transferred between components.

Address Bus

A pathway that carries the memory address specifying where data should go to or come from.

Control Bus

A pathway that carries command signals (such as read or write) to coordinate transfers between components.

Fetch-Decode-Execute Cycle

The basic operating loop of the CPU consisting of retrieving an instruction, interpreting it, executing the operation, and storing or outputting the result.

Fetch

The first step of the CPU's operating cycle where the Control Unit retrieves an instruction from RAM using the address and data buses.

Decode

The second step of the CPU's operating cycle where the Control Unit interprets what the instruction is asking the CPU to do.

Execute

The third step of the CPU's operating cycle where the ALU carries out the operation, often using registers to hold values mid-operation.

Store/Output

The final step of the CPU's operating loop where the result is written back to RAM, saved to secondary storage, or sent to an output device.