Hardwired Control Unit

A hardwired control unit is a control unit designed using hardware

components such as logic gates, flip-flops, decoders etc. Well, there
are two ways to design any control unit, it can be designed using
hardwired control or using microprogrammed control.

The hardwired control unit fetches the instructions,

decodes them and generates the corresponding
control signals that make the processor’s hardware
take appropriate actions in the correct sequence as
well as at the right time for the execution of the
fetched instruction.
• In our previous content, instruction cycle we had
defined the processing of a single instruction which
involves a sequence of steps such as instruction
fetch, instruction decode, operand fetch,
instruction execution and operand store.
• Now each step requires one clock cycle. And to
track the progress of instruction execution a step
counter is implemented. Depending on the
instruction fetched several actions are taken for its
successful execution.
Control signals in hardwired control unit depend
upon the following factors:
1.Status of the step counter.
2.The content present in the instruction register.
3.The test result of the computation or comparison
operation of the branch instruction.
4.External signals to the control unit such as
interrupts.
•Instruction Register: The instruction fetched from the
main memory is placed in the instruction register and the
instruction remains there till its execution is completed.
The instruction register outputs the opcode bits that is
the machine code representation of instructions
mnemonics. These opcode bits are fed to the instruction
decoder.
•Instruction Decoder: The instruction decoder
interprets the opcode and the addressing mode from the
instruction register and determines what actions have to
be taken.
•Step Counter: The step counter is used to track the
progress in the execution of the instruction. The step
•Control Signal Generator: It is a combinational
circuit that generates the control signals depending
upon their input.
•Clock: The clock implement in the control circuitry is
such that it completes one clock cycle for each step of
instruction execution.
•External Inputs: The external input component
acknowledges the control circuitry about the external
signal such as interrupts.
•Conditional Signals: These components help the
control unit in generating the control signals for
branching instructions.
• The generation of control signals. Initially, the
instruction to be executed is fetched from the main
memory and is a place in the instruction register which
in turn generates the opcode which is interpreted by the
instruction decoder.
• After interpreting the opcode bits the instruction
decoder activates the corresponding INSi signal to the
control circuitry.
• With each clock cycle, one of the timing signals from
T1 to T5 is activated indicating which step is from
instruction fetch to operand store is being carried out.
• Based on the timing signals from the step counter and
signals from the instruction decoder the control unit
generates the control signals. The control signals are
Advantages
1.The hardwired control unit generates the control
signals faster as compared to the microprogrammed
control unit.
2.It is used while implementing the RISC processors
which are popular for their speed.
3.It works great for simple instructions.
Disadvantages
1.The hardwired control unit cannot be modified easily
as it would take efforts to make changes in the
hardware components.
2.The hardwired control unit does not work well with
complex instructions.
3.It is costly to implement or modify the hardwired
Microprogrammed Control Unit
Micro-programmed Control Unit –
•The control signals associated with operations are
stored in special memory units inaccessible by the
programmer as Control Words.
•Control signals are generated by a program that is
similar to machine language programs.
•The micro-programmed control unit is slower in speed
because of the time it takes to fetch microinstructions
from the control memory.
Some Important Terms
1.Control Word: A control word is a word whose
individual bits represent various control signals.
2.Micro-routine: A sequence of control words
corresponding to the control sequence of a machine
instruction constitutes the micro-routine for that
instruction.
3.Micro-instruction: Individual control words in this
micro-routine are referred to as microinstructions.
4.Micro-program: A sequence of micro-instructions is
called a micro-program, which is stored in a ROM or RAM
called a Control Memory (CM).
5.Control Store: the micro-routines for all instructions
in the instruction set of a computer are stored in a
 Micro-programmed Control Unit
Hardwired Control Unit

Microcode stored in memory

Implementation Fixed set of logic gates and circuits

More flexible, easier to modify

Flexibility Less flexible, difficult to modify

Supports complex instruction sets

Instruction Set Supports limited instruction sets

Complex design, more difficult to

Complexity of Design Simple design, easy to implement implement

Slower operation due to microcode

Speed Fast operation decoding

Debugging and Easier to debug and test

Difficult to debug and test
Testing
Larger size, higher cost
Size and Cost Smaller size, lower cost

Maintenance and Easier to upgrade and maintain

Difficult to upgrade and maintain
Upgradability
1. Horizontal Micro-programmed Control Unit :
The control signals are represented in the decoded binary
format that is 1 bit/CS. Example: If 53 Control signals are
present in the processor then 53 bits are required. More
than 1 control signal can be enabled at a time.
•It supports longer control words.
•It is used in parallel processing applications.
•It allows a higher degree of parallelism. If degree is n, n
CS is enabled at a time.
•It requires no additional hardware(decoders). It means it
is faster than Vertical Microprogrammed.
•It is more flexible than vertical microprogrammed
2. Vertical Micro-programmed Control Unit :
The control signals are represented in the encoded binary
format. For N control signals- Log2(N) bits are required.
•It supports shorter control words.
•It supports easy implementation of new control signals
therefore it is more flexible.
•It allows a low degree of parallelism i.e., the degree of
parallelism is either 0 or 1.
•Requires additional hardware (decoders) to generate
control signals, it implies it is slower than horizontal
microprogrammed.
•It is less flexible than horizontal but more flexible than
that of a hardwired control unit.