Definitions

• What is the function of the Accumulator (ACC) in a processor?


  It temporarily stores the results of operations performed by the ALU.
• What does the Address Bus do?


  It carries the memory location address of the register the data is being carried to or from.
• What is the role of the Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU) in the CPU?


  It performs arithmetic calculations and logical operations on data for computer programs.
• What are buses in a computer system?


  Buses are a physical set of parallel wires connecting and carrying groups of bits between several components of a computer.
• Why is cache memory important in a CPU?


  Cache is a small and fast but expensive memory used to store instructions and data that are accessed regularly.
• What does clock speed determine in a processor?


  It controls how often instructions are executed and data is fetched.
• What is contemporary processor architecture?


  It is a modern computer architecture combining elements of both Von Neumann and Harvard architectures.
• What is the function of the Control Unit in a CPU?


  It controls and manages the execution of instructions and sends control signals to coordinate execution.
• What does the Current Instruction Register (CIR) store?


  It stores the current instruction being executed and decoded.
• What is the purpose of the Data Bus?


  It is a bi-directional bus for carrying data and instructions between the processor and memory.
• What are the steps involved in the Fetch-Decode-Execute cycle?


  1. Fetch: Retrieve the instruction from memory.
  2. Decode: Interpret the instruction and read required data.
  3. Execute: Carry out the required actions by the CPU.
• What distinguishes Harvard Architecture from Von Neumann Architecture?

  Harvard Architecture stores data and instructions in separate memories, while Von Neumann uses a single memory for both.
• What does the Memory Address Register (MAR) do?


  It stores the memory address of the next instruction to load or data to use.
• What is the function of the Memory Data Register (MDR)?


  It temporarily stores data to be read from or written to the computer’s memory.
• How does the number of cores in a processor affect its performance?


  More cores allow multiple instructions to be handled simultaneously, improving performance.
• What is pipelining in processor architecture?


  Pipelining is the simultaneous decoding of several instructions to improve processing efficiency.
• What does the Program Counter (PC) store?


  It stores the address of the next instruction to execute.
• What are registers in a CPU?


  Registers are special memory cells that can be accessed quickly and temporarily store data and control information.
• What is a Complex Instruction Set Computer (CISC)?


  CISC is a processor design that can execute a series of tasks in a single complex instruction built into the hardware.
• What is the purpose of a Graphic Processing Unit (GPU)?


  It allows efficient parallel computation for tasks such as computer graphics and machine learning.
• What are multicore systems?


  Multicore systems incorporate several CPU cores into a single processor chip to distribute workload.
• What is a Parallel Processing System?


  It splits a job into several subtasks which are simultaneously carried out by each core in the system.
• What is a Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC)?


  RISC is a simpler processor design that can only execute a single simple instruction each clock cycle.
• What is Flash Storage?


  Flash Storage is a solid state technology that stores data on a collection of memory chips.
• What are input devices?


  Input devices are peripheral devices that allow the user to communicate and pass readable data into a computer.
• How does Magnetic Storage work?


  It relies on the polarisation of magnetic particles to store bits on a magnetic material, typically moved mechanically.
• What is Optical Storage?


  Optical Storage stores data in the reflectivity of a surface and is read and written to by a laser.
• What are output devices?


  Output devices convert signals from a computer into a human-readable form.
• What is Random Access Memory (RAM)?


  RAM is memory used to store programs and data in use by the computer, which is volatile.
• What is Read-Only Memory (ROM)?


  ROM is memory used to store information that is permanently required to boot up and run the computer.
• What is a Storage Device?


  A Storage Device is any medium on which data can be stored even when powered off.
• What is Virtual Storage?


  Virtual Storage uses the hard disk as though it were an extension of memory to free up more RAM for current programs.