Flashcards on The processor and the instruction cycle
The Processor and the Instruction Cycle Explained (CPU Basics)
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CPU Instruction Cycle
34 cards
Card 1
Question: What is the repetitive process that enables the CPU to process information and execute programs?
Answer: The instruction cycle, also known as the fetch-decode-execute cycle.
Card 2
Question: What is the purpose of registers within the CPU?
Answer: Registers are small, high-speed storage areas within the CPU that hold data and instructions temporarily during processing, offering faster access tha
Card 3
Question: Which CPU register holds the memory address of the *next* instruction to be fetched?
Answer: The Program Counter (PC).
Card 4
Question: What happens to the Program Counter (PC) after each instruction fetch?
Answer: It is automatically incremented to ensure sequential program execution.
Card 5
Question: Where is an instruction temporarily stored after it is fetched from memory for decoding and execution?
Answer: The Instruction Register (IR).
Card 6
Question: Which register holds the memory address that the CPU wants to read from or write to?
Answer: The Memory Address Register (MAR).
Card 7
Question: Which register temporarily holds the data being read from or written to a memory location?
Answer: The Memory Data Register (MDR).
Card 8
Question: What is the function of the Accumulator (ACC) or General-Purpose Registers?
Answer: They are used to store operands for arithmetic and logic operations and the results of those operations.
Card 9
Question: What CPU component performs all arithmetic and logical operations?
Answer: The Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU).
Card 10
Question: What is the role of the Control Unit (CU) in the CPU instruction cycle?
Answer: It orchestrates the entire instruction cycle, interprets instructions, generates control signals, and manages data flow within the CPU and between the