CPU performance and embedded systems
Three things that affect performance
- Clock speed: cycles per second, in hertz. 3.2 GHz is 3 200 000 000 cycles a second. A faster clock means more instructions a second, but more heat.
- Cores: each core is a separate processor. Several cores can work on different tasks at once, but a program only speeds up if its work can be split, and cores share memory and cache.
- Cache: the bigger the cache, the more often the CPU finds what it needs there instead of waiting for slower RAM.
time = number of cycles ÷ cycles per second
Embedded systems
An embedded system is a computer built into a larger device to do one dedicated job: a washing machine's controller, a thermostat, a car's engine management, a microwave.
- It runs one fixed program, often from ROM.
- It is small, cheap, low-power and reliable because it only needs enough hardware for its task.
A laptop or a phone is general purpose: it runs whatever software the user installs.
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