EENG3150 Digital Technologies - Computer Architecture - Lecture 1 Overview
EENG3150 Digital Technologies - Computer Architecture - Lecture 1 Overview
- Dr. Lijuan Wang
- Room 1.33, Jennison Building
- Email: L.Wang@kent.ac.uk
Course Overview
- 8 Lectures
- Computer Architecture Assignment (assessed)
- Lecture 1: Overview
- Lecture 2: Development of Computers (1)
- Lecture 3: Development of Computers (2)
- Lecture 4: Processors and Memory
- Lecture 5: Memory
- Lecture 6: Input and Output (1)
- Lecture 7: Input and Output (2)
- Lecture 8: Operating systems and computer networking
Computer Architecture vs. Computer Organisation
Computer Architecture
- The operational units and their interconnections that realize the architectural specifications.
- Architectural attributes include:
- Instruction set.
- Number of bits used to represent various data types.
- I/O mechanisms.
- Techniques for addressing memory.
- Attributes of a system visible to the programmer.
- Have a direct impact on the logical execution of a program.
Computer Organisation
- Hardware details transparent to the programmer, control signals, interfaces between the computer and peripherals, memory technology used.
- Organisational attributes include:
Basic Computer System Components
- CPU (Central Processing Unit) – controls the operation of the computer and performs its data processing functions.
- Main Memory – stores data.
- I/O (Input/Output) – moves data between the computer and its external environment.
- System Interconnection – some mechanism that provides for communication among CPU, main memory, and I/O.
Example Computer System Components
- Power supply
- System fan
- Motherboard
- Floppy drive
- Optical drive
- Hard drive
- Heat sink
*Motherboard:
- CPU
- Clock generator
- Memory slots
- Expansion slots
- Graphics card
- RAM (Random Access Memory)
- PS/2 mouse connector
- Display port
- HDMI
- VGA
- DVI Port
- USB Port
- Ethernet Port
- Microphone In
- Audio Out
- Audio in
- PS/2 keyboard connector
Basic Computer System - Data flow
- Data Bus
- Address Bus
- Control Bus
- Input
- CPU
- Memory
- Output
Central Processing Unit (CPU) Components
- 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 – some mechanism that provides for communication among the control unit, ALU, and registers.
Multicore Computer Structure
- Central Processing Unit (CPU)
- Portion of the computer that fetches and executes instructions
- Consists of an ALU, a control unit, and registers
- Referred to as a processor in a system with a single processing unit
- Core
- An individual processing unit on a processor chip
- May be equivalent in functionality to a CPU on a single-CPU system
- Specialized processing units are also referred to as cores
- Processor
- A physical piece of silicon containing one or more cores
- Is the computer component that interprets and executes instructions
- Referred to as a multicore processor if it contains multiple cores
Cache Memory
- Multiple layers of memory between the processor and main memory
- Is smaller and faster than main memory
- 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
- A greater performance improvement may be obtained by using multiple levels of cache, with level 1 (L1) closest to the core and additional levels (L2, L3, etc.) progressively farther from the core
Cache Memory Structure
- Processor Chip
- Core
- L1 I-cache (Instruction cache)
- L1 data cache
- L2 instruction cache
- L2 data cache
- Instruction logic
- Arithmetic and logic unit (ALU)
- Load/store logic
- L3 cache
- Motherboard
- Main memory chips
- I/O chips