Central Processing Unit (Cpu)
| A central processing unit (CPU) is the electronic circuitry within a computer that carries out the instructions of a computer program by performing the basic arithmetic, logic, controlling, and input/output (I/O) operations specified by the instructions. The computer program that tells the CPU what to do is called the instruction set. The term has been in use in the computer industry at least since the early 1960s. The CPU is sometimes called the brain of the computer, and that analogy isn't far off. Just as the human brain can interpret and execute the instructions of the body, the CPU interprets and executes the instructions of a computer program. The analogy isn't perfect, however. The brain is also responsible for a person's consciousness, while the CPU is only a machine. The first electronic computers, such as the ENIAC, used vacuum tubes and were very large, expensive, and power-hungry. Today's CPUs, which are made of silicon, are about the size of a fingernail and can execute billions of instructions per second. CPUs are found in almost all computers, including desktop, laptop, and tablet computers, as well as smartphones. They are also found in many other electronic devices, such as automobiles, televisions, and industrial robots. |
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