The instruction cycle
Information Cycle
A computer takes input uses stored instructions to process and store that data, and then produces output
storage device
A mechanical apparatus that records data to and retrieves data from a storage unit.
L1
A small piece of cache.
Lands
Non-pitted surface areas on a CD that represent digital data. (See also pits.)
L2
On top of level 1.
L3
On top of level 2.
read-only memory (ROM)
Permanent storage; instructions are burned onto chips by the manufacturer.
instruction cycle
Refers to the process in which a computer executes a single instruction.
Storage Medium and Storage Device
Storage technology consists of two main components:
Random Access Memory (RAM)
Temporary memory a computer uses to store information while it is processing.
instruction pointer
The address of the next instruction to be fetched by the CPU is held in the __________.
read/write head
The mechanism that retrieves (reads) and records (writes) the magnetic data to and from a data disk.
Storage medium
The physical material on which a computer keeps data, instructions, and information.
parallel processing
The processing of several aspects of a problem simultaneously.
pipeline processing
When a processor begins to execute an instruction before it completes the previous instruction.
microprocessor clock
a timing device that sets the pace for executing instructions
Serial processing
carrying out one operation at a time, such as pronouncing one word at a time
pits
dark spots
remote storage
housed on an external device that can be accessed from a network
Optical Storage
represents data as microscopic light and dark spots on the disc surface
Magnetic Storage
represents data by magnetizing microscopic particles on a disk or tape surface
CPU Cache
special high-speed memory that allows a microprocessor to access data more rapidly than from memory located elsewhere on the system board
Solid State Storage
stores data in erasable, rewritable circuitry, rather than on spinning disks or streaming tape
