PLATECH

• Computer Architecture refers to the design of the internal workings of a computer system, including the CPU, memory, and other hardware components
• Computer Architecture involves the composition of hardware such as instruction set architecture (ISA), data path design, and control unit design
• Computer Architecture is concerned with optimizing the performance of the computer system and ensuring it can execute user instructions quickly and efficiently
• Computer Organization refers to the operational units and their interconnections that implement the architecture specifications
• Computer Organization deals with how the components of the computer system are arranged and how they interact to perform the required operations
• Computer Organization is concerned with the physical implementation of the architecture design and includes decisions about interconnection and communication between components like the bus structure, memory hierarchy, and I/O systems
• Computer Architecture describes what the computer does, while Computer Organization describes how it does it
• Computer Architecture deals with the functional behavior of the computer system, while Computer Organization deals with the structural relationship of the computer system components
• Computer Architecture is about the low-level design, whereas Computer Organization is about the high-level design
• Computer Architecture indicates the system hardware, while Computer Organization indicates the system performance
• Computer Architecture makes the computer hardware visible, while Computer Organization offers how well a computer performs
• Computer Architecture coordinates the hardware & software of the system, while Computer Organization handles the segments of the network in the system
• Examples of CPU/processor designs include Intel and AMD (x86), Suns Microsystems (SPARC), and Apple, IBM, Motorola (Power PC)
• Functional Units of a computer system include the Input unit, Central Processing Unit, Memory Unit, Arithmetic Logic Unit, Control Unit, and Output unit
• The Input unit reads data and program instructions, converts them into binary code, and transmits them to memory or the processor
• The Memory unit is the storage area where programs and data are kept while running, enabling the processor to access running applications and services temporarily stored
• The Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) performs arithmetic and logical operations of a running program
• The Control Unit (CU) coordinates the operations of the processors, telling other units how to respond to program instructions
• The Output unit sends processed information to the user via an output device for viewing and understanding
• Stored Program Control Concept refers to storing instructions in the computer's memory to enable it to perform tasks in sequence or intermittently
• The Basic Von Neumann Architecture includes registers like the Program Counter (PC) and Instruction Register (IR) for executing program instructions
• The Memory Address Register (MAR) holds the address of the main memory for data transfer, while the Memory Data Register (MDR) contains the data to be written into or read from the memory
• Polling and interrupt methods are used for the processor to communicate with devices, with polling checking devices frequently and interrupt providing asynchronous input