What is the difference between vector and scalar processors?

The part of the computer that allows it to function is guided by various programs, is the central processing unit (CPU). CPU, also called processor, will receive program instructions; decodes these instructions and divides them into individual parts; performs these instructions; And reports the results and writes them back in memory. The format for this processor comes in one of the two primary types: vector and scalar. The difference between the two is that scalar processors only work at one data point at a time, while vector processors work on a series of data.

scalar processors are the most basic type of processor. These processing at once processes one item, usually integers or numbers with a movable point, which are too large or small to be represented by integers. Since each instruction is processed gradually, the basic processing of the scalar processing may take some time. Most modern computers use the type of scalar processor.

napRector processors work a number of data points. This means that rather than handling each item individually, more items that have all the same instructions can be processed at the same time. This can save time from scalar processing, but also adds the complexity of the system that can slow down other functions. The processing of the vector works best when a large amount of data is processed whose groups can be processed with one instruction.

vector and scalar processors also differ in their start -up times. The vector processor often requires a prolonged start of the computer because more tasks are performed. Scalar processors start with a much shorter time because only individual tasks are performed.

Supercalar Processor takes elements of each type and combines them for even faster processing. Using parallelism at the instructions level, Supercalar Processing can perform moreOperations at the same time. This allows the CPU to function much faster than the basic scalar processor without further complexity and other limitation of the vector processor. However, there may be problems with this type of processor because they must determine which tasks can be performed in parallel and which are first dependent on other tasks.

vector and scalar processors are still used daily. For example, some video game consoles use a combination of vector and scalar processors. When solving multimedia tasks in which one instruction can solve a large amount of data needed for video and sound, it is considered to be a promising vector processing.