Q. What do you mean by instruction cycle?

We have considered the instruction execution in previous section. Now let's consider more about different types of instruction execution.

What are the different types of operations which can be required by computer for execution of instruction? Following are probable steps:

So in general execution cycle for a individual instruction can involve more than one phase and memory references and an instruction might ask for an I/O operation. Determining the steps above let's work out a more comprehensive view of instruction cycle. Figure below gives an illustration of an instruction cycle.