Multiple choice

Which of these resides in special high-speed memory and translates machine instructions into sequences of detailed circuit-level operations?

  1. Opcode

  2. Assembler

  3. Microcode

  4. Memory controller

  5. Scheduler
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Microcode is a layer of hardware-level instructions or data structures involved in the implementation of higher level machine code instructions in central processing units, and in the implementation of the internal logic of many channel controllers, disk controllers, network interface controllers, network processors, graphics processing units, and other hardware. It resides in special high-speed memory and translates machine instructions into sequences of detailed circuit-level operations. It helps separate the machine instructions from the underlying electronics so that instructions can be designed and altered more freely.

Keep practicing — related questions