Computer Architecture vs Organization

Computer Organization and Architecture

• Computer Architecture refers to the overall design of a computer system, including hardware and software components and their interactions.
• Computer Organization refers to the arrangement and interconnection of hardware components, implementing the provided computer architecture.

Open Architecture

• Open Architecture is a design approach that allows easy upgrading and addition of functions to a computer system.
• It enables simpler integration of different computer systems or programs.
• Software developers use open software architecture to encourage other developers to write applications and add-ons.

Parallel Computing

• Parallel Computing breaks down larger problems into smaller, independent parts that can be executed simultaneously by multiple processors.
• Processors communicate via shared memory, and results are combined upon completion as part of an overall algorithm.

Basic Components of a Computer

• Every computer has three basic components: Input Unit, Central Processing Unit (CPU), and Output Unit.

IEEE and ISO

• IEEE's mission is to foster technological innovation and excellence for the benefit of humanity.
• ISO stands for International Organization for Standardization, and its name is an acronym.

Time and Memory Units

• 1 second equals 10^3 milliseconds (ms).
• 1 second equals 10^6 microseconds (µs).
• 1 millisecond equals 10^6 nanoseconds (ns).

Instruction Set Architecture (ISA)

• ISA stands for Instruction Set Architecture, which defines how the CPU is controlled by the software
• It acts as an interface between the hardware and the software, specifying what the processor is capable of doing and how it gets done

Computer Organization vs Computer Architecture

• Computer Organization describes how it does it, deals with structural relationships, and handles low-level design issues
• Computer Architecture describes what the computer does, deals with functional behavior, and handles high-level design issues
• Organization is concerned with the implementation of the architecture, whereas architecture is concerned with the functional behavior of the computer system

Computer Organization

• Deals with physical units like circuit designs, peripherals, and adders
• Handles the segments of the network in a system and escapes the software programmer’s detection
• Organizational qualities include hardware elements that are invisible to the programmer, such as interfacing of computer and peripherals, memory technologies, and control signals

Computer Architecture

• Deals with the functional behavior of computer systems and is concerned with the hardware
• Viewed as a series of instructions, addressing modes, and registers
• Comprises logical functions such as instruction sets, registers, data types, and addressing modes
• Examples of architectural categories include Von-Neumann Architecture, Harvard Architecture, Instruction Set Architecture, Micro-architecture, and System Design

Open Architecture

• Allows adding, upgrading, and swapping components with other computers easily
• Enables flexibility and customization in computer systems

Fetch-Decode-Execute Cycle

• A fundamental process in the operation of a computer’s central processing unit (CPU)
• Consists of three stages: Fetch, Decode, and Execute
• Fetch:
  • Retrieves the next instruction from memory using the program counter (PC)
  • Stores the fetched instruction in the instruction register (IR)
• Decode:
  • Examines the fetched instruction to determine what operation it represents
  • Determines the operation and operands required for the instruction