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IO Controllers

I/O controllers interface between external devices and internal computer components like the CPU and memory. They translate requests between the processor and devices, handle addressing, buffering, error handling and controlling complex operations across multiple devices.

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Puneet Patil
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331 views

IO Controllers

I/O controllers interface between external devices and internal computer components like the CPU and memory. They translate requests between the processor and devices, handle addressing, buffering, error handling and controlling complex operations across multiple devices.

Uploaded by

Puneet Patil
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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I/O Controllers

Internal & External

I/O Controllers
COMP375 Computer Architecture g and Organization

The CPU, memory and bus are internal components t of f a computer. t Everything else is an input or output device.

I/O Devices
Disk Keyboard hard Speakers floppy Printer CD Mouse DVD Scanner Monitor Game controller Network USB drive Many, many more

Device Speed

graphic from Stallings textbook

COMP375

I/O Controllers

Many Different Devices


I/O devices differ in
Speed Granularity Control

Basic Computer Components


I/O Device

CPU cache I/O Controller

I/O controllers interface between the many different devices and the internal system components; CPU, memory and bus

Bus Memory

Basic Computer Components


I/O Devices I/O Device

Processors View Of I/O


A processor does not access external d i devices di directly. tl Instead, the processor uses a programming interface to pass requests to an I/O controller, which translates the requests into the appropriate external signals.

CPU cache I/O Controller I/O Controller

Bus Memory

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I/O Controllers

I/O Controller
Connects the I/O devices to the system. Communicates with the CPU and the RAM over the bus. A single I/O controller may control multiple devices. Most computers have several I/O controllers. Actions are initiated by the CPU.

I/O Controller Functionality


Interface translation
connection, voltage protocol clocking

Addressing Multiplexing Buffering Error detection and correction Control of multiple steps

How many I/O controllers do most computers have?


20% 20% 20% 20% 20%

I/O Addressing
The CPU communicates with the I/O controllers over the bus using the same f t h and fetch d store t protocol t l as memory. Each I/O controller has a unique address, possibly several addresses. I/O addresses can be
independent of memory addresses in the same as memory, but not overlapping with memory. This is memory mapped I/O.

fo r

ea ch

COMP375

fo r

fo r

1. 2. 3 3. 4. 5.

1 3 1 for each device 1 for each type of device 3 for each device

ea ch

ty pe

of de vi ce ea ch de vi ce

de vi ce

I/O Controllers

I/O Address Range


Some system have a separate address space for f program data d t and d instructions i t ti and another address space for I/O devices

Memory Mapped I/O


Some systems use the same address space for f memory and d I/O devices. d i

Control And Status Registers


An I/O controller addresses provide
Data transfer Control
Device address Read or Write or other operation

Example I/O
checkio LOAD AND JZ LOAD STORE DeviceStatus IOreadyBit DeviceData R1, DeviceStatus R1 IOreadyBit R1, checkio R2, databyte R2, DeviceData addr of I/O status register bit indicating device ready addr of I/O data register

Status
Device ready Operation complete

Respond to fetch or store operation

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I/O Controllers

Buffering
Some I/O controllers store and analyze incoming data in controller memory. An Ethernet controller will receive the data into local memory on the controller card. The data will only be transferred to RAM if it was received correctly and has the machines address. address Controllers may perform many transformations on the data.

Compared to the speed of the bus, most I/O devices are


25% 25% 25% 25%

1. 2. 3. 4.

Faster Slower Same speed None of the above


N on e of th e ab ov e S am e sp ee d F as te r S lo w er

Latency And Throughput


The latency of an interface is a measure of f the th time ti required i dt to perform f a transfer. t f The throughput of an interface is a measure of the data that can be transferred per unit time.

Multiple Step Control


Operating a device may involve many separate t steps. t An A I/O controller t ll can specify the individual steps to a device to carry out a function specified by the CPU. The controller can detect errors in the operation of a device. It may also attempt to recover from errors.

D. Comer

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I/O Controllers

Dumb Controller Example


Processor performs all the work Example of interaction
Processor starts the disk spinning Disk interrupts when it reaches full speed Processor starts disk arm moving to the desired location Disk Di k i interrupts t t when h arm i is i in position iti Processor starts a read operation to transfer data to memory Disk interrupts when the transfer completes
D. Comer

Smart Controller Example


Device contains embedded processor Offloads work from CPU Allows each device to operate independently Improves I/O and CPU performance Smart Device Example
Processor requests a read operation by specifying if i the th location l ti on th the di disk k and d the th location in memory Disk performs all steps of the operation and interrupts when the operation completes

Direct Memory Access (DMA)


Important optimization Needed for high-speed I/O Device moves data across the bus to and from memory without using processor Requires smart controller

Buffer Chaining
Handles multiple transfers without the processor Device given linked list of buffers Device hardware uses next buffer on list automatically

D. Comer D. Comer

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I/O Controllers

Scatter Read and Gather Write


Special case of buffer chaining Large data transfer formed from separate blocks Example: to write a network packet, combine packet header from buffer 1 and packet data from buffer 2 Eliminates application program from copying data into single, large buffer

Operation Chaining
Further optimization for smart device Processor gives series of commands to device, sometimes called a channel program Device carries out successive commands automatically

D. Comer

COMP375

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