computer organization

Could you explain to me in d开发者_Go百科etail what a "Clock Cycle" is?

Clock cycle, is a duration of a single, complete transition of a device clock. Essentially, digital electronic is synchronous, i.e., there is a central source of timing commands synchronizing all elements of a processor to occur simultaneously.

It is similar to the officer leading a brigade of infantry, ordering them to shout "left" every time they put their left foot forward - this way, soldiers don't stumble into each other.

A computer has a device fulfilling a similar purpose - it synchronizes the different portions of a processor, for instance, memory access units, arithmetic units, etc. It has a direct impact on the speed of the computer - it synchronizes the execution of sequences of operations, that together result in the speed of execution of a software program.