Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig. 2.21. A programmer's view of a
processor.
01001011111101100111
00110111101011110110
01101110011001010111
01000111010001100101
01101100001000000100
11011111001101101110
01101001011010111110
00010110111001100001
01101011001000001110
10010111001100100000
01001001011101100110
01010111010001101011
11100001011011100110
00010110101100101110
Register N
Control Unit
Register 1
Register 0
ALU
Processor
Memory
that set the paths directing the flow of electrons. The bank of registers is for
storing the instructions and the intermediate results of operations.
The exact choice of instructions that the hardware is built to execute
defines the hardware-software interface. This is the “instruction set” of the
machine. In the next chapter we will go up the hierarchy from the hardware
layers and examine the software of the machine.
Key concepts
Hierarchical design and functional abstraction
Boolean algebra and switching circuits
Binary arithmetic
Bits, bytes, and words
Logic gates and truth tables
Combinational and sequential logic circuits
Flip-flops and clocks
The memory hierarchy
The fetch-execute cycle
Search WWH ::
Custom Search