Q#1: What are the three main components of a CPU?
Answer:
The three main components of a CPU are:
- Arithmetic/Logic Unit (ALU) – performs arithmetic and logical operations
- Control Unit (CU) – directs data flow and operation sequencing
- Register Unit – contains registers for temporary storage of data and instructions
Q#2: How does the CPU perform operations on data stored in main memory?
Answer:
- The control unit transfers data from main memory into general-purpose registers in the CPU.
- It then activates the appropriate circuits in the ALU and informs it which registers hold the operands and where to store the result.
Q#3: What are the two major philosophies of CPU architecture mentioned, and what distinguishes them?
Answer:
- RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer): Executes a minimal set of simple instructions for efficiency and speed.
- CISC (Complex Instruction Set Computer): Supports a larger set of complex instructions to manage sophisticated software needs.
Q#4: How are the machine instructions categorized, and what is the primary purpose of the data transfer group of instructions?
Answer:
- Machine instructions are categorized into:
- Data transfer
- Arithmetic/Logic
- Control
- Data transfer instructions move or copy data between locations, including CPU ↔ main memory.
- Examples: LOAD and STORE instructions for transferring data between registers and memory.