CISC

E637384

CISC (Complex Instruction Set Computer) is a type of computer architecture characterized by a large, rich set of instructions that can execute complex operations in a single command, often used to enhance code density and ease of programming.

All labels observed (2)

Label Occurrences
CISC canonical 5
Complex Instruction Set Computer 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf computer architecture ⓘ
instruction set architecture ⓘ
aimsTo improve code density ⓘ
reduce number of instructions per program ⓘ
simplify assembly language programming ⓘ
canProvide better code density than RISC ⓘ
shorter programs in assembly ⓘ
characterizedBy complex instructions ⓘ
high code density ⓘ
instructions that perform multi-step operations ⓘ
large instruction set ⓘ
microcoded control ⓘ
support for complex addressing modes ⓘ
variable-length instructions ⓘ
comparedTo Reduced Instruction Set Computer ⓘ
linked to: RISC architecture
contrastedWith RISC ⓘ
linked to: RISC architecture
designPhilosophy fewer instructions per program ⓘ
hardware handles complex operations ⓘ
emergedIn 1970s ⓘ
exampleArchitecture Motorola 68000 ⓘ
System/360 ⓘ
linked to: IBM System/360
exampleArchitecture VAX ⓘ
x86 ⓘ
fullName Complex Instruction Set Computer ⓘ
linked to: CISC
hasAcronym CISC ⓘ
historicallyUsedIn early microprocessors ⓘ
mainframe computers ⓘ
minicomputers ⓘ
influencedBy microprogramming techniques ⓘ
mayInclude complex arithmetic instructions ⓘ
instructions for procedure calls ⓘ
stack-oriented instructions ⓘ
string manipulation instructions ⓘ
oftenImplements instructions via microcode ⓘ
optimizationFocus minimizing memory usage ⓘ
supporting rich instruction semantics ⓘ
supports complex memory access patterns ⓘ
high-level language constructs in hardware ⓘ
tradeOff more complex hardware ⓘ
more complex instruction decoding logic ⓘ
potentially lower clock speeds in early designs ⓘ
typicallyHas complex instruction decoding ⓘ
instructions with multiple cycles ⓘ
many addressing modes ⓘ
usedFor desktop processors ⓘ
general-purpose computing ⓘ
server processors ⓘ
wasDominantIn 1980s ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (6)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

VAX → architectureType → CISC ⓘ
ND-100 → architectureType → CISC ⓘ
CISC → fullName → Complex Instruction Set Computer ⓘ
linked to: CISC
CISC → hasAcronym → CISC ⓘ