Von Neumann Architecture
Computer Science: OCR A Level, topic 1.1.1
Structure of the Central Processing Unit (CPU)
The CPU is made up of many different components.
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.
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.
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.
Test yourself on Von Neumann Architecture
This is the common architecture for what feature of computers?
What does CPU stand for?
Which of the following are components of the Von Neumann architecture?
Which of the following are examples of Boolean operators?