Instruction set facts for kids
An instruction set is like the special language a computer's brain, called the CPU, understands. It's a complete list of all the commands, or "instructions," that the CPU can do. Think of it as the vocabulary and grammar a computer uses to follow directions.
These instructions tell the computer to do many different things, such as:
- Arithmetic operations, like adding numbers together (add) or taking them away (subtract).
- Logic operations, which help the computer make decisions, like checking if something is true (and, or, not).
- Data operations, which involve moving information around, like bringing data into the computer (input), sending it out (output), getting it from memory (load), or saving it (store).
- Control flow operations, which tell the computer what to do next, like jumping to a different part of a program (goto) or calling a special set of instructions (call).
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Instruction Set vs. Microarchitecture
It's important to know the difference between an instruction set and something called microarchitecture.
What is an Instruction Set?
An instruction set is the part of a computer's design that relates to programming. It includes a specific set of opcodes, which are like secret codes for each command. These opcodes are the native commands built directly into a particular CPU design.
What is Microarchitecture?
Microarchitecture is the detailed plan of how all the parts inside a computer system are built. It describes how they connect and work together to carry out the instructions from the instruction set. It's like the blueprint of the computer's inner workings.
Sharing Instruction Sets
Computers can have very different internal designs (microarchitectures) but still understand the same instruction set. For example, the Intel Pentium and the AMD Athlon are two different types of CPUs. They have unique internal designs, but they both use almost the same version of the x86 instruction set. This means they can both run the same software, even though they are built differently inside.
Related Computer Designs
- CISC: A type of computer that uses many complex instructions.
- RISC: A type of computer that uses a smaller, simpler set of instructions.
- VLIW: A design where one instruction can tell the computer to do many things at once.
- MISC: A computer with a very small number of instructions.
Other Important Computer Parts
