System Architecture

Created by

Summer Androsiuk

Cards (53)

A computer system is something that can input and process data, output and store the data.
An input is when you give the computer something to translate.
An output is any information processed by or sent out of a computer system.
A process in an instance of a program running in a computer.
An embedded computer is something that has an electronic chip but isn't typically regarded as a computer.
ROM stands for Read Only Memory
RAM stands for Random Access Memory
CPU stands for Central Processing Unit
A register is a type of temporary memory located in the CPU.
Control Unit: Performs 3 tasks: it controls the way data moves around the CPU, it controls and monitors the flow of data between the CPU and other hardware, and executes the instructions provided by the program.
A clock is a tiny quartz crystal inside the CPU which ticks at a steady speed.
Cache is another type of temporary memory, faster than RAM.
ALU stands for the Arithmetic Logic Unit and handles the data processing inside the CPU.
Buses are a set of wires or tracks laid on a printed circuit board that carry information around the system.
Memory is a part of the circuit board that holds data and has bigger storage space such as RAM and some have smaller such as registers; they have different processing speeds.
RAM (Random Access Memory) stores programs and data temporarily while the computer is running.
ROM (Read Only Memory) contains permanent data like BIOS code and can't be changed once written to.
Executes: Carries out instructions provided by the program.
There are 3 types of buses
The data bus carries data around the system.
The address bus carries information on the location of the data.
The control bus handles commands to control the hardware devices.
The Program Counter (PC) holds the address of the next instruction to be executed in the CPU.
A stored program counter is a computer that stores instructions in its memory to enable it to perform a variety of tasks in sequence or intermittently.
The memory address register is updated by the program counter to contain the address of the next instruction/data to be fetched from RAM. It is then passed to RAM via address buses.
A register is a type of computer memory built directly into the processor or CPU that is used to store and manipulate data during the execution of an instruction.
The memory data register is used when the CPU needs to fetch an instruction from RAM (main memory), it is initially stored in MDR.
The data bus carries that data between the processor and other components.
The accumulator is a register that is used to temporarily store data whilst calculations are being performed int the ALU.
Von Neumann architecture: A computer architecture that stores instructions and data in the same memory location.
Instruction Register: After the instruction has been fetched from RAM And stored in the MDR, it is then transferred to the instruction register to be decoded and executed.
The control unit directs the operation of the processor.
Fetch: Gets the next program command from the computers memory.
Decode: Deciphers what the program is telling the computer to do.
Execute: Carries out the requested action.
Fetch, Decode, Cycle
A)
B)
During the decode part of the cycle, the computer works out if what's stored in the MDR is an instruction the CPU can carry out.
During the execute part of the cycle, the computer carries out the decoded instruction and adds one to the program counter.
Overclocking is the changing in the clock speed to tick quicker, causing it to overheat.
Gigahertz is a unit to show how many instructions can be executed a second.
A heatsink is a component that helps keep the computer cool.
A core is a complete processing unit within the CPU.
Cache memory is more expensive than RAM.
An embedded system is something that contains a computer processor but isn't typically considered a computer.
A general purpose computer is a computer that is designed to be able to carry out many different tasks.