COMPUTER

Functional Units of a Computer System

 1. Input Unit: Computer accepts encoded information through input unit. The standard input device is a
keyboard. Whenever a key is pressed, keyboard controller sends the code to CPU/Memory. Examples
include Mouse, Joystick, Tracker ball, Light pen, Digitizer, Scanner etc.
Thus the functions of the input unit are :
 accept information (data) and programs.
 convert the data in a form which the computer can accept.
 provide this converted data to the computer for further processing
2 Memory Unit: The Memory unit can be referred to as the storage area in which programs are kept which are running,
and that contains data needed by the running programs.
 The Memory unit can be categorized in two ways namely, primary memory and secondary memory.
 It enables a processor to access running execution applications and services that are temporarily stored in a specific
memory location.
 Primary storage is the fastest memory that operates at electronic speeds. Primary memory contains a large number of
semiconductor storage cells, capable of storing a bit of information. The word length of a computer is between 16-64
bits.
 It is also known as the volatile form of memory, means when the computer is shut down, anything contained in RAM
is lost.
 Cache memory is also a kind of memory which is used to fetch the data very soon. They are highly coupled with the
processor.
 The most common examples of primary memory are RAM and ROM.
 Secondary memory is used when a large amount of data and programs have to be stored for a long-term basis.
 It is also known as the Non-volatile memory form of memory, means the data is stored permanently irrespective of
shut down.
 The most common examples of secondary memory are magnetic disks, magnetic tapes, and optical disks.
The main memory has the storage section that holds the computer programs during execution. Thus the primary unit: 5 
Stores data and programs during actual processing  Stores temporary results of intermediate processing  Stores results
of execution temporarily
 3. Arithmetic and logic unit: ALU consist of necessary logic circuits like adder, comparator etc.,
to perform operations of addition, multiplication, comparison of two numbers etc.
 4. Output Unit: Computer after computation returns the computed results, error messages, etc. via
output unit. The standard output device is a video monitor, LCD/TFT monitor. Other output
devices are printers, plotters etc.
 5. Control Unit: Control Unit, which acts like the supervisor seeing that things are done in proper
fashion. The control unit determines the sequence in which computer programs and instructions
are executed. Things like processing of programs stored in the main memory, interpretation of the
instructions and issuing of signals for other units of the computer to execute them. It also acts as a
switch board operator when several users access the computer simultaneously. Thereby it
coordinates the activities of computer’s peripheral equipment as they perform the input and output.
Therefore it is the manager of all operations .
 Control unit co-ordinates activities of all units by issuing control signals. Control signals issued by
control unit govern the data transfers and then appropriate operations take place. Control unit
interprets or decides the operation/action to be performed.
 The operations of a computer can be
summarized as follows:
 1. A set of instructions called a program reside in the main memory of computer.
 2. The CPU fetches those instructions sequentially one-by-one from the main memory, decodes them
and performs the specified operation on associated data operands in ALU.
 3. Processed data and results will be displayed on an output unit.
 4. All activities pertaining to processing and data movement inside the computer machine are governed
by control unit.
 Computer organization :
 Computer Organization comes after the decide of Computer Architecture first. Computer Organization is
how operational attribute are linked together and contribute to realise the architectural specification.
Computer Organization deals with structural relationship.
 Organization describes how it does it.
 Computer organization : ·refers to the operational units and their interconnections that realize the
architectural specifications. Computer organization deals with physical aspects of computer design, memory
and their types and microprocessors design. Organizational attributes include those hardware details
transparent to the programmer, such as control signals; interfaces between the computer and peripherals; and
the memory technology used and peripherals; and the memory technology used.
Computer Organization comes after the decide of Computer Architecture first.
Computer Organization is how operational attribute are linked together and contribute to realise the
architectural specification.
Computer Organization deals with structural relationship.
Organization describes how it does it.  computer organization mainly deals with how a particular hardware
works in a computer

 EXAMPLE 2:
 Suppose you are in a company that manufactures cars, design and all low-level details of the
car come under computer architecture (abstract,programmers view), while making it’s parts
piece by piece and connecting together the different components of that car by keeping the
basic design in mind comes under computer organization (physical and visible).
 EXAMPLE 3:
 For example, both Intel and AMD processors have the same X86 architecture, but how the two
companies implement that architecture (their computer organizations) is usually very different.
The same programs run correctly on both, because the architecture is the same, but they may
run at different speeds, because the organizations are different.
 EXAMPLE 4
 Ex: Two different models from a same vendor like Intel are brought to analyze. Both the
models(lap top and desk top) have same processor like core 2 duo. That means both models
understand the same instruction set as you know each processor understands a fixed no of
instructions. Hence forth their architecture is same. Due to the placement of various hardware
components, one model (laptop) is slim and other is bulky. Hence their organization is different
Computer Architecture

 Computer Architecture: mostly it refers to those attributes of a system visible to a programmer or those
attributes that have a direct impact on the logical execution of a program.
 Computer Architecture:
Computer Architecture is a functional description of requirements and design implementation for the
various parts of computer.It deals with functional behavior of computer system. It comes before the
computer organization while designing a computer.
 Architecture describes what the computer does.
 Examples of architectural attributes include:
i. instruction set designing
ii. instruction format
iii. no of bits used to represent various types of data
iv. different addressing mechanism to access data
COMPUTER ORGANIZATION AND
ARCHITECTURE
In computer fields, computer architecture is a set of rules and ways that explain the functionality, organization and
implementation of computer systems. The design and fundamental operational structure of a computer system.
Computer organization is an organization in which we organize all hardwares into a system where as architecture is
explain about the functions of hardware devices
Computer Architecture is a functional description of requirements and design implementation for the
various parts of computer
.It deals with functional behavior of computer system. It comes before the computer organization while
designing a computer.
Architecture describes what the computer does. computer architecture deals with how to design a circuit for
such hardware.
In short, computer organization mainly deals with how a particular hardware works in a computer
where as computer architecture deals with how to design a circuit for such hardware.
EXAMPLE
Assume that I bought a car. I know how to drive it. It is enough to learn how to start it, how to shift
gears and how to apply brakes etc. to drive a car, you do not need to learn how to repair if anything
fails. Knowing how to drive a car is nothing but computer organization.

If I have to repair my car then I should drive it to a mechanic because he would knows how it was
manufactured and how to repair it. This is computer architecture.

If you know both driving and repairing then you know both organization and architecture.
Computer Architecture VS Computer Organization
 CONT
 EXAMPLE 2:
 Suppose you are in a company that manufactures cars, design and all low-level details of the car
come under computer architecture (abstract,programmers view), while making it’s parts piece by
piece and connecting together the different components of that car by keeping the basic design in
mind comes under computer organization (physical and visible).
 EXAMPLE 3:
 For example, both Intel and AMD processors have the same X86 architecture, but how the two
companies implement that architecture (their computer organizations) is usually very different. The
same programs run correctly on both, because the architecture is the same, but they may run at
different speeds, because the organizations are different.
Difference between Computer Architecture and
Computer Organization:
COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE COMPUTER ORGANIZATION
Architecture describes what the computer does. Organization describes how it does it.

Computer Architecture deals with functional behavior of computer

Computer Organization deals with structural relationship.
system.
In above figure, its also clear that it deals with low-level design
In above figure, its clear that it deals with high-level design issue.
issue.

Architecture indicates its hardware. Where, Organization indicates its performance.

For designing a computer, organization is decided after its

For designing a computer, its architecture is fixed first.
architecture.

Computer Architecture is concerned with the way Computer Organization is concerned with the structure
hardware components are connected together to form a and behaviour of a computer system as seen by the
computer system. user.

It acts as the interface between hardware and software. It deals with the components of a connection in a
system.

Computer Architecture helps us to understand the Computer Organization tells us how exactly all the units
functionalities of a system. in the system are arranged and interconnected.

While designing a computer system architecture is An organization is done on the basis of architecture.
Types of Computer Architecture

 https://www.educba.com/types-of-computer-architecture/
 Importance of Computer Architecture
1.   The
study of Computer Architecture and Organization helps to know the execution of computer instruction at
the micro level.

2.     Data flow, memory hierarchy, tradeoffs and timing analysis can be known by studying Computer
Architecture and Organization.

3.     The concepts of embedded systems, processor design can be also known. 

       
4.     Helps to write assembly code, real-time code or time critical systems coding.

5.     Memory hierarchy model, RAM, ROM, use of ‘pipeline’ can be known exactly by Computer Architecture
and Organization.
  6.  It gives fundamental and basic understandings about how computer works.

7.     Many things depends on Computer Architecture and Organization understanding like – performance
analysis, practical software, parallel software, embedded systems, game programming, databases, accelerators,
GPGPU computing, compiler optimization etc.

8.     Its knowledge helps to write programs faster, smaller, less prone to error.

9.     It also helps program debugging.

10.   It gives idea about relative cost of computer operation, the relation of software and users by their inner
workings.
 Input, ouput devices,
 Software
 Types of computer architecture