HOW DO

COMPUTERS
WORK?
Vian Garg
Sean Serrao
AGENDA
Introduction​
The Processor
​System Bus​

INTRODUCTION
Explain the role and operation of a
processor and its major components:
Arithmetic logic unit
Control unit
Clock
General-purpose registers
3
Dedicated Registers, including:
Program counter
Current instruction register
Memory address register
Memory buffer register
Status register.
THE PROCESSOR
MAIN PARTS OF THE CPU 5

Program Counter: Memory Address Register:

Holds address of the Holds the address which
next instruction to be needs to be written to or
executed. fetched from. Status Register:
Stores the state of the
ALU:
processor components
Preforms calculations
to be accessed by the
and comparisons.
CU.
Read and writes to the
General Purpose
Registration. Control Unit [CU]:
Coordinates all the
activities [fetch,
decode, execute cycle]
General Registers: and components of the
Tiny amounts of super CPU.
fast memory used to
temporarily store Clock:
information. Generates timed pulses
to help sync the
system.

Current Instruction Register : Decode Unit: Memory Buffer Register:

Copies the instruction from the Just decodes it lol Temporarily stores the data
MBR. that needs to be written to
Instruction= operator + operand[s] or has been fetched from
the memory.
 6

“ BUSES ARE LIKE PROGRAMMING

ERRORS. THERE'S ALWAYS
ANOTHER ONE COMING.
Sean Serrao
”
 7

THE 3 GREAT BUSES

DATA BUS ADDRESS BUS CONTROL BUS

• Typically consists of 32 • It carries memory • Typically consists of 16

wires addresses in one wires

• direction from the CPU • Carries signals back and

Transports data and
to the Main memory forth across the wires
instructions back and
and the peripherals
forth across the wires • It is used to carry control
• A memory address is a signals across the CPU,
• Used to transport data
reference to a specific the main memory and the
and instructions
memory location where peripherals
between the CPU, the
data can be stored or • A simple example would
main memory and the
retrieved be when you plug in your
peripherals
• The value of the address USB key and after a few
• The larger the data bus, moments a screen pops
is carried in the data bus
the more data can be up asking you what you
transported at one time want to do with it.
THANK YOU
Vian Garg & Sean Serrao
Sponsored by RedBull