IT

220: Computer
Organization
PART I- C: COMPUTER HARDWARE COMPONENTS
Defining Computer
Architecture
“Old” view of computer architecture
◦ Instruction Set Architecture (ISA) design
◦ Decisions regarding:
◦ registers, memory addressing, addressing modes, instruction operands, etc.

“Real” computer architecture

◦ Specific requirements of target machine
◦ Design to maximize performance within constraints: cost, power, and
availability
◦ Includes ISA, microarchitecture, hardware

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Organization
The Five Classic Processor
Components of a
Computer Input

Control

Memory

Datapath
Output

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Von Neumann Machines
Three basic hardware subsystems (CPU, memory and I/O)
Sequential operation
Single path between main memory and the control unit of
the CPU, i.e. the Von Neumann bottleneck

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Harvard Architecture
Class of Von Neumann architectures that provide
independent pathways for data addresses, data, instruction
addresses and instructions
Allows the CPU to access instructions and data
simultaneously

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Von Neumann vs. Harvard
Architectures

Source: R. Baron and L. Higbie, “Computer Architecture,” Addison Wesley, 1992.

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Computer System
Components
CPU CPU

Cache Cache
Busses

adapters
Memory

Controllers

Disks
I/O Devices:
Displays Networks
Keyboards

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The Memory Hierarchy

Slows down and gets larger moving away from CPU

Can substantially improve performance due to locality and
speed of smaller memories

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I/O Devices
“Messiest” in terms of organization
Wide range of speed, e.g. graphics vs. keyboard
Wide range of requirements, e.g. speed, standard, cost, etc.
Least amount of research

COMPUTER ORGANIZATION 9
Networks

COMPUTER ORGANIZATION 10