Electronic – How are registers implemented in microprocessors

cpudigital-logic

A register is a temporary storage facility within the CPU that holds data for computation purposes.

What I question is how this is structured via engineering principles within the circuity:

1.I had first thought that all information held electrostatically was implemented in capacitors. Am I right or am I wrong within the context of CPU data storage?

2.I also had thought that maybe a logic gate can loop data until appropriate action/machine code changed the flow of logic/data within the circuit to take appropriate action from memory. Yes?

3.Last I can think is that the data enters the CPU from RAM in correct format, is parsed by the CPU's microsequencing circuity, and enters an electrolytic capacitor within a motor capacitor.

Do I have it right, or please correct me.

Best Answer

Option 2. Here is the most basic gate-based semiconductor memory, the R-S flip flop:

R-S flip flop

When either R or S is triggered, the feedback loop causes the system to maintain its state until the other input is triggered. As such, it is capable of storing a single bit. Static memories (of which registers are just small slices of) are composed of arrays of thousands to millions of similar circuits.

Dynamic memories, OTOH, do use capacitors to store bits. Since the capacitors are very leaky they must be refreshed very often, and this leads to higher power consumption and lower access speeds than with static memories. This is balanced by much higher density, since the circuitry is much simpler.

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