computer architecture :: essays papers

computer architecture computing device architecture covers the design of corpse softw are,such as the in cognitive process(p) ashes (the program that controls the computer), aswell as referencering to the combination of ironware and basic software thatlinks the machines on a computer ne dickensrk. Computer architecture refers toan entire structure and to the details needed to eviscerate it functional. Thus,computer architecture covers computer brasss, microprocessors, circuits,and system programs. Typically the term does not refer to applicationprograms, such as spreadsheets or word processing, which are requisite toperform a task but not to make the system run.In designing a computer system, architects consider five studyelements that make up the systems ironware the arithmetic/logic unit of measurement,control unit, memory, input, and output. The arithmetic/logic unit performsarithmetic and compares numerical values. The control unit directs theoperation of the comp uter by taking the routiner instructions and transformingthem into electrical signals that the computers circuitry contribute understand.The combination of the arithmetic/logic unit and the control unit is calledthe important processing unit (CPU). The memory stores instructions anddata. The input and output sections bring home the bacon the computer to receive andsend data, respectively.Different hardware architectures are essential because of thespecialized needs of systems and users. One user may need a system todisplay graphics extremely fast, while another system may have to beoptimized for searching a database or conserving onslaught power in a laptopcomputer.In addition to the hardware design, the architects must considerwhat software programs will operate the system. Software, such asprogramming languages and operating systems, makes the details of thehardware architecture invisible to the user. For example, computers that usethe C programming language or a UNIX operat ing system may appear thesame from the users viewpoint, although they use different hardwarearchitectures.When a computer carries out an instruction, it proceedsthrough five steps. First, the control unit retrieves the instruction frommemoryfor example, an instruction to add 2 numbers. Second, thecontrol unit decodes the instructions into electronic signals that control thecomputer. Third, the control unit fetches the data (the two numbers).Fourth, the arithmetic/logic unit performs the specific operation (theaddition of the two numbers). Fifth, the control unit saves the result (thesum of the two numbers).Early computers employ only simple instructions because thecost of electronics capable of carrying out mazy instructions was high.As this cost decreased in the 1960s, more alter instructionsbecame possible. Complex instructions can save time because they makeit unnecessary for the computer to retrieve additional instructions. Forexample, if seven operations are combined in one instruction, then six of