instruction cycle (redirected from Computer cycle)

instruction cycle

The fundamental sequence of steps that a CPU performs. Also known as the "fetch-execute cycle," it is the time in which a single instruction is fetched from memory, decoded and executed. The first half of the cycle transfers the instruction from memory to the instruction register and decodes it. The second half executes the instruction.

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instruction cycle [in′strək·shən ‚sī·kəl]

(computer science)

The steps involved in carrying out an instruction.