Chapter 1

Computer Abstractions
and Technology

Progress in computer technology

Underpinned by Moores Law

Makes novel applications feasible

1.1 Introduction

The Computer Revolution

Computers in automobiles
Cell phones
Human genome project
World Wide Web
Search Engines

Computers are pervasive

Chapter 1 Computer Abstractions and Technology 2

Classes of Computers

Desktop computers

Server computers

General purpose, variety of software

Subject to cost/performance tradeoff
Network based
High capacity, performance, reliability
Range from small servers to building sized

Embedded computers

Hidden as components of systems

Stringent power/performance/cost constraints
Chapter 1 Computer Abstractions and Technology 3

The Processor Market

Chapter 1 Computer Abstractions and Technology 4

What You Will Learn

How programs are translated into the

machine language

The hardware/software interface

What determines program performance

And how the hardware executes them

And how it can be improved

How hardware designers improve

performance
What is parallel processing
Chapter 1 Computer Abstractions and Technology 5

Understanding Performance

Algorithm

Programming language, compiler, architecture

Determine number of machine instructions executed

per operation

Processor and memory system

Determines number of operations executed

Determine how fast instructions are executed

I/O system (including OS)

Determines how fast I/O operations are executed

Chapter 1 Computer Abstractions and Technology 6

Application software

Written in high-level language

System software

Compiler: translates HLL code to

machine code
Operating System: service code

1.2 Below Your Program

Below Your Program

Handling input/output
Managing memory and storage
Scheduling tasks & sharing resources

Hardware

Processor, memory, I/O controllers

Chapter 1 Computer Abstractions and Technology 7

Levels of Program Code

High-level language

Assembly language

Level of abstraction closer

to problem domain
Provides for productivity
and portability
Textual representation of
instructions

Hardware representation

Binary digits (bits)

Encoded instructions and
data
Chapter 1 Computer Abstractions and Technology 8

The BIG Picture

Same components for

all kinds of computer

Desktop, server,
embedded

1.3 Under the Covers

Components of a Computer

Input/output includes

User-interface devices

Storage devices

Display, keyboard, mouse

Hard disk, CD/DVD, flash

Network adapters

For communicating with

other computers

Chapter 1 Computer Abstractions and Technology 9

Anatomy of a Computer
Output
device

Network
cable

Input
device

Input
device

Chapter 1 Computer Abstractions and Technology 10

Anatomy of a Mouse

Optical mouse

LED illuminates
desktop
Small low-res camera
Basic image processor

Looks for x, y
movement

Buttons & wheel

Supersedes roller-ball
mechanical mouse

Chapter 1 Computer Abstractions and Technology 11

Through the Looking Glass

LCD screen: picture elements (pixels)

Mirrors content of frame buffer memory

Chapter 1 Computer Abstractions and Technology 12

Opening the Box

Chapter 1 Computer Abstractions and Technology 13

Inside the Processor (CPU)

Datapath: performs operations on data

Control: sequences datapath, memory, ...
Cache memory

Small fast SRAM memory for immediate

access to data

Chapter 1 Computer Abstractions and Technology 14

Inside the Processor

AMD Barcelona: 4 processor cores

Chapter 1 Computer Abstractions and Technology 15

Abstractions
The BIG Picture

Abstraction helps us deal with complexity

Instruction set architecture (ISA)

The hardware/software interface

Application binary interface

Hide lower-level detail

The ISA plus system software interface

Implementation

The details underlying and interface

Chapter 1 Computer Abstractions and Technology 16

A Safe Place for Data

Volatile main memory

Loses instructions and data when power off

Non-volatile secondary memory

Magnetic disk
Flash memory
Optical disk (CDROM, DVD)

Chapter 1 Computer Abstractions and Technology 17

Networks

Communication and resource sharing

Local area network (LAN): Ethernet

Within a building

Wide area network (WAN: the Internet

Wireless network: WiFi, Bluetooth

Chapter 1 Computer Abstractions and Technology 18

Technology Trends

Electronics
technology
continues to evolve

Increased capacity
and performance
Reduced cost

Year

Technology

1951

Vacuum tube

1965

Transistor

1975

Integrated circuit (IC)

1995

Very large scale IC (VLSI)

2005

Ultra large scale IC

DRAM capacity

Relative performance/cost
1
35
900
2,400,000
6,200,000,000
Chapter 1 Computer Abstractions and Technology 19

Which airplane has the best performance?

Boeing 777

Boeing 777

Boeing 747

Boeing 747

BAC/Sud
Concorde

BAC/Sud
Concorde

Douglas
DC-8-50

Douglas DC8-50
0

100

200

300

400

500

Boeing 777

Boeing 777

Boeing 747

Boeing 747

BAC/Sud
Concorde

BAC/Sud
Concorde

Douglas
DC-8-50

Douglas DC8-50
500

1000

Cruising Speed (mph)

4000

6000

8000 10000

Cruising Range (miles)

Passenger Capacity

2000

1.4 Performance

Defining Performance

1500

100000 200000 300000 400000

Passengers x mph

Chapter 1 Computer Abstractions and Technology 20

Response Time and Throughput

Response time

How long it takes to do a task

Throughput

Total work done per unit time

How are response time and throughput affected

by

e.g., tasks/transactions/ per hour

Replacing the processor with a faster version?

Adding more processors?

Well focus on response time for now

Chapter 1 Computer Abstractions and Technology 21

Relative Performance

Define Performance = 1/Execution Time

X is n time faster than Y
Performanc e X Performanc e Y
= Execution time Y Execution time X = n

Example: time taken to run a program

10s on A, 15s on B
Execution TimeB / Execution TimeA
= 15s / 10s = 1.5
So A is 1.5 times faster than B
Chapter 1 Computer Abstractions and Technology 22

Measuring Execution Time

Elapsed time

Total response time, including all aspects

Processing, I/O, OS overhead, idle time

Determines system performance

CPU time

Time spent processing a given job

Discounts I/O time, other jobs shares

Comprises user CPU time and system CPU

time
Different programs are affected differently by
CPU and system performance
Chapter 1 Computer Abstractions and Technology 23

CPU Clocking

Operation of digital hardware governed by a

constant-rate clock
Clock period

Clock (cycles)
Data transfer
and computation
Update state

Clock period: duration of a clock cycle

e.g., 250ps = 0.25ns = 2501012s

Clock frequency (rate): cycles per second

e.g., 4.0GHz = 4000MHz = 4.0109Hz

Chapter 1 Computer Abstractions and Technology 24

CPU Time
CPU Time = CPU Clock Cycles Clock Cycle Time
CPU Clock Cycles
=
Clock Rate

Performance improved by

Reducing number of clock cycles

Increasing clock rate
Hardware designer must often trade off clock
rate against cycle count

Chapter 1 Computer Abstractions and Technology 25