System Architecture Flashcards
(26 cards)
what does CPU stand for?
Central Processing Unit
What is the purpose of the CPU?
The purpose of the CPU is to process data and instructions by constantly repeating the fetch - decode - execute cycle.
What is the Control Unit?
- The Control Unit (CU) sends control signals to direct the operation of the CPU.
- Control signals and timing signals are sent to the ALU and other components such as RAM
- It also decodes instructions as part of the F-E cycle.
What is the ALU?
ALU stands for ‘Arithmetic and Logic Unit’.
It performs simple calculations and logical operations.
What is a register?
A register is a temporary storage space for one instruction or address.
Different registers are used during the FE cycle.
What is cache?
Cache memory is used to temporarily store data that is frequently accessed.
Cache memory is split into different levels.
Cache is slower to access than the registers but much faster than RAM.
What is computer architecture?
The way a computer is designed and structured is known as its architecture.
What is the most common type of computer architecture?
The most common type of computer architecture is Von Neumann
What are the 4 main components of the CPU?
- cache
- registers
- ALU
- Control Unit
What is Von Neumann Architecture?
Where a computer stores both program instructions and data in the same memory.
What is Harvard Architecture?
Where a computer has two separate memories. One for program instructions and one for data
What are computer buses?
How the data transfers between components
What is the FDE cycle?
The Fetch - Execute (F - E) cycle is performed by the CPU millions of times every second.
This cycle is how the CPU processes data and instructions for each program or service that requires its attention.
What is the program counter?
A register that tracks the RAM address of the next instruction to be fetched
What is the memory address register?
A register that tracks the RAM address of the instruction that is to be fetched
What is the memory data register?
The MDR stores the instruction that has been transferred from RAM to the CPU.
What is the accumulator?
The ACC stores the result of mathematical or logical calculations.
What are the three characteristics of the CPU?
- cache size
- clock speed
- number of cores
What is clock speed?
Clock speed is the measure of how quickly a CPU can process instructions.
What is clock speed measured in?
GigaHertz
How does Clock Speed improve performance?
The faster the clock speed, the better performance because more instructions can be processed each second
How does cache improve the performance of the CPU?
Cache is closer to the CPU than RAM meaning it can provide data and instructions to the CPU at a faster rate.
What is a core?
A core is a complete set of CPU components. Each core is able to perform its own FDE cycle
What is a multi-core CPU?
A multi-core CPU has more than one set of components within the same CPU
