CSC 2111

Computer Organisation and

Architecture
 1. Basic Concepts
 Intended Learning Outcomes

 By the end of this unit, you should be able to:

 1.1 Distinguish, in general terms, between computer

organisation and computer architecture.

 1.2 Distinguish, in general terms, between computer

structure and computer function.

 1.3 Define the four main functions of a computer.

 1.4 Define the main structural components of a computer.

 1.5 Define the main structural components of a processor.

 1.1 Computer Architecture

 Computer architecture refers to those attributes of a

system visible to a programmer or, put another way,
those attributes that have a direct impact on the logical
execution of a program.

 Examples of architectural attributes

 Instruction set
 the complete set of instructions that can be recognized
and executed by a central processing unit.
 the number of bits used to represent various data types
(e.g., numbers, characters)
 1.2 Computer Organisation

 Computer organisation refers to the operational units and

their interconnections that realize the architectural
specifications.
 Example
 It is an architectural design issue whether a computer will have a
multiply instruction.
 It is an organisational issue whether that instruction will be
implemented by a special multiply unit or by a mechanism that
makes repeated use of the add unit of the system.
 The organisational decision may be based on the anticipated
frequency of use of the multiply instruction, the relative speed of
the two approaches, and the cost and physical size of a special
multiply unit
Distinction between Architecture and
Organization

 Many computer manufacturers offer a family of

computer models, all with the same architecture but
with differences in organisation.
 A prominent example of both these phenomena is the
IBM System/370 architecture.
 Different models in the family have different price
and performance characteristics.
1.3 Computer Structure and Function

 Structure is the way in which components

relate to each other.
 Function is the operation of individual
components as part of the structure.
 Function
A computer can
perform four basic
functions:

● Data processing
● Data storage
● Data movement
● Control
Data movement

The computer must

be able to move data -
between itself and the
outside world.
Data movement

The computer must

be able to move data –
within storage for
processing.
 Data storage

The computer must be

able to store data.

Both short-term and long-

term data storage
functions.
Control
The computer must be able to
control the three functions –
process, store and move.

External Control - is exercised by

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

Internal Control - is exercised by the

control unit, which manages the
computer’s resources and
orchestrates the performance of its
functional parts in response to
those instructions.
 The
Computer
 The Computer
 The computer must be able to process data.
 The data may take a wide variety of forms, and the range
of processing requirements is broad.
 The computer’s operating environment consists of devices
that serve as either sources or destinations of data.
 When data are received from or delivered to a device that
is directly connected to the computer, the process is
known as input–output (I/O), and the device is referred to
as a peripheral.
 When data are moved over longer distances, to or from a
remote device, the process is known as data
communications.
 Computer Structure

There are four main

structural  CPU – controls the operation of the
components computer and performs its data
of the computer: processing functions
 Main Memory – stores data
 I/O – moves data between the
computer and its external
environment
 System Interconnection – some
mechanism that provides for
communication among CPU, main
memory, and I/O
Computer System Hierarchy

 A computer is a complex system;

contemporary computers contain millions of
elementary electronic components.
 A hierarchy allows us to view a computer as a
set of interrelated subsystems, each of the
latter, in turn, hierarchical in structure until we
reach some lowest level of elementary
subsystem.
Computer
System
Hierarchy
  Control Unit
CPU
 Controls the operation of the CPU
Major structural and hence the computer
components:  Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU)
 Performs the computer’s data
processing function
 Registers
 Provide storage internal to the
CPU
 CPU Interconnection
 Some mechanism that provides
for communication among the
control unit, ALU, and registers
Computer System Hierarchy

 The hierarchical nature of complex systems is

essential to both their design and their description.
 The designer need only deal with a particular level of
the system at a time.
 At each level, the system consists of a set of
components and their interrelationships.
 The behaviour at each level depends only on a
simplified, abstracted characterisation of the system
at the next lower level.
Course Approach

 In this course, the computer system will be

described from the top down.
 We begin with the major components of a
computer, describing their structure and
function, and proceed to successively lower
layers of the hierarchy.
Summary
 Computer Organization  Structure
 Computer Architecture
 CPU
 Function
 Main memory
 Data processing
 I/O
 Data storage
 System interconnection
 Data movement
 Control  CPU structural
components
 Control unit
 ALU
 Registers
 CPU interconnection