How Microprocessors Work

Daryl Ngan Travis Beardslee Chris Morgan

Overview
Inside a Microprocessor How it thinks Computer Memory How it stores data Program Instructions Tell it what to do

Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)

Addition Subtraction Multiplication Division Comparison Logic Operations
OPERAND A

RESULT

OPERAND B CONTROL

Pipelining
Assembly Line Specialization Dont Waste Resources

Pipelining Fetch Stage

Get Instruction From Memory Store In Instruction Register

FETCH

DECODE

EXECUTE

Instruction #1

Pipelining Decode Stage

Determine Instruction Type Get Necessary Data Setup ALU

FETCH

DECODE

EXECUTE

Instruction #2

Instruction #1

Pipelining Execute Stage

Perform Required Operation Store Result In Result Register

FETCH

DECODE

EXECUTE

Instruction #3

Instruction #2

Instruction #1

Memory
Stores Data and Instructions Communicates With Microprocessor

MICROPROCESSOR

System Bus
SYSTEM BUS

MEMORY CHIPS

Random-Access Memory (RAM)

Scratch Pad Stores Data and Programs During Execution Only Retains Data While Powered On

Read-Only Memory (ROM)

Instruction Manual Data Doesnt Change Used When System Starts

Instructions
Drill Sergeants Written By Programmers Relatively Simple

Instructions - Decoding
Composed of Fields Like Telephone Numbers
01 (213) 740-9136 x111

CALL NETWORK ADMIN IN EEB B10

ADD REG16, REG1, REG8 REG16 = REG1 + REG8

A Simple Program
Calculate Sales Tax - Reg1 has 7.75% - Reg2 has Subtotal - Reg4 will have Grand Total MULT $3, $2, $1 ADD $4, $2, $3 OUT $4, $MONITOR

Conclusion
How it Thinks How it Stores Data Tell it What to Do

Questions