Arithmetic and Logic Unit
Control Unit - Controls the flow of the data and information to other units of the microprocessor
Prefetch Unit - Controls the flow of the data and gives instructions to the Decode unit from the Instruction cache
Instruction and Data Cache – Stores instructions and data temporarily
Bus Unit - Connects the internal units of the microprocessor like the control unit and prefetch unit.
Decode Unit - Decodes the various instructions sent to the microprocessor
Registers - Store data required by the ALU
Depends on number of instructions it processes
Bandwidth (32/64 bit)
Clock speed (GHz)
Number of transistors built into it
Multitasking means the processor time is divided into no. of tasks
Enables the processor to run multiple program simultaneously
Reduces the processor idle time
Multiprocessing means parallel processing used for simultaneously running more than one process by multiple processing units
Each processing unit runs independently and may or may not have individual cache memory
Most effective when used with application software
Steps followed by the microprocessor to interface with a device :
Checks the status of the device.
Requests the device for transferring data.
The device sends the data request to the microprocessor.
The microprocessor sends the required data to the device.
FSB interfaces between the L2 cache on processor to the north bridge of motherboard
Also known as system bus or memory bus
Speed at which CPU communicates with RAM
BSB interfaces between L1 cache on processor with L2 cache
BSB is faster than FSB
Lowering the operating voltage decreases the power consumption
Less power consumption, system is less expensive to run and more battery life
Less voltage of the equipment generates less heat
Processors that run cooler give better performance
Operating voltage range is 1.5 to 2.9V
Types of microprocessor packaging :
Pin Grid Array (PGA) - Mainly used with modern high speed microprocessors due to the enhanced thermal and electrical properties of the ceramic material
Staggered Pin Grid Array (SPGA) – Pins are staggered rather than arranged in standard rows and columns. Allows to move the pins closer and decrease the size of chip
Single edge contact (SEC) and single edge processor packaging (SEPP) - SEC cartridge incorporates the back side bus and L2 cache internally. It was a cost effective method for integrating L2 cache into the processor. A less expensive of the SEC is the single edge processor (SEP) package without fancy plastic cover
Based on the number of instructions built into it, they can be classified as :
Designed to work with everyday applications
Versions :
Pentium I :
Released in 1993
First chip from the fifth generation of microprocessors
Has a 5-stage data pipeline for executing instructions to perform multiple calculations simultaneously
Pentium II :
Released in 1997
Available on a daughter card that has L2 cache
Has a 14-stage data pipeline for executing instructions
Pentium III :
Released in 1999
Has a unique Processor Serial Number (PSN) embedded in the chip
Has a 10-stage data pipeline for executing instructions
Has 70 more instructions built into it which enhances processing of graphical information
Pentium IV :
Released in 2000
Enables to work with applications that require a lot of processing such as digital photography
Has a 20-stage data pipeline for executing instructions
Also available in the following editions :
Created in the year 1969
Developed
Cheaper than Pentium processors
Uses Slot A to connect the AMD microprocessor to the motherboard
Two cores on a single die comprise a dual core CPU
Each of the cores has their own cache, can process independently and provide better performance
To make use of dual core technology, the process must use multiple threads
Well suited for multitasking environment
Intel and AMD provide dual core processors for various segments
A component that is used to lower the temperature of an electronic device which absorbs heat from the electronic device and distributes it to surrounding environment. Two types of heat sinks available namely :
Passive Heat Sink – The passive heat sink is a metal plate with fins attached to surface of the processor. The plane of the heat sink absorbs the heat of processor and fins streams the air to cool it.
Active Heat Sink – An active heat sink is an expansion of passive heat sink with a fan attached on top of the plane metal surface. This facilitates direct cooling of the processor.
Overclocking increases the speed of the microprocessor
You can overclock the microprocessor by changing jumper settings on motherboard or by changing appropriate BIOS settings
Additional cooling devices such as CPU fan must be installed to cool down the processor
Must be done with a great care by increasing clock speed as little as possible every time
Must check documentation of the microprocessor and motherboard before overclocking
Overclocking a processor beyond its maximum capacity can permanently damage the microprocessor
