Computer ScienceCode 2210
Computer architecture
What this topic asks you to be able to do
- appreciate the function that the central processing unit (CPU) performs within a computer
- appreciate what the term microprocessor refers to
- appreciate the job of each component inside a CPU, in a computer built on the Von Neumann architecture
- Describe how the fetch–decode–execute (FDE) cycle works, including what part every component plays
- Understand what the terms core, cache and clock mean for a CPU, and explain the ways each one can affect how well the CPU performs
- Appreciate the function and application of an instruction set within a CPU.
- outline the purpose of an embedded system and its characteristics, and identify the devices in which such systems are frequently employed