Microprocessor Architecture

Objectives
●Computer Architecture
●Types of Computer
●Von Neumann Model
●CPU and Memory
●The Microprocessor
●Instruction Set
●Fetch-Execute Cycle

Computing Systems
Computer Architecture
Computer :
device capable of performing
computations and making logical decisions
User
CPU and Instruction Set
High-level
Hardware and Software Components Language Application
Software
– Example Hardware Assembly
Language
• Name some hardware?
OS
– Example Software: Machine
Code
• OS, Application, Language
Hardware

Computing Systems
Types of Computer
●Embedded controllers
●Mainframes/Supercomputers
●Desktop/Laptops/notebooks
●Smart phones
●Client/Server
●Cloud
●Virtual
●...

Computing Systems
Von Neumann Model of a
Computer

●Programs and data are stored in the same memory – in binary.

●Single and unique address for each and every memory location
●Single processor for processing the data and executing instructions.
●Instructions processed sequentially unless an instruction or external
event causes an exception to this rule
●Processing occurs at intervals governed by a System Clock.

Computing Systems
Central Processing Unit (CPU),
● One or more registers:
Fast temporary stores for instructions and data
● Arithmetic and logic unit (ALU):
Performs arithmetic calculations:
addition, subtraction …
and logical operations:
and, or, not, shift …
● Control Unit (CU):
Decodes each machine instruction and sends signals to other
components for carrying out the instruction.

Computing Systems
CPU and Memory
● Buses
– Address
– Control
– Data

● CPU
○ Control Unit (CU) ● Memory
○ Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU) ○ RAM/ROM
○ Registers

Computing Systems
CPU

●A CPU’s current instruction and data

values are stored temporally inside the
CPU in special high-speed memory
locations called registers.
●CPU speed: ? MHz (M: Mega = 106,
Hz=1/sec);

Computing Systems
Instruction Set
●Each processor has defined set of instructions it can
execute eg:
●move (data movement instruction)
●add, subtract (arithmetic instructions)
●and, or, not, xor (logic instructions)
●branch, conditional branch, stop (control)

●Associated operands have addressing modes

●immediate (data is part of the instruction),
●direct (the data is stored in a memory location)
●indirect (the data is at an address stored in memory).

●Binary machine code produced by assembler.

Computing Systems
Fetch-Execute Cycle
●Program instructions loaded into memory
by OS before execution can start.
1.Fetch: instruction into the IR
(address of instruction in IP)
2.Decoded by Control Unit
3.Execute:
●Run by Clock
●NB Flag register

Computing Systems
CPU/Microprocessor

●What do the
various
components
do?
●How do they
work together?

Computing Systems
Subroutines, Stack and Control Unit
●Subroutines
Branch instructions
Functions/Procedures
– CPU retains return address on stack
●Stack Pointer – address of stack top
●Control Unit
Sends instructions to CPU components e.g.
Increment a register, copy a value from one register to another,
Read/Write to/from memory, perform an ALU operation

Computing Systems
Microprocessor

●Typically an integrated
circuit (IC) that has a full
central processing unit is
called a microprocessor
(μp).

Computing Systems
Microprocessor Development

●Ever increasing processing power

●Increasing complexity with more:
Registers, instructions, addressing modes
●Advanced techniques eg pipelining.
Caching and mix of CISC and RISC
features being incorporated.

Computing Systems
Moore’s Law

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/Moore%27s_Law_over_120_Years.png
Questions

●What processor is in your

smartphone/notebook

Computing Systems