About Lesson
The CPU is a critical part of computer organization, as it executes instructions and controls data processing. It is composed of the following subcomponents:
3.1 Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU)
- The ALU performs all the arithmetic (addition, subtraction) and logical operations (AND, OR, NOT) required by the CPU. It works closely with the control unit to execute instructions.
3.2 Control Unit (CU)
- The CU coordinates all activities in the CPU, ensuring that instructions are fetched from memory, decoded, and executed in the correct order. It communicates with other components like memory and I/O devices using control signals.
3.3 Registers
- Registers are small, high-speed storage locations inside the CPU that temporarily hold data, addresses, and instructions. Common types of registers include:
- Program Counter (PC): Holds the address of the next instruction to be executed.
- Accumulator (AC): Holds intermediate results during calculations.
- Instruction Register (IR): Holds the current instruction being executed.
3.4 Cache Memory
- Cache memory is a small, fast memory located near the CPU that stores frequently accessed data and instructions, improving performance by reducing the time needed to access data from slower main memory.