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computer science a-level > U4 Processor Fundamentals > Flashcards

U4 Processor Fundamentals Flashcards

1
Q

What is meant by the Von Neumann model?

A
  • Uses a single processor
  • Follows a linear sequence of fetch-decode-execute operations for the set of instructions; in order to do this, processor uses registers
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2
Q

What is the stored program concept?

A

Both instruction and data are stored in the computer memory itself

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3
Q

What are registers?

A

Smallest unit of storage of microprocessor; allows fast data transfer between other registers

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4
Q

What are General purpose registers?

A

Used to temporarily store data values which have been read from memory or some processed result

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5
Q

What are special purpose registers?

A

Only accessible by assembly language instructions and only holds either data or memory location(not both)

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6
Q

What does a Program Counter do?

A

Holds address of next instruction to be fetched

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7
Q

What does a Memory Data Register do?

A

Holds data value fetched from memory

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8
Q

What does a Memory Address Register do?

A

Holds address of location of program which is to be accessed

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9
Q

What does an Accumulator do?

A

Holds all values that are processed by arithmetic and logic operations

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10
Q

What does an Index Register do?

A

Stores a number used to change an address value

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11
Q

What does a Current Instruction Register do?

A

Once program instruction fetched, it is stored here and allows processor to decode and execute it

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12
Q

What does a status register do?

A

Dedicated registers containing information about the intermediate states or outcomes of various processes in the processor.
e.g. indicates if calculation has produced overflow error

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13
Q

What does the ALU do?

A

Processes instructions which require some form or arithmetic or logical operation

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14
Q

What does the CU do?

A

Fetches instructions from memory, decodes them and synchronises operations before sending to computer memory, ALU and input output devices to direct how to respond to instructions sent to processor

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15
Q

What does Immediate Store Access do?

A

Memory unit that can be directly accessed by a processor

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16
Q

What does a System Clock do?

A

Timing device connected to processor that is needed to synchronise all components

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17
Q

What are buses?

A

Set of parallel wires that allow carries data between components in a computer system

18
Q

What is a data bus?

A

Bi-directional bus that carries data instructions between processor, memory and I/O devices

19
Q

What is an address bus?

A

Unidirectional bus that carries address of main memory location or I/O device about to be used, from processor to MAR

20
Q

What is a control bus?

A

Bi-directional bus that is used to transmit control signals from CU to ensure access or use of data and address buses by components of system. doesn’t lead to conflict

21
Q

What is clock speed?

A

Number of pulses the clock sends out in a given time interval, which determines number of cycles CPU executes measured in Hz

22
Q

What happens if clock speed increases?

A

More cycles per unit time, increasing performance

23
Q

What is bus width?

A

Determines number or bits that can be simultaneously transferred

24
Q

What happens if bus width increases?

A

Increases number of bits transferred per unit time, increasing processing speed and performance

25
Q

What happens if cache memory is increased?

A

Cache memory stores commonly used instructions so more instructions can be stored and wait for CPU to wait for instructions to load decreases, so more cycles per unit time increasing performance

26
Q

What happens when number of cores increases?

A

Each core simultaneously processes different instructions so the more cores, the faster processing time is, so performance is increased

27
Q

What are ports?

A

Hardware which provides a physical interface between a device with CPU and a peripheral device - this is done because peripheral devices can’t directly connect to CPU

28
Q

What is USB?

A

Universal Serial Bus can connect both input and output devices to processor through USB port

29
Q

What is HDMI?

A

High definition multimedia interface can only connect output devices to processor through HDMI port
Transmits high bandwidth and high resolution video and audio streams

30
Q

What is VGA?

A

Video Graphics Array can only connect output devices to processor through VGA port

31
Q

What are the steps in the fetch-decode-execute cycle?

A
  • PC holds next instruction to be executed
  • Address in PC copied to MAR
  • PC is incremented
  • Instruction loaded to MDR from address held in MAR
  • Instruction from MDR loaded to CIR
  • Decode: Opcode and operand parts of instruction identified
  • Execute: Instructions executed by CU sending control signals
32
Q

What is an interrupt?

A

Signal from a program seeking CPU’s attention

33
Q

What is the ISR and what does it do?

A

The interrupt service routine handles the interrupt by controlling the CPU
different ISRs used for different sources of interrupt

34
Q

What is Assembly language?

A

Low-level programming language with instructions made up of an opcode and an operand

35
Q

What is machine code?

A

Code written in binary that uses processor’s basic machine operations - every assembly language instruction translates into exactly one machine code instruction

36
Q

What is symbolic addressing?

A

Symbols can be used to represent opcodes, labels can be used for addresses

37
Q

What is absolute addressing?

A

Fixed address in memory

38
Q

What is an assembler?

A

Software that changes assembly language into machine code for processor to understand

39
Q

What happens on the first pass of a two-pass assembler?

A

Symbol table created to enter symbolic addresses and labels into specific addresses
Errors suppressed

40
Q

What happens on the second pass of a two-pass assembler?

A

Jump instructions access memory addresses via table
Whole source code translates into machine code

computer science a-level (6 decks)

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