About Lesson
The CPU architecture refers to the structure and design of the CPU, including the datapath, control unit, and how the CPU fetches, decodes, and executes instructions.
CPU Components:
- Datapath: The data processing part of the CPU, which includes the ALU and registers. It performs calculations and logical operations.
- Control Unit (CU): The CU interprets the instructions and sends signals to the datapath to execute operations. It controls the overall flow of data and instructions within the CPU.
- Clock: A timing device that synchronizes the operations of the CPU. Each cycle of the clock triggers the execution of an instruction.
- Pipelining: A technique in which multiple stages of instruction execution are carried out simultaneously. For example, while one instruction is being decoded, another instruction can be fetched.
Types of CPU Architectures:
- Single-Core Processor: A CPU with a single processing unit that can execute one instruction at a time.
- Multi-Core Processor: A CPU with multiple cores, each capable of executing instructions independently, allowing for parallel execution and increased performance.
- Superscalar Architecture: A type of CPU that can execute multiple instructions per clock cycle by using multiple execution units.