Introduction To Computing

Technology
BS(CS-1)
Lecturer: Rana Hira Afzal
Von Neumann Architecture
• Fixed Program Computers – Their function is very specific and they
couldn’t be programmed, e.g. Calculators.
• Stored Program Computers – These can be programmed to carry out
many different tasks, applications are stored on them, hence the
name.
• The modern computers are based on a stored-program concept
introduced by John Von Neumann. In this stored-program concept,
programs and data are stored in a separate storage unit called
memories and are treated the same. This novel idea meant that a
computer built with this architecture would be much easier to
reprogram.
• Von Neumann architecture was first published by John von Neumann
in 1945.
• His computer architecture design consists of a Control
Unit, Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU), Memory Unit, Registers and
Inputs/Outputs.
• Von Neumann architecture is based on the stored-program computer
concept, where instruction data and program data are stored in the
same memory. This design is still used in most computers produced
today.
• Central Processing Unit (CPU)
The Central Processing Unit (CPU) is the electronic circuit responsible
for executing the instructions of a computer program.
It receives data input, executes instructions, and processes
information. It communicates with input/output (I/O) devices, which
send and receive data to and from the CPU.
A CPU is brain of a computer. It is responsible for all functions
and processes.
Regarding computing power, the CPU is the most important element of
a computer
system
It is sometimes referred to as the microprocessor or processor.
The CPU contains the ALU, CU and a variety of registers.
• Some computers utilize two or more processors. These consist of
separate physical CPUs located side by side on the same board or on
separate boards. Each CPU has an independent interface, separate
cache, and individual paths to the system front-side bus. Multiple
processors are ideal for intensive parallel tasks requiring multitasking.
Multicore CPUs are also common, in which a single chip contains
multiple CPUs.
• Registers
• Registers are high speed storage areas in the CPU. All data must be
stored in a register before it can be processed.
• A register is a temporary storage area built into a CPU
• Registers vary in both number and size, depending on the CPU
architecture. Some processors have 8 registers while others have 16,
32, or more.
• Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU)
• An arithmetic logic unit (ALU) represents the fundamental building
block of the central processing unit of a computer. An ALU is a digital
circuit used to perform arithmetic and logic operations.
• The ALU allows arithmetic (add, subtract etc) and logic (AND, OR, NOT
etc) operations to be carried out.
• Control Unit (CU)
The control unit controls the operation of the computer’s ALU, memory and
input/output devices, telling them how to respond to the program
instructions. The control unit also provides the timing and control signals
required by other computer components.
It acts as a central nervous system and ensures that the information is stored
correctly and the program instructions are followed in proper sequence as
well as the data are selected
from the memory as necessary. It also coordinates all the input and output
devices of a system