Central Processing Unit (CPU)

Objectives
a) Understand core functions of “CPU
components”
b) Explain data transfer to and from memory

c) Identify CPU’s Program Execution cycle

Source: Feleke Merin (Dr. –Eng.) 1

Computer hardware (subsystems)

Source: Feleke Merin (Dr. –Eng.) 2

 Central Processing Unit (CPU)

• CPU performs operations on data.

1. ALU 2. Control Unit 3. A set of registers

Source: Feleke Merin (Dr. –Eng.) 3

 CPU (contd.)

Arithmetic Logic Unit

Arithmetic Logic Unit performs the f/g operations:
• Arithmetic operations: • Logical operations:
– Increment – NOT
– Decrement – AND
– Add – OR
– Subtract – XOR
– Multiply
– Divide

Source: Feleke Merin (Dr. –Eng.) 4

 CPU (contd.)

Registers
 Fast stand-alone storage locations that hold
data temporarily in CPU.

 A special, high-speed storage area within the

CPU. All data must be represented in a register
before it can be processed.
 For example, if two numbers are to be multiplied,
both numbers must be in registers, and the result is
also placed in a register.

Source: Feleke Merin (Dr. –Eng.) 5

 CPU (contd.)

Registers (contd.)
 Types
– PC (Program Counter)
• Keep track of the instruction currently being
executed.
• Incremented after execution of the instruction.
– Instruction Register
• Store the instruction currently being executed
– Data Registers
• Hold data before it can be processed

Source: Feleke Merin (Dr. –Eng.) 6

 CPU (contd.)

Registers (contd.)
• The power and speed of a CPU determined by
– the number of registers that a CPU has and
– the size of each (number of bits)

– For example a 32-bit CPU is one in which

each register is 32 bits wide. Therefore, each
CPU instruction can manipulate 32 bits of
data.

Source: Feleke Merin (Dr. –Eng.) 7

 CPU (contd.)

Control Unit
• Like the part of the human brain, control unit
controls the operation of each part of the body.

• Controlling is achieved through wires (from

Control unit to ALU) that can be on/off.
• 4 wires  16 operations

Source: Feleke Merin (Dr. –Eng.) 8

 Main Memory

• Main memory –
– a collection of storage locations,
– each with a unique identifier called the address.

• Word-
– Data are transferred to and from memory in
groups of bits called words.
– The number of bits that can be stored in one
CPU register in a computer.

Source: Feleke Merin (Dr. –Eng.) 9

Main Memory (contd.)

Source: Feleke Merin (Dr. –Eng.) 10

 Program Execution

• General–purpose computers use a set of

instructions called a program to process data.
• Both the program and the data are stored in
memory.
• The CPU uses repeating machine cycles to
execute instructions in the program, one by one.
• A simplified cycle consists of:
1. Fetch
2. Decode
3. Execute

Source: Feleke Merin (Dr. –Eng.) 11

Steps of a cycle

Source: Feleke Merin (Dr. –Eng.) 12

 Machine Cycle

1.Fetch
– IRMemory[PC]
– PC++
2.Decode
– [IR] gets decoded by control unit
3.Execute
– Control unit sends the task-orders to other
components.

Source: Feleke Merin (Dr. –Eng.) 13

 Contents of memory and register before execution

 IRMemory[070]
PC++
Source: Feleke Merin (Dr. –Eng.) 14
Contents of memory and registers after each cycle

 R1Memory[200]
 IRMemory[071]
PC++

Source: Feleke Merin (Dr. –Eng.) 15

Contents of memory and registers after each cycle

 R2Memory[201]
 IRMemory[072]
PC++

Source: Feleke Merin (Dr. –Eng.) 16

Contents of memory and registers after each cycle

 R3R1+R2
 IRMemory[073]
PC++

Source: Feleke Merin (Dr. –Eng.) 17

 Contents of memory and registers after each cycle

 Memory[202]R3
 IRMemory[074]
PC++

Source: Feleke Merin (Dr. –Eng.) 18