Question

A \( m \)-bit microprocessor has a \( m \)-bit:

• A. flag register
• B. instruction register
• C. data register
• D. program counter

Hint:

Bit-width of a processor matches its data register width.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

A microprocessor typically consists of several types of registers, each serving a specific purpose:

• Flag Register: Stores flags that are set or cleared by the microprocessor based on the results of operations. Flags might include zero, carry, overflow, and negative flags, which are used for conditional branching and logical operations.
• Instruction Register: Holds the instruction currently being executed or decoded by the control unit.
• Data Register: Temporarily stores data that is being transferred to or from memory or processed by the arithmetic or logical units. In a \( m \)-bit microprocessor, this register typically matches the word size of the processor, allowing it to handle \( m \)-bit data operations.
• Program Counter: Keeps track of the microprocessor's position in the instruction sequence by holding the address of the next instruction to be executed.

Given that the microprocessor is \( m \)-bit in size, the component that directly handles bit-sized data temporarily within the processor's architecture is the data register. Therefore, the correct answer is:

data register