Processor logs: what it is and how it works

The records of a processor is a question that assails many, so we have dedicated a space to explain it in detail.

The registers are very useful for the operation of a processor because they help it, guiding it on where to send the processed data. Since we know that it is something abstract that is not easy to explain, we have explained it in an understandable way below.

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Index of contents

What are they? What do they work for?

The registers are inside each microprocessor and their function is to store the data values , commands, instructions or binary states that order what data should be processed, such as how it should be done. A register is still a high-speed memory with little capacity.

Each record can contain an instruction, a storage address or any type of data. In a processor we find spaces with a capacity ranging from 4 to 64 bits because each register must be large enough to contain an instruction. In the case of a 64-bit computer, each record has a 64-bit size.

Each microprocessor has various tasks or duties to process information. It receives the information in binary language from the applications (zeros and ones), and then processes them in a certain way. Let's say the CPU translates that data so that we, the users, understand it.

Inside a microprocessor we find the information record , whose function is to temporarily store the data that is frequently accessed.

Record types

The processor registers are divided or classified according to the purpose they serve or the instructions they command.

Data records

They store numeric data values , such as characters or small orders. The old processors had a special data register: the accumulator, which was used for certain operations.

Memory Data Record ( MDR )

It is the one to which we referred before, it is a register that is in the processor and that is connected to the data bus. It has little capacity and a high speed by which it writes or reads the data of the bus that are directed to the memory or to the I / O port, that is, a peripheral.

Address records

They store addresses that are used to access the main or primary memory , which we usually know as ROM or RAM. In this sense, we can see processors with registers that are used only to save addresses or numerical values.

General purpose registers ( GPRs )

They are registers that serve to store addresses or general data. It is a kind of mixed registers that, as its own indicates, do not have a specific function.

Specific Purpose Records ( SPRs )

On this occasion, we are dealing with registers that store system state data, such as the state register or the instruction pointer . They can be combined with the PSW ( Program Status Word ).

Status records

They are used to save real values ​​whose function is to determine when an instruction should be executed or not. Also known as CCR ( Condition Code Register) . Within this type of records, we find the following:

• Registration of flag or " FLAGS ". We find it in Intel processors with X86 architecture . We are facing a register with 16 bits wide. But, it has 2 successors:
  • EFLAGS, 32 bits wide. RFLAGS, 64 bits wide.

Floating point records

First, we should explain what a floating point is. The floating point is a representation, in the form of a formula, of real numbers of different sizes used to perform arithmetic operations. We will meet it in systems that require very fast processing systems.

Therefore, these registers keep these representations in many architectures.

Constant records

Its purpose is to save read-only values ​​such as zero, one or π.

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So far our explanation of what processor registers are. We know that it can be something complex to understand, so do not hesitate to ask us or complement this information with your wisdom.