Internal Hardware Components Of A Computer Flashcards
Processor?
Executes instructions in order to run programs
Main memory?
Stores program instructions and frequently used data. RAM and ROM helps execute instructions quickly
Buses?
Series of parallel wires that are connected to internal components of the computer and they pass signals between them. There is a direct relationship between the width of the bus and the number of bits that can be transferred simultaneously by the bus.
Address bus?
Transports memory addresses, which shows where the data should be sent to or retrieved from. Increasing width increases the number of addressable memory locations. Adding a single wire doubles the number of addressable memory locations. 2^n. If there are not enough then some portions of memory may go unused.
Data bus?
Sends data and instructions to and from different components of the computer. Increasing the width of the data bus increases the volume of data that can be transferred over the bus at any one time.
Control bus?
Used to control signals that control the regulation of the computer. EG: clock signal.
I/O Controllers?
Pieces of hardware that control the communication between hardware devices and the processor.
What is the purpose of Harvard and von Neumann architecture?
Different ways of setting up a processors access to main memory.
What is the set up for Harvard architecture?
Two separate main memory locations
Advantage of Harvard Architechture?
Gives each piece of main memory different characteristics.
Eg where Harvard architechture is used?
Embeddded systems , digital signal processing.
What is the set for von Neumann architechture?
Both instructions and data are stored together in the same memory. Perform worse than harvards as Buses are shared for fetching instructions and data. Used for everyday use eg: laptops.
