Computer Organization

NEL C. HERNANDO, ME, MBA

Common CPU components

• control unit (CU)

• arithmetic logic unit (ALU)
• registers
• cache
• buses
• clock
Control unit (CU)

• it fetches, decodes and executes instructions

• it issues control signals that
control hardware components within the CPU
• it transfers data and instructions around the system
Arithmetic logic unit (ALU)

• it performs arithmetic and logical operations (decisions).

• it acts as a gateway between primary
storage and secondary storage - data transferred
between them passes through the ALU.
Registers
Registers are small amounts of high-speed memory
contained within the CPU. They are used by the
processor to store small amounts of data that are
needed during processing, such as:
• the address of the next instruction to be executed
• the current instruction being decoded
• the results of calculations
Different processors have different numbers of
registers for different purposes. Most have
some, or all, of the following:
• program counter (PC)
• memory address register (MAR)
• memory data register (MDR)
• current instruction register (CIR)
• accumulator (ACC)
Cache

Cache is a small amount of high-speed random access

memory (RAM) built directly within the processor. It is
used to temporarily hold data and instructions that the
processor is likely to reuse. This allows for faster
processing, as the processor does not have to wait for the
data and instructions to be fetched from the RAM.
Clock
 The CPU contains a clock which, along with the CU, is used to
coordinate all of the computer's components. The clock sends out a
regular electrical pulse which synchronises (keeps in time) all the
components.
 The frequency of the pulses is known as clock speed. Clock speed is
measured in hertz (Hz). The greater the speed, the more
instructions can be performed in any given moment of time.
 In the 1980s, processors commonly ran at a rate of between
3 megahertz (MHz) and 5 MHz, which is 3 million to 5 million pulses
or cycles per second. Today, processors commonly run at a rate of
between 3 gigahertz (GHz) and 5 GHz, which is 3 billion to 5 billion
pulses or cycles per second.
Buses

A bus is a high-speed internal connection. Buses are used

to send control signals and data between the processor
and other components.
Three types of bus are used.

• Address bus - carries memory addresses from the processor to

other components such as primary storage and input/output
devices. The address bus is unidirectional.
• Data bus - carries the data between the processor and other
components. The data bus is bidirectional.
• Control bus - carries control signals from the processor to other
components. The control bus also carries the clock's pulses. The
control bus is unidirectional.
Data bus

used to hold the data, whatever the data that a

processor has to work on, and the processor is
going to send that data to memory and
Input/output devices. It consists of 8,32,64,128 or
even so on more separate lines.
The number of lines are called as width of a
data bus. Here each line carries only bit, so the
width of data bus is 1 byte that is 8bits.
Address bus

It indicates from where we have to send the

data and from where we have to get the data.
It has collection of wires these are used to
identify the particular location in main memory
by the CPU, it is used to identify the source or
destination of data. The CPU needs to read an
instruction from a given location that is in
memory, so first it has to know where the data is
present, so that will be informed by this address
bus.
Control bus
 is used to monitor the data and address buses. It always
monitors the system. It regulates the activities of bus, at
what time the data has to be put on the data bus all
these operations are performed by control bus.
 It always control and timing information related to the
buses, It holds signals that reports the status of various
devices, whether the device is sending any data,
whether the device is ready or not. So different control
signals will be there in control bus like memory read,
memory write, I/O read and I/O write. Memory read
means It causes data from address location to be
placed on the data bus.