Processor Architecture

Home > Computer Science > Computer Architecture > Processor Architecture

The design of the CPU, including the organization of registers, ALU, control unit, and other components.

Basic Computer Organization: This topic provides an overview of the basic components of a computer system, including input/output devices, memory, CPU, and storage.
Instruction Set Architecture (ISA): ISA is the set of instructions that a processor can execute, along with their formats, data types, and addressing modes.
CPU Registers: Registers are small, high-speed memory units inside a CPU for temporary storage of data.
Control Unit: The control unit is responsible for fetching instructions from memory and interpreting them to execute operations.
Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU): The ALU performs arithmetic and logical operations on data stored in registers.
Memory Hierarchy: This topic discusses the levels of memory hierarchy in a computer system, including cache, main memory, and secondary storage.
Pipelining: Pipelining improves CPU performance by breaking down instructions into smaller stages that can be executed simultaneously.
Superscalar Architecture: A superscalar processor is capable of executing multiple instructions simultaneously by using multiple functional units.
Parallel Processing: This topic discusses the use of multiple processors to perform computing tasks simultaneously, improving processing speed and efficiency.
Instruction-Level Parallelism (ILP): ILP is a technique for achieving parallelism at the instruction level, by exploiting the available hardware resources.
Memory Management: Memory management is the process of allocating, managing, and deallocating memory resources in a computer system.
Virtual Memory: This is a memory management technique that allows a computer system to use more memory than physically available, by temporarily transferring data from the main memory to secondary storage.
Cache Memory: Cache memory is a small, high-speed memory that stores frequently accessed data to improve access times.
Input/Output Architecture: This topic covers the input/output mechanisms used in a computer system, including interfaces, controllers, and devices.
Interrupts and Exceptions: An interrupt is a signal sent to the CPU by a device or software to get its attention, whereas an exception is an error or unexpected event detected by the CPU during execution.
RISC and CISC Architectures: RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computing) and CISC (Complex Instruction Set Computing) are two major processor architectures, with differences in their instruction set design.
Microarchitecture: Microarchitecture details the internal design and organization of the processor chip as well as its execution capabilities.
Co-Processor and Floating-Point Arithmetic: Co-processors and floating-point arithmetic is used for complex mathematical and scientific computations.
Assembly Language: Assembly language is a low-level language used to write programs that directly interact with hardware that require more control than provided by higher-level languages.
Debugging and Performance Analysis Tools: Debugging and performance analysis tools help in analyzing the execution of programs, isolating issues, and improving performance.
Von Neumann Architecture: This is the most commonly used processor architecture in modern computers. It stores data and instructions in the same memory space and sequential execution of commands.
Harvard Architecture: In contrast to Von Neumann Architecture, in Harvard Architecture, programs and data are stored in separate memories and can be accessed simultaneously. This allows for faster execution of commands.
Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC) Architecture: This type of architecture uses a small set of simple instructions which can be executed quickly. This is in contrast to Complex Instruction Set Computing (CISC), which uses more complex instructions.
Complex Instruction Set Computing (CISC) Architecture: This type of architecture uses a large set of complex instructions which can be executed in a single instruction. This type of architecture is often used in computers designed for general-purpose applications.
Superscalar Architecture: This architecture enables the processor to execute multiple instructions at the same time by using multiple pipelines.
Vector Architecture: This type of architecture is used in machines that perform scientific and engineering calculations. It uses unique instructions to perform operations on large data sets.
Very Long Instruction Word (VLIW) Architecture: This is a relatively new type of architecture that combines the simplicity of RISC with the parallelism of Superscalar architecture.
Digital Signal Processing (DSP) Architecture: This architecture is optimized for applications such as audio and video processing. It uses parallel processing to execute several instructions at once.
Thread-Level Parallelism (TLP) Architecture: This type of architecture divides the work into different threads that can be executed simultaneously. This provides better performance for applications that can be parallelized.
Clustered Architecture: This type of architecture comprises multiple processors that work together to perform a single task. It is commonly used in large-scale workstations and high-performance computing systems.
"In computer science, computer architecture is a description of the structure of a computer system made from component parts."
"It is a description of the structure of a computer system made from component parts."
"It can sometimes be a high-level description that ignores details of the implementation."
"At a more detailed level, the description may include the instruction set architecture design, microarchitecture design, logic design, and implementation."
"It is a description of the structure of a computer system made from component parts."
"Computer architecture is a description of the structure of a computer system made from component parts."
"In computer science, computer architecture is a description of the structure of a computer system made from component parts."
"It can sometimes be a high-level description that ignores details of the implementation."
"The description may include the instruction set architecture design."
"The description may include the microarchitecture design."
"The description may include the logic design."
"The description may include the implementation."
"It is a description of the structure of a computer system made from component parts."
"It can sometimes be a high-level description that ignores details of the implementation."
"The description may include the instruction set architecture design, microarchitecture design, logic design, and implementation."
"The description may include the implementation."
"It can sometimes be a high-level description that ignores details of the implementation."
"The description may include the logic design."
"The description may include the microarchitecture design."
"It is a description of the structure of a computer system made from component parts."