Term
| Where does CPU fetch the data and instructions from and where does it store them? |
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Definition
| CPU fetches data and instructions from main memory and stores the data in its own temporary memory areas. |
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Term
| What is the name of the internal temporary memory areas? |
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Definition
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Term
| For the fetch part of the cycle to happen, the CPU places the address of the next item in a vital hardware path. What is this called? |
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Definition
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Term
| Data from this bus then moves from the main memory into the CPU by travelling along another bus. What is its name? |
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Definition
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Term
| The next step is for the CPU to make sense of the instructions, what is this process called? |
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Definition
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Term
| The CPU is designed to understand a specific set of commands which are different for every make of CPU. What are these set of commands called? |
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Definition
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Term
| The CPU decodes the instructions but what does it do next? |
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Definition
| It prepares various areas within the chip so it is ready for the next step. |
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Term
| What is the name of the part of the cycle where the actual data processing takes place? |
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Definition
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Term
| List the three main jobs of the control unit. |
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Definition
1. Controls and monitors the hardware attached to the system to make sure the commands given by the application software are used correctly.
2. Controls the input and output of data so the signals go to the right place at the right time.
3. Controls the flow of data within the CPU. |
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Term
| The CPU reads data and programs kept on the backing storage, but where does it store it? |
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Definition
| immediate access store (IAS) |
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Term
| Why does the CPU need to store data and programs in the IAS? |
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Definition
| Backing Storage is too slow to run applications/programs directly |
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Term
| The ALU manipulates or acts upon the data. List the name of the parts of the ALU and say what they do? |
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Definition
| The Arithmetic part performs calculations on data, and the logic part performs the logic and comparisons |
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Term
| How many instructions can a computer process at any one time? |
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Definition
| A thousand million cycles per second. |
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Term
| How is the clock speed measured? |
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Definition
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Term
| How many instructions per second would a computer running at 3GHz carry out? |
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Definition
| Three thousand million cycles per second. |
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Term
| The faster the speed the better the performance, but what is the downside of this fact? |
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Definition
| faster performance but runs hotter and consumes more power. |
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