TOPIC 1:

INTRODUCTION TO
BASIC COMPUTER
ARCHITECTURE
TCS1063: COMPUTER ORGANIZATION &
ARCHITECTURE

1
 Architecture And Organization

Computer Architecture
• Computer Architecture refers to attributes of a
system that visible to a programmer, or those
attributes that have a direct impact on the logical
execution of a program
• Examples  Instruction sets, number of bits, I/O
mechanism and techniques of addressing memory

2
 Computer Organization
• Computer Organization refers to the operational
units and their interconnections that realize the
architectural specifications
• Hardware details transparent to the programmer 
control signals, interfaces between the computer
and peripherals, and the memory technology used

3
 • The operation of
each individual
component

Functions

Structure

• The way in
which
components are
interrelated

4
 Able to process data into a
Data processing variety of form
Function Of A Computer
Able to store data, in a short
Data storage term or a long term data
storage function

Able to move data between

Data movement itself and the outside world

Control of the 3 functions by

Control the individual(s) who provides
the computer with instructions

5
 • Refers to the internal structure
Structure of the computer itself

6
• Main structural components:

Central Processing Unit (CPU) Main Memory

• Controls the operation of the • Stores data
computer and performs its data
processing functions

I/O System Interconnection

• Moves data between the computer • Mechanism that provides for
and its external environment communication among CPU, main
memory, and I/O
7
• Structural components of CPU are:

Arithmetic and CPU

Control unit Registers
Logic unit (ALU) interconnection
Mechanism that
provides for
Control the
Performs the Provides storage communication
operation of the
computer’s data internal to the among the
CPU and hence
processing. CPU. control unit,
the computer.
ALU and
registers

8
 Types Of Computer

Digital Computer

• A computer that stores data in terms of digits (numbers)

and proceeds in discrete steps from one state to the next.
• The states of a digital computer involve binary digits
• Access input data, process and produce output in digital
form
• Two discrete states  1/on/+ve and 0/off/-ve

9
Analogue Computer

• A computer that represents data in terms of physical measures or

quantities
• It suited for the solution of complex non-linear equations and for
the simulation
• Access input data, process and produce output in analogue form
• Example : computer to measure electricity, voltage, temperature
and pressure

10
Hybrid Computer

• A combination of computers that are capable of digital

and analog signals
• Processes analog and digital data
• A hybrid computer system setup offers a cost effective
method of performing complex simulations
• Eg : computer to measure heart beat in ICU in a hospital

11
• Classification of Computer

Laptop /
Personal
Notebook Workstation
Computer
Computer

Mainframe
Supercomputer
Computer

12
 Personal Computer
• Used in homes, schools and business office.
• Common form of a desktop computer
• It has a processing and storage units, visual display and audio
output units, and a keyboard

13
14
 Notebook Computer
• A compact version of the personal computer with all of these
components packaged into a single unit the size of a thin
briefcase

15
16
 Workstation
• It has a high-resolution graphic input/output capability, have
more computational power than personal computers
• Used in engineering applications - for interactive design work

17
18
 Mainframe

• Used for business data processing in medium to large

corporations that require much more computational power
than personal computer.

19
20
 Supercomputer
• A large and very powerful computer
• Used for the large-scale numerical calculations  weather
forecasting, aircraft design and simulation

21
22
 INTERCONNECTION STRUCTURE

Communication pathway
connecting two or more
devices

A bus consists of multiple

Bus communication pathways
or lines

A bus that connects major

System bus components (CPU, memory,
I/O)

23
 A system bus consists
of from 50 to 100 Data line (Data bus)
separate lines
Bus Structure
Any bus the lines can
Address line (Address
be classified into three
bus)
functional groups

Control line (Control

bus)

24
25
Data Lines

• Provide a path for moving data between system modules and

called the data bus
• The data bus consists of 8, 16 or 32 separate lines,
• The number of lines being referred as the width of the data bus
• Each line can carry only 1 bit at a time
• The width of the data bus is a key factor in determining overall
system performance

26
Address Lines

• Used to designated the source or destination of the data on

the data bus
• The width of the address bus determines the maximum
possible memory capacity of the system
• The higher-order bits are used to select a module on the
bus and the lower-order bits select a memory location or
I/O port within module

27
Control Lines

• Used to control the access to and the use of the data and
address lines
• Control signals transmit command and timing information
between system modules
• Timing signals indicate the validity of data and address
information

28
 1

Obtain the use of the bus

Operation of the bus

Send data
2
Transfer data via the bus

1
Obtain the use of the bus

Request data
2
Transfer a request to the
other module over the
control and address lines

It must the wait for that second

module to send the data 29