BTEC HND in Computing Unit 37: Processor Registers and Operations

This assignment solution provides an introduction to processor operations, detailing the role of the processing unit in executing instruction sets using arithmetic, logic, and control units. It covers various processor registers, including accumulators, memory address registers, and flag registers, explaining their functions within the CPU. The solution also discusses interrupt handlers, polling interrupts, and their use in communication. Furthermore, it includes programs for decision-making, branching, and I/O operations, illustrating how these concepts are implemented in computer programming. The document also touches on data and address buses and their bandwidth. The assignment brief, extracted from a BTEC HND in Computing course, outlines objectives related to Boolean logic, digital computer circuits, and complex computer systems. It includes supplementary slides on the von Neumann architecture, memory types, and the flow of information within a computer system, offering a comprehensive overview of computer architecture and processor functionality, including topics like memory-mapped I/O, interrupts, and exceptions.

Principles of
Processor
Operations

Introduction
• The processing unit carries out all instruction
set included in computer program (Fu 2018).
• The instruction set are performed by using
arithmetic, Input/output Operations, logic unit
as well as controlling unit.
• The ALU mainly performs logic operations as
well as arithmetic operations and includes
processor registers supplying operands
• The CPU are the microprocessor that are
integrated in a single IC.

Use of Different Processor Register
in Execute Cycle
There are different types of registers used in CPU for different purpose.
• Accumulator
• Memory Address Register
• Memory Buffer Register
• Memory Data Register
• Index Register
• Flag Register
• Program Counter

Functions of Interrupts Handlers
• Also known as Interrupt Service Routine is mainly run by
kernel for responding specific interrupt.
• Interrupt handlers are known as C functions that helps to
match a particular prototype and enables kernel for
passing the information of the handler in standard way
(Comer 2017).
• The interrupt handler can be executed at any time.

Polling Interrupts used for
Communication
• The polling interrupts are actually device driven where
the hardware device is being controlled that cause
hardware interrupt from occurring what is to be serviced.
• Polling is communication technique that helps to
determine the status of a terminal when it is ready to send
the data (Swartzlander and Lemonds 2015).
• This is actually a technique used for interrogating with the
peripheral devices.

Program of Decision making
• Decision making is a concept that is used for computer
programming.
• The programs that are used in computer system should be
able to take decisions depended on the problem nature.
• All the programs has different problems to solve.
• Program for decision making is shown below.

Program of Branching
• The algorithm branching usually makes a choice for doing
two different choices.
• The branching statement is done with If else statement.
• The algorithm helps to choose one or more than one thing
depending on the state of the program.
• The program for branching is shown below.

Program for I/O Operations
• Input operations in programming helps to input some that
is needed in the program.
• Output message helps to display the data on the screen as
well as displays the data on the screen.
• The program structure for the input and output operation
in computer system is shown below.

Data bus and Address Bus
• Bandwidth of the front side bus
is mainly determined with the
product.
• It is also dependent on the width
of the data path, the frequency of
the clock cycle (Comer 2017).
• Having wide bus helps the
processor of the project to
transfer more amount of data at
the same time.

References
Comer, D., 2017. Essentials of computer architecture.
Chapman and Hall/CRC.
Fu, K.S., 2018. Special computer architectures for pattern
processing. CRC press.
Hwang, K. and Jotwani, N., 2016. Advanced Computer
Architecture, 3e. McGraw-Hill Education.
Swartzlander, E.E. and Lemonds, C.E. eds., 2015. Computer
Arithmetic: Volume III (Vol. 3). World Scientific.

Thank You