Computer Organization



From coupler-flange to spindle-guide I see Thy Hand, O God-
Predestination in the stride o' yon connectin'-rod.
-R. Kipling



Introduction

In Chapters 1 through 10, we examined the fundamental principles of digital design. In this chapter and the next, we will focus on applying these techniques to one major class of digital systems: the stored program computer.

A stored program computer consists of a processing unit and an attached memory system. Commands that instruct the processor to perform certain operations are placed in the memory along with the data items to be operated on. The processing unit consists of data-path and control. The data-path contains registers to hold data and functional units, such as arithmetic logic units and shifters, to operate on data. The control unit is little more than a finite state machine that sequences through its states to (1) fetch the next instruction from memory, (2) decode the instruction to interpret its meaning, and (3) execute the instruction by moving and/or operating on data in the registers and functional units of the data-path.

The critical design issues for a data-path are how to "wire" the various components together to minimize hardware complexity and the number of control states to complete a typical operation. For control, the issue is how to organize the relatively complex "instruction interpretation" finite state machine.

In this chapter, we will discuss how hardware components are organized into computers. In addition, we will apply the techniques we have already learned to design data-paths and processor control units. In particular, we will examine:

Table of Contents

1. Structure of a Computer
2. Busing Strategies
3. Finite State Machines for Simple CPUs
Chapter Review
Exercises

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This file last updated on 07/16/96 at 04:05:25.
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