ohjelmakierto

Ohjelmakierto, often translated as program loop or execution cycle, refers to the fundamental process by which a computer executes a program. It is the continuous, repetitive sequence of operations that a processor performs to run software. The basic cycle consists of three main stages: fetch, decode, and execute.

In the fetch stage, the processor retrieves the next instruction from memory. The instruction's address is typically stored in a special register called the program counter. Once fetched, the instruction is sent to the instruction decoder.

The decode stage interprets the instruction to understand what operation needs to be performed and what data, if any, is involved. This involves identifying the opcode and any operands.

Finally, the execute stage carries out the decoded instruction. This could involve arithmetic or logical operations, data movement between registers and memory, or control flow changes like branching to a different part of the program. After execution, the program counter is updated to point to the next instruction, and the cycle repeats. This fetch-decode-execute cycle forms the heartbeat of all computer programs.