Introduction to Computer

and Programming
By
Arooba Akhtar
Fixed Program?
• They were designed to do very specific operations.
• A calculator is a fixed program computer.
• It can do basic mathematics; but it cannot be used as a word
processor or a gaming console.
• Changing the program of a fixed-program machine requires
rewriting, restricting, or redesigning the machine.
• It could take three weeks to set up a program on ENIAC and get
it working.
Stored Program?
• A stored program computer is one that stores program
instructions in electronic memory.
• Therefore, easily reprogrammable.
• Von Neumann is a stored program architecture (also called as
Princeton Architecture) introduced by John von Neumann, a
Hungarian American mathematician, physicist, and computer
scientist.
Von Neumann Architecture
• Von-Neumann proposed his computer architecture design in 1945
which was later known as Von-Neumann Architecture.
• It consisted of a Control Unit, Arithmetic, and Logical Memory Unit
(ALU), Registers and Inputs/Outputs.
• Von Neumann architecture is based on the stored-program
computer concept, where instruction data and program data are
stored in the same memory.
• This design is still used in most computers produced today.
Von Neumann Architecture
• The von Neumann architecture describes a general framework, or
structure, that a computer’s hardware, programming, and data
should follow.
• Even all the most modern computers and mobile devices are
designed based on this fundamental concept.
Von Neumann Architecture Components

• It had 3 basic components:

1. I/O Interfaces
2. CPU
3. Memory
• Buses (denoted by the arrows) carries the data around.
Von Neumann Architecture
 Von Neumann Architecture Components

I/O Interfaces
• The I/O interfaces allow the computer’s memory to receive
information and send data to output devices.
• Allow the computer to communicate to the user and to secondary
storage devices like disk and tape drives.
 Von Neumann Architecture Components

CPU
• CPU can be considered the heart of the computing system.
• It includes three main components:
1. Control Unit (CU)
2. Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)
3. Registers
 Von Neumann Architecture Components

1. Control Unit (CU)

• The Control Unit of a computer system controls the operations of
components like ALU, memory and input/output devices.
• The Control Unit consists of a program counter that contains the
address of the instructions to be fetched and an instruction register
into which instructions are fetched from memory for execution.
 Von Neumann Architecture Components

2. Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)

• The Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU) performs the required micro-
operations for executing the instructions.
• In simple words, ALU allows arithmetic (add, subtract, etc.) and logic
(AND, OR, NOT, etc.) operations to be carried out.
 Von Neumann Architecture Components

Registers
• Registers refer to high-speed storage areas in the CPU.
• The data processed by the CPU are fetched from the registers.
 Von Neumann Architecture Components

Registers
• Following is the list of registers that plays a crucial role in data
processing.
 Von Neumann Architecture Components

Memory Unit
• A memory unit is a collection of storage cells together with
associated circuits needed to transfer information in and out of the
storage.
• The memory stores binary information in groups of bits called
words.
• The internal structure of a memory unit is specified by the number
of words it contains and the number of bits in each word.
 Von Neumann Architecture Components

Memory Unit
• Memory Width (w) - How many bits is each memory cell have
(typically one byte = 8 bits)
• Address Width (N) - How many bits used to represent each address
• Address Space - The number of uniquely identifiable memory
locations (2N)
 Von Neumann Architecture Components

Buses
• Buses are the means by which information is shared between the
registers in a multiple-register configuration system.
• A bus structure consists of a set of common lines, one for each bit of
a register, through which binary information is transferred one at a
time.
• Control signals determine which register is selected by the bus
during each particular register transfer.
 Von Neumann Architecture Components

Buses
• Von-Neumann Architecture comprised of three major bus systems
for data transfer.
 Von Neumann Architecture Advantages

• Control unit gets data and instruction in the same way from one

memory.

• It simplify design and development of the control unit.

• Data from memory and from devices are accessed in the same way.

• Memory organization is in the hands of programmers.

 Von Neumann Architecture Disadvantages

• Serial instruction processing does not allow parallel execution of

program. Parallel executions are simulated later by the operating

system.

• One bus is a bottleneck. Only one information can be accessed at the

same time.

• Instruction stored in the same memory as the data can be

accidentally rewritten by an error in a program.

 Von Neumann Architecture Alternative

Harvard Architecture
• Memory for data was separated from memory for instruction.

• Two memories with two Buses allow parallel access to data and

instructions.

• Execution can be 2x faster.

• But control unit for two buses is more complicated and more

expensive.