how does a computer program arrange transistors to run a program? In other words, if transistors are so small, how can a computer ever know how to create the circuit required to run a program?
In: Technology
A computer has 5 major units.
1) Arithmetic and Logic Unit
2) Control Unit
3) Memory
4) Input
5) Output
1) Arithmetic and Logic Unit
This unit performs all the computations in a computer. It consists of various circuits such as adder, subtractor, divisor, multiplier and various other circuits that perform various computation tasks.
These circuits are made up of logic gates. These logic gates are made up of *transistors*.
2) Memory
Memory consists of a storage unit called a cell. A cell can store 1 bit of data. There are various ways a cell can store data depending upon the components. 8 cells are grouped together to form a byte. Each byte is assigned an address. In order to access a memory byte, you need a memory request which consists 2 things, address and control signal. The address activates a byte cell in the memory and the control signal tells whether to write the byte or read the byte.
This memory unit is connected to the Arithmetic and Logic Unit. When you read a byte the byte goes from memory to the Arithmetic and Logic Unit. When to write a byte the Arithmetic and Logic Unit sends data to memory which then places the data in the activated cell
3) Control Unit
Control unit is the brain of the computer. It contains micro instructions which are designed by the designer of the processor. The control unit sends control signals to various components like Arithmetic and Logic Unit, memory, input and output.
When you give and addition instructions it involves various smaller instructions to be performed like reading the data then activating the adder circuit in the Arithmetic and Logic Unit these signals are send by the control unit.
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