Architecture of the CPU

Architecture of the CPU

1. The Purpose of the CPU

   • Hardware that executes programs and manages the rest of the hardware
   • Brain of the computer
   • The fetch-execute cycle

2. Common CPU components and their function:

   • ALU(arithmetic logic unit)
   • CU(Control unit)
   • Cache
   • Registers
     • MAR(memory address register)
       • Holds the address of the instruction or data to be fetched or stored
     • MDR (memory data register)
       • Holds data or a program instruction temporarily when it is fetched from memory
     • Program Counter
       • Holds the memory address of the next instruction to be processed
     • Accumulator
       • Results of operations carried out in the ALU are temporarily stored