01 - Introduction to the CPU

The purpose of the Central Processing Unit (CPU) is to carry out program ____________. 
Each CPU is designed to execute a specific group of ____________, the instruction set.

The computer industry has used the term 'central processing unit' at least since the early 
1960s. Traditionally, the term 'CPU' refers to a p_____________, more specifically to its 
processing unit and control unit (CU), distinguishing these core elements of a computer 
from external components such as main memory and input/output circuitry.

___________________________________ was a child prodigy. When he was 6 years old, 
he could divide two 8-digit numbers in his head and could converse in Ancient Greek.
He is also credited with he book 'The Computer and the Brain' - it is speculative in nature
but he discusses similarities and differences between brains and computers of his day.

It is this man that is among the main individuals credited with the architecture 
(named after him) of the 'stored program computer', which was the precursor of our
modern CPUs.

Note: There are other CPU manufacturers like ARM, IBM, VIA, MCST, ELVEES, SRISA, NTC 
Module and Sun Microsystems but their CPUs usually have more specific uses (for example 
in mobile phones, cars, game consoles or in the military).

Some newer processors have ____________ _______. This means that they have many processors
built onto the same chip so that they can run many instructions at once.

1. Read data from memory and write data to memory.
2. Add one number with another.
3. Test to see if one number is bigger than another.
4. Move a number from one place to another (for example, 
from one register to another or between a register and memory).
5. Jump to another place in the instruction list.
6. Jump to another place in the instruction list but only if some test is 
true (for example, only if one number is bigger than another).
7. Allow programmers to program directly in Python or Java onto the CPU to 
carry out tasks

Even very complicated programs can be made by combining many simple 
instructions like these.

There are mainly two different types of CPUs used in modern desktop systems: 
___-bit CPUs and ___-bit CPUs. 

The instructions in a 32-bit CPU are good at handling data that is 32 bits 
in size (most instructions 'think' in 32 bits in a 32-bit CPU). Likewise, a 
64-bit CPU. 

The size of data that a CPU handles best is often called the word size of the CPU. 

Many older CPUs from the 70s, 80s and early 90s and some modern small CPUs) have 
an 8-bit or 16-bit word size.

washing	machines 
microwaves 
televisions 
set-top boxes 
central heating systems 
cameras 
DVD players

Electronics began with the development of the transistor in the 1950s. Transistors are 
tiny electronic switches and amplifiers. Several thousand transistors can be put on a 
piece of silicon with a surface area of just one square mm.

A modern CPU that would fit in the palm of your hand can contain in excess of 2 billion 
transistors!