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Chapter 1 Introduction

This document discusses computer organization and architecture. It describes how a computer is organized into four main components: the central processing unit (CPU), main memory, input/output (I/O) subsystem, and the system interconnection. The CPU processes data, main memory stores data and instructions, the I/O subsystem moves data between the computer and external devices, and the system interconnection provides communication between the components using a system bus and interfaces. Understanding computer organization and architecture is important for professionals, allowing them to understand how hardware components work together and to select efficient computer systems.

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Daniel Bakunzi
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57 views6 pages

Chapter 1 Introduction

This document discusses computer organization and architecture. It describes how a computer is organized into four main components: the central processing unit (CPU), main memory, input/output (I/O) subsystem, and the system interconnection. The CPU processes data, main memory stores data and instructions, the I/O subsystem moves data between the computer and external devices, and the system interconnection provides communication between the components using a system bus and interfaces. Understanding computer organization and architecture is important for professionals, allowing them to understand how hardware components work together and to select efficient computer systems.

Uploaded by

Daniel Bakunzi
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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COMPUTER ORGANIZATION AND

ARCHITECTURE
Introduction
The course is about the structure and functions of the computer. It
presents the nature and characteristics of modern day computers. This
is a challenging task because:
1. There are so many products from single chip microcomputers to
supercomputers.
2. The rapid pace of change that has always characterized computer
technology continues.
However certain fundamental concepts apply consistently.

Although computers have varying sizes, capabilities, and cost, they


share many characteristics and operating principles. The course
describes general principles of computer architecture that apply to
computers of any category.

ORGANISATION AND ARCHITECURE


Computer architecture is concerned with the structure and behaviour
of the various functional modules of the computer and how they interact
to provide the processing needs of the user. It mainly refers to those
attributes of the system that are visible to the computer user and the
attributes that have a direct impact on the execution of a program.
Architectural attributes include the instruction set, the number of bits
used, I/O mechanisms, techniques for addressing etc.

Computer organisation is concerned with the way the hardware


components are connected together to form a computer system.
Organisational attributes include hardware details visible to the user e.g.
the interfaces, memory technology etc.
N.B. A number of manufacturers offer many different computer models
(organizations) but all having the same architecture and thus differing in
costs.

Computer design is concerned with the development of the hardware


for the computer taking into consideration a given set of specifications.

WHY STUDY COMPUTER ORGANIZATION AND ARCHITECTURE


To be a professional in any field of computing one should not regard a
computer as a black box that executes programs by magic. Students
need to understand the computer’s functional components, their
characteristics, their performance and their interactions.
Students need to understand computer architecture in order to structure
their programs so that they run more efficiently on a real machine e.g. in
selecting a system to use they should be able to understand the
tradeoffs among various components such as CPU clock speed vs
memory size.
A graduate may be required to select the most cost effective computer
for use in an organization.
Computer architecture concepts are needed in other courses e.g. how a
computer provides architectural support for programming languages and
how operating system facilities reinforce concepts in those areas.

Computer Functions
The basic requirements of the computer are to:
• Process data
• Store data
OPERATING ENVIRONMENT
(Source and Destination of data)

Data
movement
apparatus

Control
Mechanism

Data
Storage Data
Facility Processing
Facility

• Move the data between the different computer components and


the external world; i.e, I/O functions (data received from or
delivered to a device) and data communication functions ( when
data is moved lo longer distances)
• To control all the above operations

Computer structure
There are mainly four structural components
1. Central Processing Unit:

• Decode the instructions and use them to control the activities


within the system
• It also performs the arithmetic( + , -, /, *) and logical
(>,>=,<,<=, =, =!) computations.  (Data processing)
2. Main Memory:

Stores data and instructions that are currently being used.


Interface Memory Module

Microprocessor Bus Control


(CPU) Logic
Interface Memory Module

System Bus
Interface Mass Storage
Device I/O
Subsystem

Interface I/O Devices

3. I/O Subsystem:
Moves data between the computer and external environment. It
consists of a variety of devices for communicating with the external
world and for storing large quantities of information.

4. System Interconnection:

Mechanism to provide communication between the CPU, memory


and the I/O sub system. It consists of the System Bus and the
Interfaces
System Bus.
A set of conductors that connect the CPU to its memory and I/O
devices. The bus conductors are normally separated into 3 groups:
• The Data Lines: for transmitting information
• Address Lines: Indicate where information is to come from or
where it is to be placed.
• Control Lines: To regulate the activities on the bus.
Interfaces
Circuitry needed to connect the bus to a device. Memory interfaces
consist of logic
• Needed to decode the address of the memory location being
accessed.
• Buffer data onto/off the bus.
Contain circuitry to perform memory reads or write.

I/O interfaces must


• Buffer data onto/off the system bus
• Receive commands from the CPU
• Transmit information from their devices to the CPU.

There may be one or more of each of the aforementioned components where we


have the Single Bus Architecture or Multiprocessing.
(i) The single bus / processor architecture which has only
one processing element and all the other components are
connected to a single link (the System Bus )
Microprocessor
(CPU)

Bus Control Logic

Interface Interface Interface


Interface

Main Memory Mass Storage


I/O Devices I/O Devices

(ii) The Multiprocessing System which has several


processing elements surrounded by different subsystems and a
central link (the system bus) connecting the different subsystems
together.

Memory Mass I/O Memory Mass I/O


Storage Devices Storage Devices

Local Bus Local Bus

Processing Processing
Element Element
System Bus

Shared Shared Mass Shared I/O


memory Storage Devices

The links in the subsystems are called local buses. Each subsystem
can operate as an independent computer but can take advantage of the
shared resources. The shared main memory can be used for passing
information between subsystems and the shared mass storage can be
used to store large programs and large quantities of data that are
needed by more than one subsystem.
The competition for the shared resources by the different elements is
called contention.

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