Nov 30, 2018 · The main difference between stack pointer and program counter is that the stack pointer is a register that stores the address of the last program request in a stack while the program counter is a register that stores the address of …

Sep 11, 2023 · Program Counter (PC): It is a register that points to the address of the next instruction that is going to be executed in the program. Address Register (AR): This register points at the collection of data and is used during the execute phase to read an operand.

These are two special purpose registers each of 16 bit width. 1. Stack Pointer (SP) 2. Program Counter (PC) SP is special purpose 16 bit register. It contains a memory address. Suppose SP...

SP is stack pointer. The stack is generally used to hold "automatic" variables and context/parameters across function calls. Conceptually you can think of the "stack" as a place where you "pile" your data. You keep "stacking" one piece of data over the other and the stack pointer tells you how "high" your "stack" of data is.

Oct 25, 2023 · What is Program Counter? There is a register in a PC (program counter) processor that contains the address of the next instruction to be executed from memory. It is a 16-bit register and is also called instruction counter, instruction pointer, and instruction address register (IAR).

Dec 24, 2012 · The program counter tells the CPU where it is. The stack is used to (amongst other things) keep a record of where it has been. If a function is called, that function needs to know where to return to once it has finished.

The Stack Pointer register will hold the address of the top location of the stack. And the program counter is a register always it will hold the address of the memory location from where the next instruction for execution will have to be fetched.

May 21, 2024 · Unlike the Program Counter; the Stack Pointer can count both up and down. The “stack” itself is a portion of memory used for storing temporary data like function call return addresses, and local variables.

Aug 20, 2018 · Program is code. Stack is data. Just like program counter points at the current instruction, stack pointer points at the top of the stack. Both are heavily used, both do their own thing.

May 11, 2025 · There are several key differences between Program Counter (PC) and Stack Pointer in C. Some main differences are as follows: It keeps tabs on the stack's top. It refers to the instruction memory, or code segment. It relates to the data memory (stack) segment. Updated while the sequential or jump instructions are being executed.