Computer Architecture: Habib Ur Rahman

Computer
Architecture
HABIB UR RAHMAN
How Computer Operates?
A computer operates under the control of instructions
stored in its own memory unit, that can accept data
(input), process data arithmetically and logically,
produce output from the processing, and store the
results for future use.
Block diagram of a modern general purpose
digital computer
Architecture
• The art or science of building
• A style and method of design and construction
Computer Architecture
• The term Computer Architecture was coined at IBM in the 1960s
• It was used to refer to the programmer visible portion of the
instruction set of the IBM 360 family of computers
Computer Architecture (continued…)
• The structure of a computer that a machine language
programmer must understand to write correct programs for the
machine
• So the study of computer architecture includes:
• A study of the structure of a computer
• A study of the instruction set of a computer
• A study of the process of designing a computer
Who is a Computer Architect?
Answer:
A person who designs computers
What do we mean by “design”?
Design is the process of devising a system,
component, or process to meet desired needs.
What do we mean by “design”?
(continued)
• It is a decision-making process (usually iterative), in which the
basic sciences, and math and engineering sciences are applied to
convert resources optimally to meet a stated objective.
Digital Design
Levels of Abstraction:
• Processor memory Switch Level
• Instruction Set Level
• Register Transfer Level
• Logic Design Level
• Circuit Level
• Mask Level
Reference books
“Computer Architecture: A Qualitative Approach”, 2nd

ed” by Hennesy & Patterson, Morgan Kaufmann, 1996.
“Computer Organization and Architecture”, by William
Stallings, Prentice Hall, 6th edition.
“Fundamentals of Computer Organization and
Architecture”, by Mostafa Abd-El-Barr , Hesham El-
Rewini , 2005
Historical Background
• The first program-controlled computer ever built was the
Z1 (1938).
• This was followed in 1939 by the Z2 as the first
operational program-controlled computer with fixed-point
arithmetic.
• The Z3, has been reported in Germany in 1941.
• The Electronic Numerical Integrator and Calculator
(ENIAC) machine in 1944 was the first operational
general-purpose machine built using vacuum tubes.
• An improved version of the ENIAC was proposed and
called the Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic
Computer (EDVAC): it was an attempt to improve the
way programs are entered and explored the concept of
stored-programs.
• In 1946, a stored-program computer, known as the
Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Calculator (EDSAC)
was built. In 1949, the EDSAC became the world’s first
full-scale, stored-program, fully operational computer.
• A spin off the EDSAC resulted in a series of machines
introduced at Harvard. The series consisted of MARK I,
II, III and IV. The later two machines introduced the
concept of separate memories for instructions and data.
The term Harvard Architecture was given to such
machines to indicate the use of separate memories.
• The first general-purpose commercial computer, the
UNIVersal Automatic Computer (UNIVAC I), was on the
market by the middle of 1951.
• In 1952, IBM announced its first computer, the IBM701.
1.1 Historical Background
• In 1964 IBM announced a line of products under the
name IBM 360 series. The series included a number of
models that varied in price and performance.
• Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) introduced the first
minicomputer, the PDP-8. It was considered a
remarkably low-cost machine.
• Intel introduced the first microprocessor, the Intel 4004,
in 1971.
• The world witnessed the birth of the first personal
computer (PC) in 1977 when Apple computer series
were first introduced.
• In parallel with small-scale machines, supercomputers
were coming into play.
• The first such supercomputer, the CDC 6600, was
introduced in 1961 by Control Data Corporation.
• Cray Research Corporation introduced the best
cost/performance supercomputer, the Cray-1, in 1976.
• The 1980s and 1990s witnessed the introduction of
many commercial parallel computers with multiple
processors. They can generally be classified into two
main categories: (1) shared memory and (2) distributed
memory systems.
• In 1977, the world also witnessed the introduction of the
VAX-11/780 by DEC.
• Intel followed suit by introducing the first of the most
popular microprocessor, the 80x86 series.
• PCs from Compaq, Apple, IBM, Dell, and many others,
soon became pervasive, and changed the face of
computing.
• The number of processors in a single machine ranged
from several in a shared memory computer to hundreds of
thousands in a massively parallel system.
Examples of parallel computers during this era include Sequent
• Symmetry, Intel iPSC, nCUBE, Intel Paragon, Thinking Machines
(CM-2, CM-5), MsPar (MP), Fujitsu (VPP500), and others.
Local Area Networks (LAN) of powerful personal
computers and workstations began to replace mainframes
• and minis by 1990.
These individual desktop computers were soon to be connected
into larger complexes of computing by wide area networks
(WAN).
•
• The pervasiveness of the Internet created interest in
network computing and more recently in grid computing.
• Grids are geographically distributed platforms of
computation.
• They should provide dependable, consistent, pervasive,
and inexpensive access to high-end computational
facilities.
Feature Batch Time-Sharing Desktop Network
Decade 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s
Location Computer Room Terminal Room Desktop Mobile
Users Experts Specialists Individuals Groups
Data Alphanumeric Text, numbers Fonts, Graphs Multimedia
Objective Calculate Access Present Communicate
Interface Punched Card Keyboard & CRT See & Point Ask & Tell
Operation Process Edit Layout Orchestrate
Connectivity None Peripheral Cable LAN Internet
Owners Corporate Computer Divisional IS Shops Departmental End- Everyone

Centers Users
1.2 Architectural Development & Styles
• Computer architects have always been striving to
increase the performance of their architectures.
• One philosophy was that by doing more in a single
instruction, one can use a smaller number of instructions
to perform the same job.
• The immediate consequence of this is the need for a
less memory read/write operations and an eventual
speedup of operations.
1.2 Architectural Development & Styles
• It was also argued that increasing the complexity of
instructions and the number of addressing modes have
the theoretical advantage of reducing the “semantic gap”
between the instructions in a high level language and
those in the low level (machine) language.
• Machines following this philosophy have been referred to
as complex instructions set computers (CISCs).
Examples of CISC machines include the Intel Pentium,
the Motorola MC68000, and the IBM & Macintosh
PowerPC .

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Computer

“Computer Architecture: A Qualitative Approach”, 2nd

Location Computer Room Terminal Room Desktop Mobile

Users Experts Specialists Individuals Groups

Data Alphanumeric Text, numbers Fonts, Graphs Multimedia

Objective Calculate Access Present Communicate

Operation Process Edit Layout Orchestrate

Connectivity None Peripheral Cable LAN Internet

Owners Corporate Computer Divisional IS Shops Departmental End- Everyone

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