22.6. Efficiency of Micro-program Control

Try these first

1. 1.

   What is the primary function of the micro-program counter?

   Hint

   Think about what a counter does in a sequence.

2. 2.

   What does a control function field contain?

   Hint

   Consider what acts as 'commands' in instruction flow.

3. 3.

   What is an essential component in micro-program control responsible for managing signal flow?

   • Instruction Register
   • Micro-program Counter
   • Data Register

   Hint

   Think about what part of a system keeps track of locations.

4. 4.

   True or False: Horizontal micro-program control is memory efficient.

   • True
   • False

   Hint

   Remember the definition of 'sparse' memory.

5. 5.

   Design a micro-program control sequence that fetches an instruction, checks a condition, and decides whether to jump or increment the address based on that condition. Describe each step clearly.

   Hint

   Outline the sequence step by step, considering the signals to be activated.

6. 6.

   Using a horizontal micro-program control, calculate the efficiency of memory usage when managing 32 control signals if 20% of the bits are utilized.

   Hint

   Consider how many bits are actually in use versus what is available.