Computer Architecture

Computer Architecture

Introduction

The microprocessor is the engine or the driving force behind the revolution of computer technology over past two decades. Microprocessors have been instrumental in the invention of gadgets which are very commonly used by almost everyone, be it the personal computer, facsimile machine, contemporary automobiles or wristwatches. Since its inception in the year 1971, the microprocessor has undergone a journey of advancement and improvement, which has led to a significant improvement in the gadgets that are used widely, throughout the world.

The revolution of the microprocessor as it is commonly known has made systems much better with regards to performance and speed, in addition to making things simpler and more convenient for users. Speed has been an important part of the improvement in microprocessor technology, since the present day systems are around 10, 000 times quicker than the systems that were present some time back (Patterson, 1995).

The paper will shed light on the concepts which have contributed significantly toward the improvement in performance of systems, by discussing all these concepts, namely pipelining, RISC, virtual memory and cache memory.

Thesis Statement

This paper is aimed at analyzing the improvement in performance of systems over the past 25 years, as a result of innovative concepts such as pipelining, RISC, virtual memory and cache memory.

Discussion

Pipelining

In the micro-architecture of a processor, a pipeline is the element in which the execution of instructions is divided into stages. The first computer to use this technique is the IBM Stretch, designed in 1958.

Concept and motivation The pipeline is a concept based on the workings of an assembly line. Consider the assembly of a vehicle consists of three steps: Installing the Engine - Installation of Cover - Removing Tyres (in that order, possibly with intermediate steps) (Flynn, 1995). The vehicle in the assembly line cannot be found in only one position at a time. Once the engine is filed, the vehicle continues to Y for installation of the hood, leaving the position "engine removal" available for a next vehicle X. Z is the vehicle install its tire (wheels) whereas the second (Y) is the step of installing the cover. At the same time a vehicle X starts the installation step motor. If the installation of the engine, hood and wheels are respectively 20, 5 and 10 minutes, achieving three vehicles will, if they hold one to one whole production line, 105 minutes (1:45) = (20 5 10) x3 = 105. If a vehicle is placed in the production chain from the floor to which the vehicle is free to access (principle of pipelining), the total time to achieve the three vehicles is 75 minutes (1:15).

This is a graphical representation of the performance of microprocessors against time, in relation to a super computer of the previous years.

RISC

In computer architecture, RISC (Reduced Instruction Computer Set) is a type of design CPU generally used in microprocessors or microcontrollers with the following key features:

1. Instructions of fixed size and presented in a small number of ...