CSE 243: Introduction to Computer Architecture

and Hardware/Software Interface

Topics covered:
CPU Architecture
 Control path

 Recall that the control path is the physical entity in a

processor which:
 fetches instructions,
 fetches operands,
 decodes instructions,
 schedules events in the data path which actually
causes the instruction to be executed.
 this is the fetch/execute cycle which is repeated
indefinitely.

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 Fetch/execute cycle
 Step I:
Fetch the contents of the memory location pointed to by
Program Counter (PC).
 PC points to the memory location which has the instruction to
be executed.
 Load the contents of the memory location into Instruction
Register (IR).
 Step II:
 Increment the contents of the PC by 4 (assuming the
memory is byte addressable and the word length is 32 bits).
 Step III:
 Carry out the operation specified by the instructions in the IR.

 Steps I and II constitute the fetch phase, and are repeated

as many times as necessary to fetch the complete
instruction.
 Step III constitutes the execution phase.

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 Internal organization of a processor

 Recall that a processor has several registers/building

blocks:
 Memory address register (MAR)
 Memory data register (MDR)
 Program Counter (PC)
 Instruction Register (IR)
 General purpose registers R0 - R(n-1)
 Arithmetic and logic unit (ALU)
 Control unit.
 How are these units organized and how do they
communicate with each other?

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 Internal organization of a processor
Internal processor
bus

Control signals

PC

Instruction
Address
decoder and
lines
MAR control logic

Memory
bus

MDR
Data
lines IR

Constant 4 R0

Select MUX

Add
A B
ALU Sub R( n - 1)
control ALU
lines
Carry-in
XOR TEMP

Z
 Single bus organization

 Single bus organization:

 ALU, control unit and all the registers are connected via a
single common bus.
 Bus is internal to the processor and should not be confused
with the external bus that connects the processor to the
memory and I/O devices.
 Data lines of the external memory bus are connected to
the internal processor bus via MDR.
 Register MDR has two inputs and two outputs.
 Data may be loaded to (from) MDR from (to) internal
processor bus or external memory bus.
 Address lines of the external memory bus are
connected to the internal processor bus via MAR.
 MAR receives input from the internal processor bus.
 MAR provides output to external memory bus.

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 Single bus organization (contd..)
 Instruction decoder and control logic block, or control
unit issues signals to control the operation of all units
inside the processor and for interacting with the
memory bus.
 Control signals depend on the instruction loaded in the
Instruction Register (IR)
 Outputs from the control logic block are connected to:
 Control lines of the memory bus.
 ALU, to determine which operation is to be performed.
 Select input of the multiplexer MUX to select between
Register Y and constant 4.
 Control lines of the registers, to select the registers.

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 Single bus organization (contd..)

 Registers Y, Z, and TEMP:

 Used by the processor for temporary storage during
execution of some instructions.
 Note that Registers R0 to R(n-1) are used to store data
generated by one instruction for later use by another
instruction.
 Data is stored in R0 through R(n-1) after the execution of
an instruction.
 Multiplexer MUX selects either the output of register Y
or a constant 4, depending upon the control input
Select.
 Constant 4 is used to increment the value of the PC.

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 Registers and the bus
bus line 0
bus line 1

bus line m-1 (e.g., 31)

bit 0

register

bit m-1 clock

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 Registers and the bus (contd..)

 A bus may be viewed as a collection of parallel wires.

 Buses have no memory:
 They are just a collection of wires.
 When data is on the bus, all registers can “see” that
data at their inputs.
 A register may place its contents onto the bus.

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 Registers and the bus (contd..)

 At any one time, only one register may output its

contents to the bus:
 Which register outputs its content to the bus is determined
by the control signal issued by the control logic.
 Control signal depends on the instruction loaded in the
instruction register.
 Registers can load data from the bus:
 Which registers load data from the bus is determined by
the control signal issued by the control logic.
 Registers are clocked (sequential) entities (unlike ALU
which is purely combinatorial).

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 Riin
Each register Ri has two control signals,
Riin and Riout.
Ri
If Riin=1, the data from the bus is loaded
into the register.
Riout If Riout=1, the data from the register is
Yin
loaded onto the bus.
The same holds for registers Y and Z as
well.
Y

Constant 4

Select MUX

A B

ALU

Zin

Zout
 Registers and the bus (contd..)

Bus

D Q
1
Riout
Q
Clock
Ri in

•Each bit in a register may be implemented by an edge-triggered D flip flop.

•Two input multiplexer is used to select the data applied to the input of an
edge triggered flip-flop.
•Q output of the flip-flop is connected to the bus via a tri-state gate.

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Registers and the bus (contd..)

Bus

D Q
1
Riout
Q
Clock
Ri in

Riin = 1:
Multiplexer selects the data on the bus.
Data is loaded into the flip-flop at the rising edge of the clock.
Riin = 0:
Multiplexer feeds back the value currently stored in the flip-flop.
Q output represents the value currently stored in the flip-flop.

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Registers and the bus (contd..)

Bus

D Q
1
Riout
Q
Clock
Ri in

Riout = 1:
Tri-state gate loads the value of the flip-flop onto the bus.
Data is loaded onto the bus at the rising edge of the clock.
Riout = 0:
Gate’s output is in high-impedance (electrically disconnected) state.
Corresponds to open-circuit state.

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 Registers and the bus (contd..)

Operation of a tri-state gate

•A tri-state gate can enter one of three output states.
- its output can be in a logic low state (L).
- its output can be in a logic high state (H).
- its output can be effectively an open-circuit (high impedance)
•When a tri-state gate is connected to a bus in high-impedance state, its outputs
are effectively disconnected from the bus.
Riout = 1, output is: Riout = 0:
Logic low, if Q = 0 High impedance
Logic high, if Q = 1 Open circuit condition
Bus Bus

0 0
D Q D Q
1 1
Clock
Q Clock
Q
Riin Riin

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Registers and the bus (contd..)

Operation of an edge-triggered flip-flop

single processor clock period

Low-to-High transition

•Data is loaded from the register to the bus (or to the register from the bus)
at the rising edge of the clock.
•Data is loaded at the L-H transition of the clock.

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 Registers and the bus (contd..)

 Data transfers and operations take place within time

periods defined by the processor clock.
 Time period is known as the clock cycle.
 At the beginning of the clock cycle, the control signals
that govern a particular transfer are asserted.
 For e.g., if the data are to be transferred from register R0
to the bus, then R0out is set to 1.
 Edge-triggered flip-flop operation explained earlier used
only the rising edge of the clock for data transfer.
 Other schemes are possible, for example, data transfers
may use rising and falling edges of the clock.
 When edge-triggered flip-flops are not used, two or
more clock signals may be needed to guarantee proper
transfer of data. This is known as multiphase clocking.

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 Simple register transfer example

Transfer the contents of register R3 to register R4

Clock period

1 2 3

1. Control signals R3out and R4in become 1. They stay valid until the end of
the clock cycle.
2.After a small delay, the contents of R3 are placed onto the bus. The contents
of R3 stay onto the bus until the end of the clock cycle.
3. At the end of the clock cycle, the data onto the bus is loaded into R4. R3 out
and R4in become 0.

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 Loading multiple registers from the bus

Transfer the contents of register R3 to register R4, R5

Clock period

1 2 3

1. Control signals R3out, R4in and R5in become 1. They stay valid until the end of
the clock cycle.
2.After a small delay, the contents of R3 are placed onto the bus. The contents
of R3 stay onto the bus until the end of the clock cycle.
3. At the end of the clock cycle, the data onto the bus is loaded into R4. and R5.
R3out, R4in and R5in become 0.

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 Loading multiple registers from the bus
(contd..)
 It is possible to load multiple registers simultaneously
from the bus.
 For e.g., transfer the contents of register R3 to registers R4
and R7 simultaneously.
 The number of registers that can be simultaneously
loaded depends on:
 Drive capability (fan-out)
 Noise.
 Note that this is an electrical issue, not a logical issue.

 Distinguish this from multiple registers loading the bus:

 For e.g. load the contents of registers R3 and R4 onto the
bus simultaneously.
 Logically inconsistent event.
 Physically dangerous event.

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