1 - Overview of a Computer

COL 100 - Introduction to Computer Science

Department of Computer Science and Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Delhi

Components of a Computer
CPU

Address,
Data

Memory

Bus (wires+control)

I/O
Device
(keyboard)

I/O
Device2
(monitor)

I/O
Device3
(mouse)

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Editor

Writing and Executing

a Program
Compiler
Executable

Program

Stored
in
disk

Loader

INPUT
(keyboard,
mouse)
CPU
OUTPUT
(monitor,
printer)
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MEMORY
Instructions
and Data

Elementary Unit: Instruction

Executable Program is a Sequence of
Instructions
in machine language (understood by CPU)
generated from high-level program by Compiler

This sequence is first loaded into memory

CPU accesses and executes the instructions
from memory
one instruction at a time
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Computer Memory
Address

Logical array of locations

Each location has an
ADDRESS
Start address is 0
End address depends on
amount of memory present
in computer
Instructions and Data are
stored in these locations
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0
1
2

254
255
A memory with
256 locations

Loading a Program to Memory

Sequence of
instructions first
loaded into memory
Execution: interpret
one instruction at a
time

Stored
in
disk

100

Inst 1

101

Inst 2

102

...

103

Inst n

254
255

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What does an Instruction

look like?
Sample
Instruction:
4 FIELDS

First
Operand
Address

Which
Operation?

Second
Operand
Address

Destination
Address

Compiler
ADD
...
x = y + z;
...

200

201

202

203

...

201

202

Instruction

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200

Encoding an Instruction
ADD is one operation type
Other operand types: SUB,
MULT, COMPARE...
We can ENCODE each
operation type by a number

ADD: 10
SUB: 11
MULT: 12
etc.

Operation
Type Operand1
Addr Operand2
Dest
Addr
Addr
ADD

201

202

200

Instruction
Encoding

So, the whole instruction

consists of just 4 numbers

10

201

202

Encoded Instruction
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200

Instruction Set of a CPU

The example instruction is an 11digit number

2 digits for Operation type

3 digits for Operand 1
3 digits for Operand 2
3 digits for Destination

Such an instruction can support

Operation
Type Operand1
Addr Operand2
Dest
Addr
Addr
ADD

100 operation types

operands can occupy any of
1000 locations

Instruction Set of a CPU

the set of valid instructions
recognised by the CPU

201

202

200

Instruction
Encoding
2-digits

3-digits

3-digits

3-digits

10

201

202

200

Encoded Instruction
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Memory Hierarchy
Larger the memory, slower the access time
Memory organised as hierarchy of levels
Registers (one word in each register) - an integer can
be stored in a register
Cache (103 to 106 words)
Main memory (107 to 1010 words)
Disk (>1010 words)

Attempt to keep frequently used data closer to CPU

Registers CPU
inside

L1
Cache

L2
Cache
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Main
Memory

Disk