Unit 03 - Computer Architecture Flashcards
What is architecture?
● the complex or carefully designed
structure of something
● the conceptual structure and logical organization of a computer or computer-based system
What is computer architecture?
“Computer architecture is a set of rules and methods that describe the functionality, organization, and
implementation of computer systems.”
What is computer architecture (another definition)?
“Computer architecture is the science and art of selecting and interconnecting hardware components to create computers
that meet functional, performance and cost goals.”
Considerations for computer architecture, competing pressures:
speed, cost, energy consumption, reliability, privacy, functionality, and accuracy
Considerations for computer architecture, different applications demand different architecture types:
desktop, mobile, microcontrollers, ASICs, etc.
Considerations for computer architecture, rapidly changing technologies present new configuration options:
rate of change is high (floppy disk to flash key, hard disk to solid-state drive)
Computer components
Input -> Processing/Storage -> Output
What are examples of Input?
Keyboard
Mouse
Microphone
Camera
Touch & other sensors
Game controllers
What are examples of Processing?
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)
Tensor Processing Unit (TPU)
What are examples of Storage?
Random-Access Memory
Read-Only Memory
Hard drives
Floppy disks
CD/DVDs
USB flash drives/keys
Examples of Output?
Images & other data displayed on screen
Audio through speakers or headphones
Haptic vibrations and feedback
What is software?
The programs and other operating information used by a computer
Hardware and Software are:
Co-dependent
Constantly evolving
Planned obsolescence in both hardware and software will affect your computer
What is Binary?
A number system (not unlike the decimal system)
The 1s & 0s that make up everything we see and do on a computer
A way of communicating within a computer
Why does binary matter?
Binary is fundamental to computing
-It forms the basis of how computers work at the most basic level
-You likely won’t interact with it directly
-It’s also a stepping stone to the other complex number systems coming soon
Counting in Binary
Let’s look at the decimal number 1, represented in binary as 0001:
0 0 0 1
8 4 2 1
2^3 2^2 2^1 2^0
Decimal: 2
1 0
2 1
2^1 2^0
Decimal: 3
1 1
2 1
2^1 2^0
Decimal: 4
1 0 0
4 2 1
2^2 2^1 2^0
Decimal: 10
1 0 1 0
8 4 2 1
2^3 2^2 2^1 2^0
How do you write it in binary?
2
31
11
57
2 = (0000)10
31 = 011111
11 = 001011
57 = 111001
What are bits?
Bits are the smallest unit of storage in a computer
Bits are 0s and 1s (i.e. binary)
What are Bytes?
Bytes are just collections of bits
1 byte = collection of 8 bits
1 byte = 8 bits = 256 different patterns
All computer storage is measured in bytes
Can store one character (e.g. ‘A’, ‘h’, ‘@’)
