In this chapter, we’ll look at computer architecture in general. In fact, he may have 30 or more, hidden inside his TVs, VCRs, DVD players, remote controls, washing machines, cell phones, air conditioners, game consoles, ovens, toys, and a host of other devices. Ask the average person how many computers he has in his home, and he might reply that he has one or two. Embedded computers are far more numerous than desktop systems, but far less obvious. The second type of computer is the embedded computer, a computer that is integrated into another system for the purposes of control and/or monitoring. When you say “computer” to someone, this is the machine that usually comes to her mind. The first, and most obvious, is that of the desktop computer. Designing a computer, therefore, is about designing a machine that holds and manipulates data.Ĭomputer systems fall into essentially two separate categories. Inside that box is the electronics that runs your software, stores your information, and connects you to the world. It’s that box that sits on your desk, quietly purring away (or rattling if the fan is shot), running your programs and regularly crashing (if you’re not running some variety of Unix). This book is about designing and building specialized computers. Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance OUT - Output information to device, e.g., monitor.- Robert M.LOAD - Load information from RAM to the CPU.JUMP IF - Conditional statement that jumps to a designated RAM address.IN - Input information from a device, e.g., keyboard.The hardware design is more efficient and faster for running programs than the emulated software version. An instruction set can be built into the hardware of the processor, or it can be emulated in software, using an interpreter. Both the Intel Pentium and AMD Athlon processors use nearly the same x86 instruction set. Different computer processors can use almost the same instruction set while still having very different internal design. Today's computers have thousands of instructions.Īn example of an instruction set is the x86 instruction set, which is common to find on computers today. The first CPU, the Intel 4004, had an instruction set of 46 instructions.
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