1.1.1

Von Neumann Architecture

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Structure of the Central Processing Unit (CPU)

The CPU is made up of many different components.

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Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU)

  • The ALU performs all of the arithmetic and logical operations of the CPU, including:
    • Addition and subtraction, multiplication and division.
    • Comparisons such as whether numbers are equal or if one is greater than another.
    • Boolean operations such as AND, OR and NOT.
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Control Unit (CU)

  • Sends out control signals to other parts of the CPU.
  • Executes program instructions by following the fetch-decode-execute cycle.
  • Made up of two key parts:
    • The clock - coordinates the CPU's activity.
    • The decoder - decodes program instructions.
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Registers

  • Registers are tiny amounts of super-quick memory within the CPU.
    • Used to hold information needed for the CPU to work.
    • Each register holds a specific piece of information.

Jump to other topics

1Components of a Computer

2Software & Software Development

3Exchanging Data

4Data Types, Data Structures & Algorithms

5Legal, Moral, Cultural & Ethical Issues

6Elements of Computational Thinking

6.1Thinking Abstractly

6.2Thinking Ahead

6.3Thinking Procedurally

6.4Thinking Logically

6.5Thinking Concurrently

7Problem Solving & Programming

8Algorithms

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