Mike Meyers Book - Chapter 3 Microprocessors

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Hey all - Just a quick confusing question if I may:

Im just reading about CPU pipelining and I am a bit confused. I gather that before pipelining was invented 3 of the 4 (minimal amount) stages of a CPU was idle then when pipelining was invented this changed to make sure each stage was doing something as to make it more efficient. If all the stages take one clock cycle each to complete then how is this different to a none-pipelined processor - how are the clock cycles split to make sure each stage is doing something whereas before pipelining this wasn't the case.


Im sorry I have probably made no sense - im trying to make sense of it myself.

 

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Im most likely going far too complex with this for the A+ - I just like to know the why's and how's.

 

Before pipeling the process was (using the four stages in AIO and each line as a clock cycle)
fetch instruction 1
decode instruction 1
execute instruction 1
write instruction 1
fetch instruction 2
...
(only one man in the box, he has to do everything)
with pipeling
fetch instruction 1
decode instruction 1, fetch instruction 2
execute instruction1, decode instruction 2, fetch instruction 3
write instruction 1, execute instruction 2, decode instruction 3, fetch instruction 4
...
(four men in the box, each with a specific task)
Some stages take longer than others, this is where you get pipeline stalls as the other stages can't start processing the next instruction until that stage has finished.

That's the way I understand it anyway.

 

Thankyou very much soundian - that visual representation has helped me understand the concept alot better. Im sorry at the moment I tend to be all take on these forums and no give - it is only because my limited knowledge is no match for the people on here

 

Swatto

Everyone on the forum has started in a place much like yours now, in time you will be the one giving the newbies the advice!

 

No problem. I'm sure you'll be ready to give sooner than you think.

 

HaHa i just finished that chapter,its a lot of reading on that one, and your question has helped to confuse me more, back to the drawing board lol

 

I'm working through this chapter, page 69. I'm a little concerned about all the binary stuff that has cropped up so far.

Do I actually need to know binary inside out or just understand the concepts?

Cheers

 

I'm assuming just the concepts. This youtube vid should help you out though if you're having trouble - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzUjicheqwM

Qs

 

Thanks I'll check it out.

 

My view is that it is very useful to be able to deal in binary. Among other things it helps with things like net-masks.

Harry.

 

yep I brushed up on my binary which helped me in my N+

 

For the purposes of the A+. simply being able to convert a decimal to binary and vice-versa seems to be enough.

 

Oh dear 6/10 on the end of chapter test think I'll need to go through this one again.

Scott