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Microprogrammed Control and Pipelining Hazards

The document discusses the Microprogrammed Control Unit (MCU), which generates control signals through microinstructions stored in control memory, highlighting its components, working steps, types, advantages, and disadvantages. It also covers pipelining as a performance enhancement technique for CPUs, detailing its stages, performance metrics, types of hazards, and solutions to mitigate these hazards. Key points emphasize that while pipelining increases throughput, hazards can reduce efficiency, and ideal speedup is rarely achieved in practice.

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Padhma Vinodhini
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6 views2 pages

Microprogrammed Control and Pipelining Hazards

The document discusses the Microprogrammed Control Unit (MCU), which generates control signals through microinstructions stored in control memory, highlighting its components, working steps, types, advantages, and disadvantages. It also covers pipelining as a performance enhancement technique for CPUs, detailing its stages, performance metrics, types of hazards, and solutions to mitigate these hazards. Key points emphasize that while pipelining increases throughput, hazards can reduce efficiency, and ideal speedup is rarely achieved in practice.

Uploaded by

Padhma Vinodhini
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Microprogrammed Control Unit and Pipelining with Hazards

1. Microprogrammed Control Unit


A Microprogrammed Control Unit (MCU) generates control signals using a sequence of
microinstructions stored in a special memory called control memory. Each microinstruction
defines a set of micro-operations to be executed.

Components:
• Control Memory (stores microinstructions)
• Control Address Register (CAR)
• Control Data Register (CDR)
• Sequencing Logic
• Control Signal Generator

Working Steps:
1. Fetch Microinstruction – Retrieved from Control Memory using CAR.
2. Decode Microinstruction – Converted to control signals.
3. Execute Micro-operations – Signals activate data transfers or ALU actions.
4. Next Address Generation – Determines address of next microinstruction.

Types of Microinstructions:
• Horizontal Microinstructions – Direct control signals, fast but wide memory words.
• Vertical Microinstructions – Encoded format, compact but slower.

Comparison with Hardwired Control:


Feature Hardwired Control Microprogrammed Control

Implementation Fixed Logic Stored Microinstructions

Speed Fast Slower

Flexibility Difficult to Modify Easily Modified

Use RISC CISC

Advantages:
• Easy to modify
• Simpler to design
• Supports complex instruction sets
Disadvantages:
• Slower performance
• Requires more memory
2. Pipelining and Hazards
Pipelining is a technique that improves CPU performance by overlapping execution of
multiple instructions. It divides instruction execution into stages such as IF, ID, EX, MEM,
and WB.

Pipeline Stages:
1. IF – Instruction Fetch
2. ID – Instruction Decode
3. EX – Execute
4. MEM – Memory Access
5. WB – Write Back

Pipeline Performance:
Speedup = Time without pipeline / Time with pipeline
Ideal Speedup = Number of stages

Types of Hazards:
• Structural Hazard: When multiple stages need the same resource (e.g., memory).

• Data Hazard: When one instruction depends on the result of a previous one.

• Control Hazard: When the pipeline makes wrong decisions on branch instructions.

Data Hazard Types:


• RAW (Read After Write)
• WAR (Write After Read)
• WAW (Write After Write)

Hazard Solutions:
• Structural: Duplicate hardware or use separate instruction/data memory.
• Data: Forwarding, pipeline stalls, or compiler scheduling.
• Control: Branch prediction, delayed branch, or pipeline flushing.

Key Points:
• Pipelining increases throughput, not latency.
• Hazards reduce pipeline efficiency.
• Ideal speedup = number of stages (rare in practice).

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