Introduction to Von

Neumann Architecture
What is Von Neumann Architecture

Von Neumann architecture represents the fundamental design concept of modern

computer systems. Proposed by the Hungarian-American mathematician John von
Neumann in the 1940s, this architecture became the blueprint for building digital
computers. It is also called stored memory Architecture.

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Components of Von Neumann
Architecture
• Memory Address Register (MAR)
• Memory Data Register (MDR)
• Program Counter (PC)
• Accumulator

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Memory Address Register (MAR)

• The Memory Address Register (MAR) is a crucial component of the CPU (Central
Processing Unit).
• It holds the memory address of the instruction or data that the CPU currently
needs to access.
• MAR is used during the fetch phase of the instruction cycle to specify the address
in the main memory from which data or instructions are to be fetched or stored.

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Memory Data Register (MDR)

• The Memory Data Register (MDR) is another vital component of the CPU.
• MDR holds the actual data or instruction fetched from or to be stored into the
main memory.
• During the fetch phase, MDR temporarily holds the instruction or data retrieved
from the memory before it's processed by the CPU.
• During the store phase, MDR holds the data to be written into the memory.

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Program Counter (PC)

• The Program Counter (PC) is a register within the CPU.

• PC keeps track of the memory address of the next instruction to be fetched from
the memory.
• PC plays a pivotal role in the execution of the instruction cycle by ensuring the
CPU knows which instruction to fetch next.

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Accumulator

• The Accumulator is a register within the CPU used for performing arithmetic and
logic operations.
• It stores the intermediate results of computations performed by the CPU.
• The Accumulator is often involved in arithmetic operations such as addition,
subtraction, multiplication, and division.
• It holds the results temporarily until they are transferred to the memory or to
another register.

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Conclusion

• The Von Neumann architecture, characterized by the components like the

Memory Address Register (MAR), Memory Data Register (MDR), Program
Counter (PC), and Accumulator, revolutionized the field of computing. These
components work in harmony to execute instructions, process data, and perform
computations. Understanding these fundamental elements is essential for
comprehending the inner workings of modern computer systems.