Introduction

Tom Kelliher, CS 220

Aug. 29, 2007

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Assignment

Read 2.1-2.4.

Outline

  1. Syllabus.

  2. Introduction.

Coming Up

CPU operations, operands, and instruction representation.

Introduction

Moore's law: the number of transistors on a chip doubles every two years. What has this given us?

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What have architects done with these transistors?

Types of computing systems:

  1. Personal systems: desktop and laptops.

  2. Servers: Today's ``mainframes.'' File servers have more storage and faster I/O; CPU speed not so critical. Compute servers tend to have more of everything.

  3. Supercomputers: super servers. Large scale simulations -- weather, automotive, nuclear.

  4. Embedded: the largest category. Where are they?

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The three ``legs'' of performance:

  1. Algorithms.

  2. Architecture.

  3. Technology.

Layered system design:

  1. Hardware.

  2. Operating system.

  3. System software.

  4. Application software.

  5. User.

Compilation process:

  1. HLL and compiler.

  2. Assembly and assembler.

    One-to-one correspondence to machine code (usually).

  3. Binary machine code.

How does Java fit into this model?

Components of a computer:

  1. Input, output.

    Connection structures:

    1. PCI, AGP, IDE, SCSI buses.

    2. Parallel, serial, PS2 ports.

    3. USB, Firewire.

  2. Memory.

    Hierarchy:

    1. Registers.

    2. L1 and L2 caches.

    3. Memory.

    4. Hard disk.

    5. Floppy, CD, Zip, flash drive, tape, etc.

    Technologies:

    1. Flip flops.

    2. Static, dynamic RAM.

    3. Flash

    4. Disk technology.

  3. Control, datapath. (Processor, CPU)

A little history:

  1. What was a computer? Why did some dream of mechanized computers?

  2. Babbage and Lovelace: Analytical Engine.

  3. Eckert and Mauchly: ENIAC.

    Total market for electronic computers. Application areas?

  4. Univac, 1951.

    Census.

  5. IBM System/360, 1964.

  6. DEC PDP-8.

  7. CDC and Cray: supercomputing.

  8. Solid state memory. Microprocessors (Intel 4004, 1971).

  9. Personal computers: Apple, IBM, others.

  10. DEC VAX: 32-bit minicomputer. Pinnacle of CISC architecture.

  11. Berkeley RISC and Stanford MIPS: RISC architectural revolution.

  12. Intel x86.


Thomas P. Kelliher 2007-08-27
Tom Kelliher