3.1 comp sci notes very nice
3.1 comp sci notes very nice
1 Computer Architecture
● The CPU processes instructions and input data into the computer so that the result
can be output.
● It is also known as a microprocessor, often installed as an integrated circuit on a
single microchip.
● It is made of billions of transistors that combine to form logic gates.
1) READ- The address to be read is first written in the MAR. A read signal is sent to the
computer's memory. The contents of the memory location are then put into the MDR.
2) WRITE- The address to be read is first written in the MDR. The contents of the
memory location are then put into the MAR. A write signal is sent to the computer
memory and will be written at its correct location.
Q10) What are System Buses
They are used in computers as parallel transmission components; each wire in the
bus transmits one bit of data.
2) Data Bus- It is bidirectional. Data can be carried to the CPU from the memory
and to and from the output and input devices (and vice versa). Data can be
addressed as a value or numeric data. The importance relies on the width of
the bus. The wider the bus, the larger the word length that can be transported
3) Control Bus- It is bidirectional. It carries signals from the control unit to all the
other computer components. It is usually 8 bits wide. It does not need to be
wider since it only carries signals.
1. The address and data bus's width can also increase computer performance.
2. Clock speed- Clock speed is the maximum number of fetch-decode execute cycles a
CPU can perform in 1 second. The clock speed can be changed by accessing the
BIOS and altering the settings. However, using a clock speed higher than the
computer was designed for can lead to problems such as execution of instructions
outside design limits, can lead to seriously unsynchronised operations and can cause
the computer to crash and become unstable, which can cause overclocking
frequently. Overclocking can lead to severe CPU overheating, leading to unreliable
performance.
3. The use of cache memories can also improve CPU performance. Unlike RAM, cache
memory is located within the CPU, which means it has much faster data access
times than RAM. Cache stores temporary memory using static RAM to hold
frequently used data/instructions by the CPU that need to be accessed faster,
increasing CPU performance. When a CPU wants to read memory, it will check out
the cache and then move on to the main memory/RAM if the required data isn’t there.
The larger the cache memory size, the better the CPU performance.
4. A singular core is a unit on a CPU made up of ALU, CU, and registers. It helps to
perform the fetch decode execute cycle. Using more cores will increase the
performance since more instructions can be processed simultaneously. However,
doubling the number of cores doesn’t necessarily double the computer’s performance
since we have to consider the CPU's need to communicate with each core; this will
reduce overall performance.
Q15) What are the differences between an instruction set and a programming instruction?
Instruction set- Instructions are written in a low-level language and need an assembler to
convert the low-level language instructions to machine language.
An embedded system combines hardware and software designed to carry out a specific set
of functions. The hardware is electronic, electrical, or electro-mechanical.
1) microcontrollers: has a CPU in addition to some RAM and ROM and other
peripherals all embedded onto one single chip, which will perform a task
2) microprocessor: integrated circuit that only has a CPU on the chip with no RAM/ROM
3) system on chips (SoC): this may contain a microcontroller as one of its components
along with CPU, memory, input/output ports, and secondary storage on a single
microchip
1. When installed in a device, an operator can input data manually, or the data will
come from an automatic source, such as a sensor.
2. This sensor input will be analog or digital.
3. The output will then carry out the function of the embedded system by sending
signals to the components that are being controlled.
Benefits:
Drawbacks: