Types and Functions of Computer Registers
1. Data Register
The data register is a 16 bit register it used to temporarily store the operands (variables) that need to be operated on by the processor. It acts as a temporary holding area for the data that being transmitted to or received from the peripheral devices like the printers or keyboards.
2. Program Counter (PC) Register
The program counter (PC) register holds the memory address of a next instruction that needs to be fetched and then executed after the current instruction completes. Its role is to maintain the proper sequence of the path for the executing different program instructions one by one.
3. Instruction Register
The instruction register is another 16-bit register that stores the current instruction code that has been fetched from the main memory. The control unit takes this instruction from the register, decodes what operation it is, and executes it accordingly.
4. Accumulator (AC) Register
The accumulator (AC) register, 16 bits in size, is used to store the result produced by the CPU after carrying out arithmetic or logical operations. Any final output data generated by the system is stored here.
5. Address Register
The address register is a 12-bit register that stores the specific address location in the memory where a particular instruction or data is residing. The CPU uses this address to fetch or store instructions/data from/to the memory.
6. I/O Address Register
The I/O address register specifies the unique address associated with a particular input/output device that the CPU wants to communicate or interact with, such as a mouse, printer, etc.
7. I/O Buffer Register
The I/O buffer register acts as a temporary buffer to exchange or hold data that is being transferred between an I/O module (like a USB port) and the CPU before or after processing.
What is Register Memory?
Register memory is a type of computer memory that consists of a small set of storage locations within the central processing unit (CPU) itself. These storage locations, known as registers, are used to store data temporarily during the execution of a program. More and bigger registers allow faster CPU operation. Different register types like accumulators, data registers, and address registers serve different purposes for the CPU.
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