COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE &
OPERATIONS I
Instructor: Yaohang Li
Review
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Last Class
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Syllabus
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Moore’s Law
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Classes of Computers
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Decimal, Binary, Octal, Hexadecimal Representations
This Class
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Program and Computer
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Compiler, Assembler, and Linker
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Components of a Computer
Next Class
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Quiz
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Computer Performance
Understanding Computer Performance
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Algorithm
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Programming language, compiler, architecture
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Determine number of machine instructions executed
per operation
Processor and memory system
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Determines number of operations executed
Determine how fast instructions are executed
I/O system (including OS)
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Determines how fast I/O operations are executed
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Application software
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Written in high-level language
System software
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Compiler: translates High Level
Language code to machine code
Operating System: service code
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Handling input/output
Managing memory and storage
Scheduling tasks & sharing resources
Hardware
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Processor, memory, I/O controllers
§1.2 Below Your Program
Below Your Program
Levels of Program Code
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High-level language
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Assembly language
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Level of abstraction closer
to problem domain
Provides for productivity
and portability
Symbolic representation of
instructions
Hardware representation
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Binary digits (bits)
Encoded instructions and
data
Compiler
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Function of Compiler
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Convert programs in high-level language to
programs in assembly language
Example: C Compiler
C program
Assembly Program
Assembler
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Assembler
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Translates assembly language into binary
instructions
Assembly Language
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Use symbols instead of 0’s and 1’s
More readable
Binary Instructions
MIPS binary code for summing 0 to 100 square
Linker
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Separate Compilation
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Allows a program to be split into pieces that
are stored in different files
Each file contains a logically related collection
of subroutines and data structures that form a
module
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Can be compiled separately
Can be reused
Linker
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Merge Modules together
Functions of a Linker
Tasks of a Linker
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Search the program libraries to find library
routines used by the program
Determine the memory locations that code
from each module will occupy and
relocates its instructions by adjusting
absolute references
Resolves references among modules
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Matching references
Relationship Among Compiler,
Assembler, and Linker
Example: gcc compiler
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Compile a simple program
gcc –v test.c
The BIG Picture
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Same components for
all kinds of computer
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Desktop, server,
embedded
Input/output includes
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User-interface devices
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Storage devices
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Display, keyboard, mouse
Hard disk, CD/DVD, flash
Network adapters
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For communicating with
other computers
§1.3 Under the Covers
Components of a Computer
Anatomy of a Computer
Output
device
Network
cable
Input
device
Input
device
Anatomy of a Mouse
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Optical mouse
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LED illuminates
desktop
Small low-res camera
Basic image processor
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Looks for x, y
movement
Buttons & wheel
Supersedes roller-ball
mechanical mouse
Through the Looking Glass
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LCD screen: picture elements (pixels)
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Mirrors content of frame buffer memory
Opening the Box
Inside the Processor (CPU)
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Datapath: performs operations on data
Control: sequences datapath, memory, ...
Cache memory
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Small fast SRAM memory for immediate
access to data
Inside the Processor
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AMD Barcelona: 4 processor cores
Abstractions
The BIG Picture
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Abstraction helps us deal with complexity
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Instruction set architecture (ISA)
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The hardware/software interface
Application binary interface
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Hide lower-level detail
The ISA plus system software interface
Implementation
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The details underlying and interface
A Safe Place for Data
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Volatile main memory
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Loses instructions and data when power off
Non-volatile secondary memory
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Magnetic disk
Flash memory
Optical disk (CDROM, DVD)
Networks
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Communication and resource sharing
Local area network (LAN): Ethernet
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Within a building
Wide area network (WAN: the Internet)
Wireless network: WiFi, Bluetooth
Technology Trends
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Electronics
technology
continues to evolve
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Increased capacity
and performance
Reduced cost
DRAM capacity
Summary
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Performance of a Computer
Compiler
Assembler
Linker
Components of a Computer
What I want you to do
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Review Chapter 1
Prepare for your first Quiz