Class Notes

Computer Organization
and Architecture

Chapter#1: Basic Concepts and Computer Evolution

DistinctionPrepare
betweenby Dr. Ibrahim
computer Abaker Hashem
organization and computer
architecture:
Computer architecture refers to those attributes of a system visible to a programmer
or, put another way, those attributes that have a direct impact on the logical execution of
a program. It deals with the high-level design decisions and the functional behavior of
the computer system.

 Key Aspects:
o Instruction Set Architecture (ISA): Defines the set of instructions the
processor can execute, including data types, addressing modes, and
registers.
o System Design: Includes the design of CPUs, memory systems, and I/O
systems.
o Performance Metrics: Focuses on latency, throughput, and power
efficiency.
 Examples: ARM architecture, x86 architecture, RISC-V architecture.
Computer organization refers to the physical implementation of the computer system.
It focuses on how the hardware components are interconnected and how they work
together to execute the instructions defined by the architecture. It deals with the low-
level details and the actual hardware realization of the computer system.

 Key Aspects:

o Hardware Components: Includes the design of circuits, control units, ALUs,

memory units, and buses.
o Data Path and Control Path: How data flows through the system and how
control signals are managed.
o Timing and Control: The synchronization of operations and the generation
of control signals.

 Examples: Pipeline implementation, cache memory organization, bus

arbitration mechanisms.

Computer Architecture is like the blueprint of a house, detailing the design

and layout.
Computer Organization is like the construction process, focusing on how to
build the house according to the blueprint.

Summary of Differences

Aspect Computer Architecture Computer Organization

Focus What the system does How the system does it
Level of High-level (software Low-level (hardware
Abstraction perspective) perspective)
Instruction set, system Circuit design, data flow, control
Concerns
behavior, performance signals
Pipeline stages, cache
Examples x86, ARM, RISC-V
hierarchy, bus structure

Distinction between computer structure and computer

function
Computer Structure refers to the physical arrangement and interconnection of
hardware components in a computer system. It focuses on the "how" of the system—how
the components are organized and connected to each other. It deals with the tangible
aspects of the computer system, including the hardware and its layout.

 Key Aspects:

 Hardware Components: Includes the CPU, memory, I/O devices, and storage
devices.
  Interconnections: How components are connected via buses, networks, and
other communication pathways.
 Physical Layout: The actual arrangement of components on a motherboard or
within a system.

 Examples: The layout of a CPU, the organization of memory chips, the design of a
motherboard.

Computer Function refers to the operational behavior and the tasks that a computer
system performs. It focuses on the "what" of the system—what the system does and how
it processes information. It deals with the logical and operational aspects of the computer
system, including the execution of instructions and data processing.

 Key Aspects:

 Instruction Execution: How the CPU executes instructions, including fetch,

decode, execute, and store cycles.

 Data Processing: How data is manipulated and processed by the system.

 System Operations: The overall tasks and operations performed by the
computer, such as running applications, managing files, and handling I/O
operations.

 Examples: Executing a program, performing arithmetic operations, managing memory.

Summary of Differences

Aspect Computer Structure Computer Function

Physical arrangement and
Focus Operational behavior and tasks
interconnection
Level of
Low-level (hardware perspective) High-level (logical perspective)
Abstraction
Hardware components, Instruction execution, data
Concerns
interconnections, layout processing, tasks
CPU layout, memory organization, Program execution, arithmetic
Examples
motherboard operations

Four main functions of a computer:

 Data processing: Data may take a wide variety of forms and the range of
processing requirements is broad
 Data storage: store data and instructions
 Data movement: Input-output (I/O) - when data are received from or
delivered to a device (peripheral) that is directly connected to the
computer
 Control: a control unit manages the computer’s resources and orchestrates
the performance of its functional parts in response to instructions.

The main structural components of a computer

 Central processing unit (CPU): Controls the operation of the computer and
performs its data processing functions; often simply referred to as processor.
 Main memory: Stores data.
 I/O: Moves data between the computer and its external environment.
  System interconnection: Some mechanism that provides for communication
among CPU, main memory, and I/O. A common example of system
interconnection is by means of a system bus, consisting of several conducting
wires to which all the other components attach.

Main structural components of a processor

 Control unit: Controls the operation of the CPU and hence the computer.
 Arithmetic and logic unit (ALU): Performs the computer’s data processing
functions.
 Registers: Provides storage internal to the CPU.
 CPU interconnection: Some mechanism that provides for communication
among the control unit, ALU, and registers.

Multicore Computer Structure

 Central processing unit (CPU)
 Portion of the computer that fetches and executes instructions
 Consists of an ALU, a control unit, and registers
 Referred to as a processor in a system with a single processing unit
 Core
 An individual processing unit on a processor chip
 May be equivalent in functionality to a CPU on a single-CPU system
 Specialized processing units are also referred to as cores
 Processor
 A physical piece of silicon containing one or more cores
 Is the computer component that interprets and executes instructions
 Referred to as a multicore processor if it contains multiple cores

Cache memory
Cache memory is smaller and faster than main memory and is used to speed up memory
access by placing in the cache, data from main memory that is likely to be used in the
near future. A greater performance improvement may be obtained by using multiple
levels of cache, with level 1 (L1) closest to the core and additional levels (L2, L3, and so
on) progressively farther from the core.

What is a stored program computer?

A stored-program computer is a type of computer architecture where both the program
instructions and the data are stored in the same memory system. This concept is
fundamental to modern computers and was first described in the von Neumann
architecture, named after mathematician and physicist John von Neumann, who
formalized the idea in the 1940s.
Key Features of a Stored-Program Computer:

1. Memory: Both program instructions and data are stored in the same memory,
allowing the computer to treat instructions as data and vice versa.
2. Sequential Execution: Instructions are fetched from memory, decoded, and
executed sequentially by the central processing unit (CPU).
3. Control Unit: A control unit manages the fetching, decoding, and execution of
instructions, coordinating the flow of data between memory, the CPU, and other
components.

Key characteristics of a computer family

 Similar or identical instruction set: In many cases, the exact same set of
machine instructions is supported on all members of the family. Thus, a program
that executes on one machine will also execute on any other. In some cases, the
lower end of the family has an instruction set that is a subset of that of the top
end of the family. This means that programs can move up but not down.
 Similar or identical operating system: The same basic operating system is
available for all family members. In some cases, additional features are added to
the higher-end members.
 Increasing speed: The rate of instruction execution increases in going from
lower to higher family members.
 Increasing number of I /O ports: The number of I/O ports increases in going
from lower to higher family members.
 Increasing memory size: The size of main memory increases in going from
lower to higher family members.
 Increasing cost: At a given point in time, the cost of a system increases in going
from lower to higher family members.

Key distinguishing feature of a microprocessor

 Clock speeds
 Bus width
 Number of transistors
 Addressable memory

Reference:
Computer Organization and Architecture”, 10/e, by William Stallings