Processor Terminology

Intel 4004 was the first single chip microprocessor,introduced in 1971.It had 8bit bus width,clock rate 740kHz. As we know Intel 8088 was the first PC microprocessor,which had 8bit of internal bus width,clock rate of 5-8MHz.It was a Silicon chip-embedded in a ceramic plat.It was introduced in the year 1979.Since then we have been introduced by many other processor such as Pentium 4, Core2 Duo, AMD Athlon etc. So here is a video where we can see the history of processors.
                                                             Processor History

Now there is a common question that,"How does a processor interact with a user?".The image below shows us how.
                                      

where CU-Control Unit
          BIU-Bus Interface Unit
          FPU-Floating Point Unit
          BPU-Branch Prediction Unit
          ALU-Arithmetic Logic Unit
          DU-Display Unit
          OS-Operating System
In the previous post we discussed about the working of a processor.

What is Hyperthreading?
The term refers to Intel's Hyper-Threading Technology(HTT).HTT is a form of simultaneous multithreading(SMT).So if a proceesor has multiple core,each core is able to do multitasking simultaneously,means it ables to do multiple instructions operating on separate data in parallel.Intel introduced a processor called "Pentium 4 HTT",which had hyperthreading technology and two cores in it.In actual there was physically one core,but logically it had two cores which were able to do multitasking simultaneously.

What is meant by Multicore?
A processor that exhibits a multicore architecture has multiple completely separate processor dies in the same chip.The operating system and applications see multiple processors in the same way that they see multiple processors in separate sockets.

What is CPU Throttling?(For Laptop/Notebook/Mobile devices)
CPU Throttling allows reducing the operating frequency of the CPU during times of less demand or during battery operation.Suppose we are working on our laptop,and the device is in our bed.The heat generated during our work can't go through properly from the device. So in that case the CPU itself slows down the operating frequency. So it is recommended to use these devices in plane desk or table.

Meaning of "CACHE"
Cache is a very fast chip memory that is used to hold data and instructions that are most likely to be requested next by the CPU. The cache is located in the CPU die. When the CPU requires outside information it requests the information from RAM. The cache controller intercepts the request and consults its tag RAM to discover if the information is already cached.

32-and 64-bit processors
the set of data lines between the CPU and the primary memory of the system can be 32 or 64 bits wide. The wider the bus,the more data can be can be processed per unit time,and the work can be performed.









http://achrohard.blogspot.in/2012/11/processor-terminology.html

Processor

What do we mean by Processor?

Processor is the Brain of a computer.We also call it Central Processing Unit(CPU).The role of the CPU,is to control and direct all the activities of the computer using both external and internal buses.It is a processor chip consisting of an array of millions of transistors.The main two components of the CPU are the arithmetic logic unit(ALU),which performs arithmetic and logical operations,and the control unit(CU),which extracts instructions from memory and decodes and executes them,calling on the ALU when needed.

Operation:

The typical operation of most CPU's,consisting of their physical form,is to execute a sequence of stored instructions called a program.The program is represented by a series of numbers that are kept in some kind of memory called computer memory.There are  mainly four steps that a CPU use in his operation: Fetch, Decode, Execute and Write back.

Fetch, involves reacquiring an instruction from program memory.The location in program memory is determined by a Program Counter(PC),which stores a number that identifies the current position in the program.After fetching, the PC is incremented in terms of memory units.

The fetched instructions from memory is used to determine what the CPU has to do.In the Decode step,the instruction breaks into parts that have significance to other portions of the CPU.One group of numbers in the instructions indicate which operation to perform, and the other usually provide information required for that instruction.

In Execute step the portions of the CPU are connected so they can perform the required operation.The arithmetic logic unit(ALU) is connected to a set of inputs and outputs.The inputs accommodate the numbers to be added, and the outputs contain the final sum.The ALU performs arithmetic and logical operations.

The final step Writeback  is to write the results of the previous step to some form of memory.

Components of Hardware


As we know computer has it own unique hardware parts,which parts have their own importance in computer system.And the parts are listed below.......

1.   Processor
2.   Motherboard
3.   Memory
4.   Cooling System
5.   Ports and Cables
6.   Storage Device
7.   Power Supplies
8.   Adapter Cards
9.   Display
10. Printer

What is called computer Hardware?


Computer hardware is the collection of physical elements that compose a computer system.It refers to the physical parts of the computer such as       monitor,keyboard,mouse,cabinet,motherboard,RAM,hard disk drive,CD-DVD drive,processor chip,printer,graphics card etc.All of these are physical objects that we can actually touch.Software is untouchable and exists in ideas,concepts and applications.These two things(Hardware and Software) forms a computing system.

What do you mean by a computer?

Computer is a gadget which can COMPUTE.It can be a pc,a notebook,a laptop or any other thing that can compute or execute some information.As we know a computer has two parts; one is called Hardware and the other is called Software.In this blog we only discuss about Hardware and its function in a computer.