Computing 1.1.1

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A small, fixed width piece of memory inside the CPU. Usually between 16-128 bits wide. Registers are used to hold data or instructions as they are being worked on. Registers can also be used to represent the status of
various CPU components.
Register
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A register used to hold the address of the next instruction to be executed. It is possible to switch tasks that the CPU is carrying out by changing the address held in the PC
Program counter
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A general purpose register, usually used to hold the result of the last calculation or instruction carried out
Accumulator
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Used to hold the address in memory which will be accessed next.
Memory Address Register
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Used to hold the data which ahs just been fetched from RAM or is about to be written to RAM
Memory Data Register
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Where the instruction about to be run is decoded – held in the form Operator, Operand
Current Instruction
Register
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The connection between the CPU and RAM – literally a collection of wires. Used to send data between CPU and RAM
Data Bus
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Used to connect the various components in the CPU and also to RAM. Used to send control signals to co-ordinate the timing/workings of the CPU and also to tell RAM whether a read/write operation is needed.
Control Bus
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Used to connect the CPU and RAM so that addresses which need to be read from or written to can be sent to the memory controller.
Address Bus
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Used to coordinate the actions of the CPU during the FDE cycle. Sends signals down the control bus to components.
Control Unit
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The purpose of the CPU – the Fetch, Decode, Execute cycle. Happens continuously whilst power is on. The
number of FDE cycles per second is called the “clock speed” and is measured in Ghz (Gigahertz)
FDE Cycle
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The number of FDE cycles a CPU can carry out per second. Has a direct impact on the speed at which program instructions can be executed. Measured in Ghz – billions of cycles per second.
Performance Speed
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A core is a discrete processing unit inside a CPU – The more cores a CPU has, the more instructions can be executed simultaneously. Has a direct impact on the multitasking ability of a CPU
Performance Cores
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Cache is a small amount of memory inside a CPU. Usually comes in different “levels” which differ in speed and size. L1 cache is the fastest and smallest, L3 is the slowest and largest. All are much, much faster than accessing RAM and therefore it is used
Performance Cache
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

A register used to hold the address of the next instruction to be executed. It is possible to switch tasks that the CPU is carrying out by changing the address held in the PC

Back

Program counter

Card 3

Front

A general purpose register, usually used to hold the result of the last calculation or instruction carried out

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

Used to hold the address in memory which will be accessed next.

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

Used to hold the data which ahs just been fetched from RAM or is about to be written to RAM

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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