![]() The arithmetic logic unit (ALU), which performs arithmetic and logical operations. On personal computers and small workstations, the CPU is housed in a single chip called a microprocessor. On large machines, CPUs require one or more printed circuit boards. In terms of computing power, the CPU is the most important element of a computer system. Sometimes referred to simply as the processor or central processor, the CPU is where most calculations take place. In practice, the term refers to any PC not produced by one of the leading name-brand manufacturers, such as IBM and Compaq.Ībbreviation of central processing unit, and pronounced as separate letters. It is also called the backbone.Ī computer, software product, or device that functions exactly like another, better-known product. (2) In networking, a bus is a central cable that connects all devices on a local-area network (LAN). Older Macs use a bus called NuBus, but newer ones use PCI. Several different types of buses are used on Apple Macintosh computers. The local bus is a high-speed pathway that connects directly to the processor. Nearly all PCs made today include a local bus for data that requires especially fast transfer speeds, such as video data. On PCs, the old ISA bus is being replaced by faster buses such as PCI. A fast bus allows data to be transferred faster, which makes applications run faster. ![]() For example, a 16-bit bus can transmit 16 bits of data, whereas a 32-bit bus can transmit 32 bits of data.Įvery bus has a clock speed measured in MHz. The size of a bus, known as its width, is important because it determines how much data can be transmitted at one time. The data bus transfers actual data whereas the address bus transfers information about where the data should go. There's also an expansion bus that enables expansion boards to access the CPU and memory.Īll buses consist of two parts - an address bus and a data bus. This is a bus that connects all the internal computer components to the CPU and main memory. When used in reference to personal computers, the term bus usually refers to internal bus. You can think of a bus as a highway on which data travels within a computer. (1) A collection of wires through which data is transmitted from one part of a computer to another.
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