Subject
Computer Science
Topic
Computer Hardware
What is the purpose of the 'Program Counter' (PC) register in a CPU?
What is the purpose of the 'Program Counter' (PC) register in a CPU?
a)
To count the number of programs currently running.b)
To hold the memory address of the next instruction to be fetched and executed.c)
To store the result of the last arithmetic operation.d)
To store the currently executing instruction.Explanation
The Program Counter is a fundamental part of the CPU's control unit. After an instruction is fetched, the PC is automatically incremented to point to the next sequential instruction in memory. In the case of a jump or branch instruction, the PC is updated with the target address.Related questions
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