This topic covers the central processing unit and the von Neumann model of a computer. You will study the arithmetic logic unit, the control unit and the registers — including the program counter, memory address register, memory data register, current instruction register and accumulator — and the address, data and control buses that connect them. The fetch-decode-execute cycle is traced step by step. The topic also covers cores, cache and clock speed, and how each affects performance, along with embedded systems.
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