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

Summary

This chapter began with an introduction to the computer memory subsystem, the MOSFET, and the capacitor. We examined the circuitry that implements the DRAM bit cell. We reviewed the architecture of DDR4 memory modules and the operation of multichannel memory controllers. Other types of I/O devices were introduced, with a focus on high-speed differential serial interfaces and their ubiquitous use in connection technologies such as PCIe, SATA, USB, and video interfaces.

Popular video standards were presented, including VGA, DVI, HDMI, and DisplayPort. We looked at the Ethernet and Wi-Fi networking technologies as well. We concluded with a discussion of standard computer peripheral interfaces including the keyboard and mouse. The chapter concluded with a description of an example modern motherboard, highlighting some of its interesting features.

With the information presented in this chapter, you should have a solid general understanding of modern computer components from...