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DFC2053 COMPUTER
SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE
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CHAPTER 1:
THE COMPUTER SYSTEM

SUMMARY: This topic introduces computer architecture

and computer organisation, concepts of cache memory
and Input / Output in computer system

CLO1- Explain effectively computer function, input, output

and central processing unit in computer system. (C2,
PLO1)
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1. Define computer architecture and computer

organisation
2. Describe the concept of interconnection within a
computer system as follows:
Interconnection structures
Bus interconnection
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Basic computer

• An electronic device, operating under the control of

instructions stored in its own memory unit, that can
accept data (input), manipulate the data according to
specified rules (process), produce information
(output) from the processing, and store the results
for future use.

• It has the ability to store, retrieve, and process data.

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Computer organization &

computer architecture
• The components from which computers are built-
computer organization.

• The science of integrating those components to

achieve a level of functionality and performance -
Computer architecture

• Computer organization examines the wood, bricks, nails,

and other building material.

• Computer architecture looks at the design of the house.

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Define computer architecture

• A specification detailing how a set of software and

hardware technology standards interact to form a

computer system or platform.

• In short, computer architecture refers to how a computer

system is designed and what technologies it is compatible

with.
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• A very good example of computer architecture is Von

Neumann architecture, which is still used by most types of
computers today.

• This was proposed by the mathematician John Von Neumann

in 1945.

• It describes the design of an electronic computer with its CPU,

which includes the arithmetic logic unit, control unit, registers,
memory for data and instructions, an input/output interface and
external storage functions.
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Example of Computer architecture

• Instruction sets and formats, operation codes,

number of bit use, data type ( int, …), data size,
techniques for addressing memory, the number
and types of registers, main memory access
methods and input output mechanism.
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Example of Computer Organisation

• Hardware technology, interface to peripheral

devices , clock frequency , memory technology ,
(memory type) , signalling method, control signal,
size of the physical memory, all physical aspects
of computer systems.

Computer architecture
• The science of integrating those components
to achieve a level of functionality and
performance.
• attributes in computer system as viewed by
programmer and have a direct impact to logic
execution of a program.
Example :
• Instruction sets and formats, operation codes,
number of bit use, data type , data size,
techniques for addressing memory and types
of registers, main memory access methods
and input output mechanism.
• architecture may maintained for hundred years
such Von Neumann architecture.
• one computer model, for example Intel x86;
may maintained its architecture but differ in its
organisation.
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Computer organization
• The components from which computers
are built.
• component that linked with operational
unit of a computer system
Example :
• hardware technology, interface to
peripheral devices , clock frequency ,
memory technology , (memory type) ,
signalling method, control signal, size of
the physical memory, all physical
aspects of computer systems
• organisation may change as rapid
changes of technology
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Computer top level structure

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Main structural components of computer:

 Central processing unit (CPU):

Controls the operation of the computer and performs its
data processing functions; known as processor.

 Main memory: Stores data and program.

 I/O: Moves data between the computer and its

external environment.

 System interconnection:
Some mechanism that provides for communication
among CPU, main memory, and I/O.

A common example of system interconnection is by

means of a system bus, consisting of a number of
conducting wires to which all the other components
attach.
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The major structural components of CPU:

1. Control unit: Controls all the operation of the
CPU . The CU determines the sequence in
which computer programs and instruction are
executed.

2. Arithmetic and logic unit (ALU): Performs

the computer’s data processing functions.
Such as performs arithmetic/ logic
computations, Example of arithmetic operation
is - +, -, x, / and perform Logical Operation –
AND, OR, NOT.

3. Registers: Provides internal storage to the

CPU. It is fast internal storage and used to
temporarily store addresses, data, and
processor status.

4. CPU interconnection/ internal bus: Some

mechanism that provides for communication
among the control unit, ALU, and registers.
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Basic organization of computer system

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• Input: provide instruction or data to the system. In order

for a computer to receive the requests and instructions of
the user, some methods of inputting data and information
to the computer are required.
• Output: Needs to display the result to the user and to
communicate with the user and display information that is
being worked on, output device is required
• Storage: Used to store instruction or data. Operation on
data requires access for more than one time, so data and
instruction have to be stored temporarily
• Control: Control the processing of instructions and the
movement of data from one part of the CPU to another.
• ALU: Where arithmetic and Boolean logical calculations
are performed
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Major operations of computer system:

• The input operation recognizes input from keyboard or

mouse.
• The processing operation manipulates data according to
the user’s instructions.
• The output operation sends output to the video screen
or printer.
• The storage operation keeps track of files for use later.
Examples of storage devices include flash memory and
hard drives.
• The control -The process of input, output, processing and
storage is performed under the supervision of a unit called
‘Control Unit’.
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Input
• The process of entering data into a computer; can also
refer to the data itself

• Any hardware component that allows you to enter data,

programs, commands, and user responses into a
computer

• Input Device
Examples
 Keyboard

 Mouse

 Joystick

 Microphone

 scanner
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Output
• Process of producing results from the data for
getting useful information.
• The result could either be displayed on the screen or may
be printed for future reference
• Output devices make the information resulting from
processing available for use
• Output Device Examples
• Printers
• Plotter
• Display Devices
• CRT
• LCD
• Speaker
• Projector
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Processing
• The task of performing operations like arithmetic and logical
operations is called processing

• CPU-central processing unit

• CPU takes data and instructions from the storage unit and makes all
sorts of calculations based on the instructions given and type of data
provided

• The result is then sent back to the storage unit.

• The CPU is a computer chip located inside the system unit that
performs the calculation and comparisons needed for processing; it
also controls the computer’s operations.
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Storage / memory
• The process of saving data and instructions.

• Data has to be fed into the system before the actual processing
starts
• The storage unit performs the following major functions:
i. All data and instructions are stored here before and after
processing
ii. Intermediate results of processing are also stored here
• Removable
• Floppy disk, or diskette
• Compact Disc CD-R, CD-RW, CD-ROM
• DVDs – DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD-RAM
• Zip disk
• Flash disk/USB drive
• Tape
• Non-Removable
• Hard disk
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Control
• The process of input, output, processing and storage
is performed under the supervision of a unit called
‘control unit’

• It decides when to start receiving data, when to stop it,

where to store data, etc

• It takes care of step-by-step processing of all operations

inside the computer
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DESCRIBE THE CONCEPT OF

INTERCONNECTION
WITHIN A COMPUTER SYSTEM
Interconnection Structures
•A computer consists of a set of components
(CPU,memory,I/O) that communicate with each other.

• Interconnection structure is the collection of paths

connecting the various modules.
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Cont…
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• Memory:
• Typically, a memory module will consist of N words of equal
length.
• Each word is assigned a unique numerical address (0, 1, . . . ,N
– 1).
• A word of data can be read from or written into the memory.
• The nature of the operation is indicated by read and write
control signals.
• The location for the operation is specified by an address.
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• I/O module:
• There are two operations, read and write.
• An I/O module may control more than one external device.
• We can refer to each of the interfaces to an external device as
a port and give each a unique address (e.g., 0, 1, . . . ,M– 1).
• There are external data paths for the input and output of data
with an external device.
• Finally, an I/O module may be able to send interrupt signals to
the CPU.
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CPU:
• The CPU reads in instructions and data, writes out data
after processing, and uses control signals to control the
overall operation of the system.
• It also receives interrupt signals
Type of transfers
• Memory to CPU
• CPU to Memory
• I/O to CPU
• CPU to I/O
• I/O to or from Memory (DMA)
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Types of transfers:
• Memory to CPU: The CPU reads an
instruction or data from memory.
• CPU to memory: The CPU writes a
data to memory.
• I/O to CPU:The CPU reads data from
an I/O device via an I/O module.
• CPU to I/O: The CPU sends data to
the I/O device.
• I/O to or from memory: For these
two cases, an I/O module is allowed The interconnection
to exchange data directly with structure must support
the types of transfers.
memory, without going through the
CPU, using direct memory access
(DMA).
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BUS INTERCONNECTION
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BUS INTERCONNECTION
• A bus is a communication pathway connecting two or
more devices.

• A key characteristic of a bus is that it is a shared

transmission medium.

• A bus consists of multiple communication pathways, or

lines.

• Each line is capable of transmitting signals representing

binary 1 and binary 0.
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BUS INTERCONNECTION
• A sequence of bits can be transmit across a single line.

• Several lines can be used to transmit bits simultaneously (in parallel).

• A bus that connects major components (CPU,Memory,I/O) is called

System Bus.
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Internal & External Bus

• There are two main buses in a computer:
The internal (system/ local / front side bus) - Connects all the
internal components of a computer, such as CPU and memory, to
the motherboard. Is a type of data bus that only operates internally
in a computer or system. It carries data and operations as a
standard bus; however, it is only used for connecting and
interacting with internal computer components.

The external (or expansion) bus - Connecting peripherals and all

external devices to a computer. These devices can include storage,
monitors, keyboard, mouse and more.
Typically, an external bus is composed of electrical circuits that
connect and transmit data between the computer and the external
device. Being external to the computer, external buses are much
slower than internal buses. Moreover, an external bus can be both
serial or parallel.
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Internal & External bus

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Internal Bus Structure

• A system bus consists of 50-100 lines. Each line is

assigned a particular meaning or function.

• The lines can be classified into three functional groups:

• Data bus ( Data lines)
• Address bus ( Address lines)
• Control bus (Control lines)
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Bus Interconnection Scheme

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Data Lines / bus

• Provide a path for moving data between system modules.

• These lines, collectively, are called the data bus

• The data bus typically consists of 8, 16 or 32 separate

lines, the numbers of lines being transferred to as the
width of the data bus.

• Each line carry only 1 bit at a time, the number of lines

determines how many bits can transferred at a time -
overall system performance.
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Data will need to be moved between several of these elements. The path
along which data moves is called a data bus.
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With a wider bus, the computer can move more data in the
same amount of time (or the same amount of data in less
time).
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The Address Lines/ bus

• Used to designate the source or destination of the data on
the data bus

• The width of the address bus determines the maximum

possible memory capacity of the system.
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When data is saved to (or loaded from) memory, the address of the
store location at which it is to be stored (or loaded) must also be sent.
The address of data always travels along an address bus.
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The Control Lines/ bus

• Used to control the access to and the use of the data and
address lines.
• Typical control lines include:
• Memory write • Bus request
• Memory read • Bus grant
• I/O write
• Interrupt request
• I/O read
• Clock • Interrupt ACK
• Reset
• Transfer ACK
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The Control Unit sends and receives signals from all parts of the
computer which makes sure that all processes take place at the right
time and in the correct order. These signals travel along a control bus.
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Definition of terms:
• Memory write: Causes data on the bus to be written into the addressed
location
• Memory read: Causes data from the addressed location to be placed on
the bus
• I/O write: Causes data on the bus to be output to the addressed I/O port
• I/O read: Causes data from the addressed I/O port to be placed on the bus
• Transfer ACK ("acknowledgement“): Delivers information that the data was
acknowledged (read) by the device.
• Bus request: Indicates a device is requesting the use of the (data) bus.
• Bus grant: Indicates the CPU has granted access to the bus.
• Interrupt request: A device with lower priority is requesting access to the
CPU.
• Interrupt ACK: Acknowledges that the pending interrupt has been
recognized
• Clock: is used to synchronize data between the CPU and a device.•
Reset: Initializes all modules/ If this line is active, the CPU will perform
a hard reboot.
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The operation of the bus

• If one module wishes to send data:
• obtain the use of the bus
• transfer data via the bus

• If one module wishes to request data:

• obtain the use of the bus
• Transfer request to the other module over the control
and address lines, then wait for that second module to
send the data.
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b) External bus (expansion bus)

• An external bus connects external peripherals to the
motherboard.
• The external bus, also known as expansion bus, is made
up of the electronic pathways that connect the different
external devices, such as monitor, printer etc, to the
computer.
• These external devices connect to ports on the back of
the computer .
• Those ports are actually part of a small circuit board or
'card' that fits into a connector on your motherboard inside
the case.
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• The following list are common expansion buses( internal

bus) in a PC system:
a) Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) – no longer used
b) Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) – no longer
used
c) Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI)
d) Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP)
e) Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe)
f) Mini-PCI
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Expansion bus ( external)

• Universal serial bus (USB)
• Fire wire - Apple Computer's version of a standard, IEEE
1394, High Performance Serial Bus, for connecting
devices to your personal computer.
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Exercise
1. List two differences between computer organization &
computer architecture.
2. List and briefly explain the main structural components of a
computer.
3. List 2 input output devices according to the categories.
4. List and briefly define the main structural components of a
CPU.
5. Draw block diagram to illustrate the basic organization of
computer system.
6. Describe 5 (FIVE) major operations performed by a
computer system.
7. Define the computers bus system
8. Draw and explain each function of computers bus system
diagram.
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Exercise

9.. Choose the correct answer

i. The unit which of performs arithmetic and logical
operations is called
a)ALU b)editing c)storage d) output

ii. The process of producing results from the data for

getting useful information is called
a)output b)input c)processing d)storage
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To be continue…