Book Image

Modern Computer Architecture and Organization

By : Jim Ledin
Book Image

Modern Computer Architecture and Organization

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 overwhelmed by their complexity? This book will help you to learn how modern computer systems work, from the lowest level of transistor switching to the macro view of collaborating multiprocessor servers. You'll gain unique insights into the internal behavior of processors that execute the code developed in high-level languages and enable you to design more efficient and scalable software systems. The book will teach you the fundamentals of computer systems including transistors, logic gates, sequential logic, and instruction operations. 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 how to write a quantum computing program and run it on an actual quantum computer. By the end of this book, you will have a thorough understanding of modern processor and computer architectures and the future directions these architectures are likely to take.
Table of Contents (20 chapters)
1
Section 1: Fundamentals of Computer Architecture
8
Section 2: Processor Architectures and Instruction Sets
14
Section 3: Applications of Computer Architecture

Chapter 4: Computer System Components

This chapter begins with an introduction to the metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistor, used extensively in memory circuits and in most other modern digital devices. We then examine the design of computer memory circuits based on MOS transistors and their interface to the processor. We'll look at modern computer input/output interfaces, with a focus on the use of high-speed serial communication within the computer's case, as well as over cable connections to external peripherals. The functional requirements of system I/O devices including the graphics display, network interface, keyboard, and mouse will be discussed. The chapter ends with a descriptive example of the specifications for a modern computer motherboard.

After completing this chapter, you will have a solid understanding of the hardware components of modern computer systems, from the technical specifications down to the circuit level. You will have learned how system...