Which component is responsible for managing communication between the CPU and other devices?

The control bus is responsible for managing communication between the CPU and other devices within a computer system. It carries control signals that direct the operation of the CPU and the various components connected to it, including memory and input/output devices. Through these signals, the control bus enables the CPU to coordinate activities, such as when to send or receive data along the data bus, or to establish memory addresses using the address bus.

In contrast, the address bus is primarily concerned with transferring memory addresses and does not manage communication protocols or signals. The data bus facilitates the transfer of actual data between the CPU, memory, and other peripherals, but it does not handle the control signals necessary for coordinating these transactions. RAM, or random access memory, serves as the computer's temporary data storage but does not manage communication between devices; rather, it is a destination for data being processed by the CPU. Thus, the control bus plays a pivotal role in orchestrating communication within the system.