The CPU is the engine of every computer. In this unit you will see what is inside it, how the fetch-decode-execute cycle runs an instruction, and how memory is arranged from fast registers down to slower storage.
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The CPU and its main components
The CPU is the main processing engine. It executes instructions and coordinates the movement of data around the system.
The arithmetic logic unit (ALU) performs arithmetic such as addition and subtraction, and logical operations such as AND, OR and NOT.
The control unit (CU) manages the fetch-decode-execute cycle. It decodes each instruction and sends control signals to the right hardware.
Buses connect the components: the data bus is bidirectional and carries data, the address bus carries memory addresses, and the control bus carries control signals.
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1. Which component of the CPU decodes instructions and generates the control signals that run the fetch-decode-execute cycle?
2. Which register always holds the address of the next instruction to be executed?
3. Which sequence correctly describes the instruction cycle carried out for every instruction?
4. Compared with a CPU, how is a GPU best described?
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