C1 - systems architecture Flashcards
(18 cards)
What are the 3 stages of the fetch-execute cycle?
Fetch, Decode, Execute
What does the ALU do?
Performs arithmetic and logic operations
What is the role of the Control Unit (CU)?
Manages and coordinates the CPU’s activities
What is cache memory used for?
Storing frequently used data and instructions
What are registers?
Small, fast storage locations in the CPU used during processing
What does the MAR (Memory Address Register) store?
The address of the memory location to access
What does the MDR (Memory Data Register) hold?
Data being read from or written to memory
What is the purpose of the Program Counter (PC)?
Stores the address of the next instruction
What does the accumulator store?
Results of calculations from the ALU
What is clock speed measured in?
Hertz (Hz) – usually GHz in modern CPUs
How does clock speed affect performance?
Higher clock speed = more instructions processed per second
What does having more cache do?
Speeds up access to data, improving performance
What does adding more cores do?
Allows multiple instructions to be processed at the same time
Why doesn’t doubling the number of cores always double the performance?
Not all tasks can be split between cores (some tasks are sequential)
What is an embedded system?
A computer system built into another device to perform a specific task
How are embedded systems different from general-purpose computers?
They are designed for one specific function and are more limited
Give 3 examples of embedded systems.
Washing machine, microwave, smart TV, traffic light
Why are embedded systems important?
They control everyday devices efficiently and reliably
