Programmemória

Programmemória, also known as program memory or instruction memory, is a fundamental component of a computer system's architecture. It is a type of computer memory that stores the instructions that a CPU needs to execute. These instructions are the commands that tell the processor what operations to perform, in what order, and with what data. Programmemória is distinct from data memory, which stores the actual data that the program operates on.

When a computer starts up, the initial instructions are loaded from non-volatile storage, such as a hard drive or SSD, into programmemória, often RAM (Random Access Memory). The CPU then fetches these instructions one by one from programmemória, decodes them, and executes them. This continuous cycle of fetching, decoding, and executing is the core of how any program runs. The size and speed of programmemória directly impact the performance of a computer, as a larger and faster programmemória allows for more complex programs to be loaded and executed more quickly. While traditionally associated with RAM, modern systems may also utilize cache memory, which is a smaller, faster form of memory located closer to the CPU, to store frequently accessed program instructions, further accelerating execution. The concept of programmemória is universal across most computing devices, from personal computers to embedded systems.