Organizacion De Las Computadoras

OBJECTIVES

This book is about the structure and function of computers. Its purpose is to present, as

clearly and completely as possible, the nature and characteristics of modern-day computer

systems.

This task is challenging for several reasons. First, there is a tremendous variety of products

that can rightly claim the name of computer, from single-chip microprocessors costing a

few dollars to supercomputers costing tens of millions of dollars. Variety is exhibited not

only in cost, but also in size, performance, and application. Second, the rapid pace of change

that has always characterized computer technology continues with no letup. These changes

cover all aspects of computer technology, from the underlying integrated circuit technology

used to construct computer components, to the increasing use of parallel organization concepts

in combining those components.

In spite of the variety and pace of change in the computer field, certain fundamental

concepts apply consistently throughout. The application of these concepts depends on the

current state of the technology and the price/performance objectives of the designer.The intent

of this book is to provide a thorough discussion of the fundamentals of computer organization

and architecture and to relate these to contemporary design issues.

The subtitle suggests the theme and the approach taken in this book. It has always

been important to design computer systems to achieve high performance, but never has this

requirement been stronger or more difficult to satisfy than today. All of the basic performance

characteristics of computer systems, including processor speed, memory speed, memory

capacity, and interconnection data rates, are increasing rapidly. Moreover, they are

increasing at different rates. This makes it difficult to design a balanced system that maximizes

the performance and utilization of all elements. Thus, computer design increasingly

becomes a game of changing the structure or function in one area to compensate for a performance

mismatch in another area.We will see this game played out in numerous design

decisions throughout the book.

A computer system, like any system, consists of an interrelated set of components. The

system is best characterized in terms of structure—the way in which components are interconnected,

and function—the operation of the individual components. Furthermore, a computer’s

organization is hierarchical. Each major component can be further described by decomposing it

into its major subcomponents and describing their structure and function. For clarity and ease

of understanding, this hierarchical organization is described in this book from the top down:

• Computer

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