EENG3150 Digital Technologies - Computer Architecture

Flashcards covering computer architecture concepts, components, and their functions. Includes CPU, memory, I/O, and cache concepts.

Computer Architecture

The operational units and their interconnections that realize the architectural specifications.

Computer Organisation

Hardware details transparent to the programmer, control signals, interfaces between the computer and peripherals, memory technology used.

Architectural attributes

Instruction set, number of bits used to represent various data types, I/O mechanisms, techniques for addressing memory.

Organisational attributes

Attributes of a system visible to the programmer, have a direct impact on the logical execution of a program.

CPU

Controls the operation of the computer and performs its data processing functions.

Main Memory

Stores data.

I/O

Moves data between the computer and its external environment.

System Interconnection

Provides for communication among CPU, main memory, and I/O.

Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU)

Performs the computer’s data processing function.

Control Unit

Controls the operation of the CPU and hence the computer.

Registers

Provide storage internal to the CPU.

CPU Interconnection

Provides for communication among the control unit, ALU, and registers.

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

Portion of the computer that fetches and executes instructions.

Core

An individual processing unit on a processor chip.

Processor

A physical piece of silicon containing one or more cores; interprets and executes instructions.

Cache Memory

Multiple layers of memory between the processor and main memory, smaller and faster than main memory.

Cache Memory purpose

Used to speed up memory access by placing in the cache data from main memory that is likely to be used in the near future.

Level 1 (L1) Cache

Closest to the core in a multi-level cache system.