Dec 28, 2024 · Introduction : In computer architecture, the control unit is responsible for directing the flow of data and instructions within the CPU. There are two main approaches to implementing a control unit: hardwired and micro-programmed.

Dec 28, 2024 · A control unit controls the operations of all parts of the computer but it does not carry out any data processing operations. What is a Control Unit? The Control Unit is the part of the computer’s central processing unit (CPU), which directs the operation of the processor.

Given the simple datapath shown in Figure 4.11, we next add the control unit. Control accepts inputs (called control signals) and generates (a) a write signal for each state element, (b) the control signals for each multiplexer, and (c) the ALU control signal. The ALU has three control signals, as shown in Table 4.1, below.

Digital hardware systems = data-path + control " datapath: registers, counters, combinational functional units (e.g., ALU), communication (e.g., busses)

• Control unit – guides data signals through data path • Pipelining – a way of achieving greater performance Nov. 2014 Computer Architecture, Data Path and Control Slide 5

Now we’ll see a basic implementation of a pipelined processor. — The datapath and control unit share similarities with both the single-cycle and multicycle implementations that we already saw. — An example execution highlights important pipelining concepts.

Single-Cycle Hardwired Control: Arvind Harvard architecture We will assume • clock period is sufficiently long for all of the following steps to be “completed”: 1. instruction fetch 2. decode and register fetch 3. ALU operation 4. data fetch if required 5. register write-back setup time ⇒ t C > t IFetch + t RFetch + t ALU+ t DMem+ t RWB

• The steps that the control unit carries out in executing a program are: (1) Fetch the next instruction to be executed from memory. (2) Decode the opcode. (3) Read operand(s) from main memory, if any. (4) Execute the instruction and store results. (5) Go to step 1.

Jan 8, 2015 · The control unit determines the operation of the datapath, by activating switches and passing control signals to the various multiplexers. In this way, the control unit can specify how the data flows through the datapath.

Study the control unit and control signals to execute an instruction. Learn about the datapath in AVR microcontrollers.