Computer Architecture

The computer is an automatic machine which acquires many commands in input , processes
the data coming in input and gives results in output.
Computers need two essential parts: hardware (the physical part) and software (all the
programs)

Minimal Architecture:-Storage
-CPU
-I/O devices

Hardware Components:

Motherboard:

The motherboard is a support made out of bachelite or carbon fiber in smartphones,

because of its lower weight, on which are cabled all the hardware components which
communicate one with the other through the BUS which carry data and all the informations
from one component to the other.

Input/output Devices:

Input and output devices (keyboard, display, usb pen, mouse) are necessary to interact with
the computer giving inputs and receiving results in output.

CPU (Central Processing Unit):

It is divided into three parts:

● ALU: Arithmetic and Logical Unit, which is responsible of all arithmetic and logical
calculations;
● CU: Control unit, which has the task of high-frequency synchronizing every
operations thanks to the system clock;
● REG: Registers, which are very small volatile memories that are being used in that
exact moment.

Memories:

Non volatile memories: the non volatile memories or also called the permanent memories
are memories that won’t lose their content even in lack of electricity, this is because of the
material they’re made out of (magnetic iron)
Volatile memories: they’re memories that lose their content in lack of electricity and they are
made out of semiconductors (RAM). They keep their content as long as the computer is
running.
RAM: Random Access Memory is also called principal memory and is smaller compared to
the permanent one because the data aren’t stored definitively.
The Mass Storage (memoria di massa) is a permanent memory that is called permanent
because of the large quantity of data stored. Memories are large containers which store
data. The cluster is a piece of memory in which the data are stored.
Memories are measured based on their capacity (what they are capable of containing).
Memories are small circuits based on microtechnology and microelectronics.
This allows large capacity in small spaces. Its capacity is measured in Bytes.

Software Components:

The software is the brain of the computer so everything computers can do is software.
Every program installed in the computer is stored in a memory. (the programs are a group of
informations written in binary code)

There are two kinds of software:

-the operating system (SB) or basic software which is essential for the proper working of the
machine
-applicative software which are programs specific to some operations. (Shareware, freeware,
adware…)

Bootstrap:

During the boot process, a computer runs the bootstrap phase which is the first part of the
booting process. This process is divided in 3 phases:
-Recognition: the operating system, as soon as the computer receives an electric impulse,
opens an automatic program which recognises the devices connected. System diagnosis.
-Transfer: transfering of of operating system’s programs from the hard disk to the RAM
memory (working memory)
-GUI interface: Graphical User Interface. This interface is needed to simplify the usage of
the computer using icons.

The byte is the necessary space to store a single character. The byte has its multiples and
submultiples but the measure system in computers isn’t decimal, it’s binary. Multiples go on
any 1024 units.
Byte: 8 bit
Kilobyte: 1024 byte
Megabyte: 1024 Kilobyte
GigaByte: 1024 Megabyte
Terabyte: 1024 Gigabyte

The cache is a working buffering (a cuscinetto) memory which is found between the CPU
and the RAM.

Bios: Basic Input Output System, it’s the group of programs needed to start the bootstrap
phase. They’re activated in the booting process and they’re found in the non volatile memory
because otherwise they won’t be activated in the booting process.