explain the von Neumann Architecture with the help of a diagram . 3 mark
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Answer:
Von Neumann architecture was first published by John von Neumann in 1945.
His computer architecture design consists of a Control Unit, Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU), Memory Unit, Registers and Inputs/Outputs.
Von Neumann architecture is based on the stored-program computer concept, where instruction data and program data are stored in the same memory. This design is still used in most computers produced today.
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
The Central Processing Unit (CPU) is the electronic circuit responsible for executing the instructions of a computer program.
It is sometimes referred to as the microprocessor or processor.
The CPU contains the ALU, CU and a variety of registers.
Registers
Registers are high speed storage areas in the CPU. All data must be stored in a register before it can be processed.
MAR-Memory Address Register-Holds the memory location of data that needs to be accessed
MDR-Memory Data Register-Holds data that is being transferred to or from memory
AC-Accumulator-Where intermediate arithmetic and logic results are stored
PC-Program Counter-Contains the address of the next instruction to be executed
CIR-Current Instruction Register-Contains the current instruction during processing
Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU)
The ALU allows arithmetic (add, subtract etc) and logic (AND, OR, NOT etc) operations to be carried out.
Control Unit (CU)
The control unit controls the operation of the computer’s ALU, memory and input/output devices, telling them how to respond to the program instructions it has just read and interpreted from the memory unit.
The control unit also provides the timing and control signals required by other computer components.
