Microprocessor-Simplified Model

Microprocessor: Simplified Model

Arithmetic & Logic Unit (ALU)

The part of the central processing unit that deals with operations such as addition, subtraction and multiplication of integers and boolean operations. It receives control signals from the control unit telling it to carry out these operations.

Control Unit (CU)

It controls the movement of instructions in and out of the processor, and also controls the operation of the ALU. It consists of a decoder, control logic circuits, and a clock to ensure everything happens at the correct time. It is also responsible for performing the instruction execution cycle.

Register Array

It is a small amount of internal memory that is used for the quick storage and retrieval of data and instructions. All processors include some common registers used for specific functions, namely the program counter, instruction register, accumulator, memory address register and stack pointer.

System Bus

It is comprised of the control bus, data bus and address bus. It is used for connections between the processor, memory and peripherals, and transfer of data between the various parts.

Memory

The memory is not an actual part of the CPU itself, and is instead housed elsewhere on the motherboard. However, it is here that the program being executed is stored, and as such is a crucial part of the overall structure involved in program execution.