1.1 Systems Architecture GapFill

In a computer system, components are arranged so that the CPU is connected to input and output devices as well as to an embedded system data storage an accumulator ports . The CPU is responsible for processing all of the operations that need to be carried out by the computer and is composed of the address bus RAM ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit) ROM , the CU (Control Unit), registers and flash virtual random access cache memory.

The CPU runs in a fetch-execute cycle to retrieve one instruction, carry out that instruction, retrieve the next instruction and so on. The CPU uses buses heatsinks registers microprocessors to store the data that is used in this process. The fetch-execute cycle is carried out as follows:

• The memory address of the next instruction to be executed is copied from the CIR accumulator MDR PC to the MAR
• This value is increased by 1 decreased by 1 doubled halved while the data stored in the memory location pointed to by the MAR is copied into the MDR
• The instruction is copied from the MDR PC MAR accumulator to the CIR
• The instruction is then decoded by the cache memory ALU CU MDR
• The instruction is executed

Factors which affect the performance of the CPU include the number of clocks cores buses bytes , the CPU's clock memory accumulator cache speed and the amount of available cache memory RAM removable storage secondary storage .

Sometimes a computer may not act as a standalone device, but instead be built into a larger device to perform some specific task. This sort of computer is known as an embedded system an open-source system a closed-source system a von Neumann system .