7.1 Processors

• What is another name for the Central Processing Unit (CPU)?

  Processor
• The first primary function of a processor is fetching
• Decoding involves interpreting the fetched instruction.
• What does the Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) execute?

  Arithmetic and logical operations
• The Control Unit manages and coordinates the activities of the other components
• Describe the steps of the fetch-decode-execute cycle:

  1️⃣ Fetch instruction from memory

  2️⃣ Decode instruction to determine operation

  3️⃣ Execute the instruction
• What are the two key components of a processor?

  ALU and CU
• The fetch-decode-execute cycle begins with the fetch phase, where the Control Unit retrieves an instruction from memory
• What is an instruction set in the context of processors?

  Set of commands a processor understands
• Assembly language uses mnemonics to represent instruction set commands.
• What is an instruction set in computer systems?

  Commands a processor executes
• Assembly language uses mnemonics to represent instruction set commands.
• Assembly language provides a more readable alternative to binary machine code.
• Match the feature with its corresponding description:

  Instruction Set ↔️ Defines operations a processor can perform

  Assembly Language ↔️ Provides human-readable code for instructions
• What are processor architectures in computer systems?

  Design of processor components
• Different processor architectures share the same instruction set for all processors.

  False
• CISC (Complex Instruction Set Computing) includes a large number of complex instructions.
• Which processor architecture uses a simplified instruction set for faster execution?

  RISC
• Pipelining improves processor performance by breaking down the fetch-decode-execute cycle into stages.
• What does clock speed measure in a processor?

  Instructions executed per second
• Cache memory reduces latency by providing fast access to frequently used information.
• The processor is also known as the Central Processing Unit (CPU).
• What are the two key components of a processor?

  ALU and CU
• The Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) performs arithmetic and logical operations.
• The fetch-decode-execute cycle is the process by which a processor executes instructions.
• What is clock speed measured in?

  GHz
• Cache memory reduces latency
• Higher values in processor performance metrics indicate better performance
• Cache memory reduces the need to access slower main memory.
• Which type of cache is located directly on the processor core?

  L1
• Steps in the interrupt cycle

  1️⃣ Detection of Interrupt

  2️⃣ Suspension of Current Tasks

  3️⃣ Execution of ISR

  4️⃣ Restoration of Saved State
• The Control Unit (CU) uses the Interrupt Vector Table (IVT) to locate ISR addresses.
• Match the interrupt type with its description:

  Hardware Interrupt ↔️ Triggered by external devices

  Software Interrupt ↔️ Generated by software instructions
• Multi-core processors enable parallel processing.
• How many cores does a single-core processor have?

  One
• The processor is responsible for executing instructions in a computer system.
• Match the processor component with its role:

  Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) ↔️ Executes arithmetic and logical operations

  Control Unit (CU) ↔️ Manages and coordinates processor activities
• Stages of the fetch-decode-execute cycle

  1️⃣ Fetch

  2️⃣ Decode

  3️⃣ Execute
• An instruction set defines the commands a processor can execute.
• What type of language is assembly language?

  Low-level