Basic structure of a computer
system
Lecture 1
What is a Computer ?
• It is a fast electronic calculating machine that
– accepts digitized input information
– process it according to a list of internally stored
information and
– produces the resulting output information
Functional units of a computer
Information
handled by a
computer
Instructions
Data
Instructions
Commands that govern the transfer
of information
• mov R0, R1
Instruction specify arithmetic and
logic operations to be performed
• add R0,R1
Program
• List of instructions that
perform a specific task
• Stored in the memory
• Processor fetches the
program instruction by
instruction from the
memory and perform
the desired operation.
Data
• Numbers and encoded characters that are
used as operands by the instructions.
• Digital information
• Each number or character are encoded as a
string of binary digits called Bits
• ASCII is a 7-bit code for representing
alphanumeric characters.
Functional units of a computer
Input unit
• Computer accept (read the data) coded
information through input unit
• Input device: keyboard
• When a key is pressed the corresponding
letter or digit is automatically translated to
binary code and transmitted over cable to
either memory or processor.
Memory Unit
• Store programs and data
Primary storage
• Program must reside in primary memory
during execution
• Fast memory
• Volatile
Primary storage
• Memory contains a large number of semiconductor storage
cells, each capable of storing one bit of information.
• These cells are processed as group of fixed size called words
• Memory is organized so that the contents of one word
containing n bits can be stored or retrieved in one basic
operation.
Primary storage
• A distinct address is
associated with each word
• Addresses are numbers that
identify successive memory
locations
• A given word is accessed by
giving its address
• Word length: no :of bits in
each word
• A typical computer has
word length ranging from
16 - 64 bits
Memory operations
• Read: retrieving • Write: storing data to
information from memory
memory
RAM
• Random Access Memory (RAM): Memory in
which any location can be accessed in a short
and fixed amount of time.
• Memory access time: Time required to access
one word (few miliseconds to 100 ns)
Main memory and Cache
• The memory is implemented as memory hierarchy of three or
four levels of RAM units with different speeds and size.
• The small and fast RAM units are called cache
• Tightly coupled with the processor
• Contained on the processor Integrated circuit chip to achieve
high performance.
• The largest and slowest unit is called main memory
Caches
• The small and fast RAM units are called cache
• Tightly coupled with the processor
• Contained on the processor Integrated circuit
chip to achieve high performance.
Secondary Storage
• Store large amount of data
• non-volatile storage device
• Slow access compared to main memory
• A secondary storage device is also known as
an auxiliary storage device or external storage.
Primary Vs Secondary Storage
Arithmetic and Logic Unit
• An arithmetic logic unit (ALU) is a digital circuit
used to perform arithmetic and logic operations.
• Represents the fundamental building block of
the central processing unit (CPU) of a computer.
• Operations are done by ALU on the data stored in
registers of the processor
• A register is a high speed storage element
available as part of a CPU.
• Each register can store one word of data
Output unit
• Output processed results to the outside world
• E.g. printer
Control Unit
• The operations of input, memory, ALU and
output unit are coordinated by control unit
• Control unit generates timing signals which
determines “when” a particular operation
takes place
• A large set of control lines carries the signals
used for timing and synchronization
