How do Microprocessors work?? Lesson 1

INTRODUCTION:

Today's microprocessors are the brains of your personal computer. Here on this tiny silicon chip are millions of switches and pathways that help your computer make important decisions and perform helpful tasks. And microprocessors don't just think for computers-you might find a processor in many other everyday items like your telephone or car. To help you understand how the microprocessor does its job, you will go step by step through a simple task on the chip. For the purpose of this demonstration, you will add two numbers together while watching the microprocessor do its magic. You will complete this task in four easy steps and you may review each step as many times as you want. Remember, each part of the processor has a special task.

Step 1:

Push Key 2

(A)Pressing the 2 key alerts the microprocessor and signals the Prefetch Unit to ask the computer's main memory for a specific instruction on the new data since there is nothing about it in the Instruction Cache.

(B)The new data instruction comes into the microprocessor through the Bus Unit from the computer's main memory and gets stored in the Instruction Cache, where it is assigned a code "2=X".

(C)The Prefetch Unit then asks the Instruction Cache for a copy of the code "2=X" and sends it to the Decode Unit for further processing.

(D)In the Decode Unit the instruction "2=X" is translated or decoded into a string of binary code that is sent off to the Control Unit and the Data Cache to tell them what to do with the instruction.

(E)Because the Decode Unit figured out that the number 2 was to be stored for the future in the Data Cache, the Control Unit now performs the instruction for "2=X." This causes the number 2 to be sent to an address in the Data Cache called "X," where you see it waiting for further orders.

3 more lessons to come in future posts ..bew in touch guys................