Book Image

Modern Computer Architecture and Organization – Second Edition - Second Edition

By : Jim Ledin
Book Image

Modern Computer Architecture and Organization – Second Edition - Second Edition

By: Jim Ledin

Overview of this book

Are you a software developer, systems designer, or computer architecture student looking for a methodical introduction to digital device architectures, but are overwhelmed by the complexity of modern systems? This step-by-step guide will teach you how modern computer systems work with the help of practical examples and exercises. You’ll gain insights into the internal behavior of processors down to the circuit level and will understand how the hardware executes code developed in high-level languages. This book will teach you the fundamentals of computer systems including transistors, logic gates, sequential logic, and instruction pipelines. You will learn details of modern processor architectures and instruction sets including x86, x64, ARM, and RISC-V. You will see how to implement a RISC-V processor in a low-cost FPGA board and write a quantum computing program and run it on an actual quantum computer. This edition has been updated to cover the architecture and design principles underlying the important domains of cybersecurity, blockchain and bitcoin mining, and self-driving vehicles. By the end of this book, you will have a thorough understanding of modern processors and computer architecture and the future directions these technologies are likely to take.
Table of Contents (21 chapters)
18
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19
Index

Quantum Computing and Other Future Directions in Computer Architectures

This chapter anticipates the road ahead for computer architecture design. We will review the significant technological advances and ongoing trends that have led to the current state of computer architectures. We will then extrapolate current trends and identify some directions that computing system designs are likely to take in the future. We will also examine some potentially disruptive technologies that may substantially alter the evolution of future computer architectures.

This chapter provides some suggested approaches for the professional development of a computer architect. By following these recommendations, you should be able to maintain a skill set that remains relevant and tolerant of future advances, whatever they turn out to be.

After completing this chapter, you will understand the historical evolution of computer architecture that led to its current state and will be familiar with ongoing...