Topic 1

• What are the main components of a processor?

  The Arithmetic and Logic Unit, Control Unit, and Registers
• What are the types of registers in a CPU?

  • Program Counter (PC)
  • Accumulator (ACC)
  • Memory Address Register (MAR)
  • Memory Data Register (MDR)
  • Current Instruction Register (CIR)
• What is the purpose of the Program Counter (PC)?


  It holds the address of the next instruction to be executed.
• What does the Accumulator (ACC) do?


  It stores the results from calculations.
• What is the function of the Memory Address Register (MAR)?


  It holds the address of a location that is to be read from or written to.
• What does the Memory Data Register (MDR) do?


  It temporarily stores data that has been read or data that needs to be written.
• What is the role of the Current Instruction Register (CIR)?


  It holds the current instruction being executed, divided into operand and opcode.
• What are the three types of buses in a CPU?

  • Data Bus
  • Address Bus
  • Control Bus
• What is the function of the Data Bus?


  It transports data and instructions between components.
• What does the Address Bus do?


  It transmits memory addresses specifying where data is to be sent or retrieved from.
• What is the purpose of the Control Bus?

  It transmits control signals between internal and external components.
• What are the control signals transmitted by the Control Bus?


  • Bus request
  • Bus grant
  • Memory write
  • Memory read
  • Interrupt request
  • Clock
• What is assembly language?


  Assembly code uses mnemonics to represent instructions, simplifying machine code.
• How is the instruction divided in the Current Instruction Register?


  It is divided into operand and opcode.
• What is the Fetch-Decode-Execute Cycle?


  • Fetch phase: Copy address from PC to MAR, copy instruction to MDR, increment PC, copy MDR to CIR.
  • Decode phase: Split CIR into operand and opcode.
  • Execute phase: Execute the decoded instruction.
• What factors affect CPU performance?


  • Clock Speed
  • Number of Cores
  • Cache Memory
• What determines the clock speed of a CPU?


  The system clock generates signals that switch between 0 and 1.
• What is the significance of the number of cores in a CPU?


  A core is an independent processor that can run its own fetch-execute cycle.
• How does cache memory affect CPU performance?


  Cache memory allows quicker access to frequently used instructions fetched from main memory.
• What are the types of cache memory?

  • Level 1 Cache: Very fast, small capacity (2-64KB)
  • Level 2 Cache: Relatively fast, medium capacity (256KB-2MB)
  • Level 3 Cache: Larger, slower memory cell
• What is Von Neumann architecture?


  • Includes basic components: single control unit, ALU, registers, memory units.
  • Uses shared memory and shared data bus for both data and instructions.
  • Built on the stored program concept.
• What is Harvard architecture?


  • Physically separate memories for instructions and data.
  • Commonly used with embedded processors.
  • Allows optimization of memory characteristics.
• What are the advantages of Von Neumann architecture?


  • Cheaper to develop.
  • Easier control unit design.
• What are the advantages of Harvard architecture?


  • Quicker execution due to parallel fetching.
  • Programs can be optimized in size.
  • Memories can be different sizes for efficiency.
• What is contemporary processor architecture?


  • Combines Harvard and Von Neumann architectures.
  • Uses Von Neumann for main memory and Harvard for cache division.
• What does RISC stand for in processor architecture?


  Reduced Instruction Set Computers
• What is a characteristic of RISC processors regarding their instruction set?


  They have a small instruction set.
• How many clock cycles does each instruction in a RISC processor typically take?


  One clock cycle.
• What is the first instruction in the example of multiplying two numbers X and Y in RISC?


  LDA R1, X
• What does CISC stand for in processor architecture?


  Complex Instruction Set Computers
• What is the aim of CISC processors regarding assembly code?


  To accomplish tasks in as few lines of assembly code as possible.
• Where are CISC processors primarily used today?


  In microcontrollers and embedded systems.
• How is the multiplication of two numbers represented in CISC processors?

  MULT A, B
• What are the differences between RISC and CISC processors?


  • RISC: More work for the compiler; requires more RAM; pipelining possible.
  • CISC: Less work for the compiler; requires less RAM; many specialized instructions.
• What is a key feature of multi-core CPUs?


  They have multiple independent cores that can complete instructions separately.
• How do parallel systems differ from multi-core systems?


  Parallel systems can complete tasks with a single core using threading.
• In what type of projects do multi-core systems generally perform better than parallel systems?


  In larger projects.
• What does GPU stand for?


  Graphics Processing Unit
• How do GPUs differ from CPUs in terms of processing units?


  GPUs have lots of independent processors that work in parallel.
• What type of tasks are GPUs particularly efficient at completing?


  Repetitive tasks such as image processing and machine learning.