Eastern Mediterranean University

School of Computing and Technology

ITEC255
Computer Organization
ITEC255 - Computer Organization & Architecture

& Architecture

INTRODUCTION

Introduction

• The course is about the structure and function of computers.

• The purpose is to present the nature and characteristics of

modern-day computers.
ITEC255 - Computer Organization & Architecture

• The intent of this course is to provide:

• a detailed discussion of the fundamentals of computer
organization and architecture
• to relate these to contemporary computer design issues.

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 Organization and Architecture

• Computer architecture 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.
ITEC255 - Computer Organization & Architecture

• Examples of architectural attributes include:

• Instruction set
• Number of bits used to represent various data types (e.g.
numbers, characters)
• I/O mechanisms
• Memory addressing techniques

Organization and Architecture

• Computer organization refers to the operational units and

their interconnections that realize the architectural
specifications.
ITEC255 - Computer Organization & Architecture

• Examples of organizational attributes are transparent to

programmer, such as:
• Control signals
• Interfaces between the computer and peripherals
• Memory technology being used

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 Organization and Architecture

• As an example:
• The fact that a multiply instruction is available is a
computer architecture issue.
ITEC255 - Computer Organization & Architecture

• How that multiply is implemented is a computer

organization issue.

Organization and Architecture

• Many computer manufacturers offer a family of computer
models all with the same architecture.

• All Intel x86 family share the same basic architecture.

ITEC255 - Computer Organization & Architecture

• The IBM System/370 family share the same basic architecture.

• This gives compatibility for new models.

• Organization differs between different versions with changing

technology.

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 Structure and Function

• Modern computers contain millions of electronic

components.

• The key to describe such systems is to recognize their

ITEC255 - Computer Organization & Architecture

hierarchical nature.

• A hierarchical system is a set of layers or levels of

interrelated subsystems.

Structure and Function

• The designer need only deal with a particular level of the

system at a time.

• At each level, the system consists of a set of components and

ITEC255 - Computer Organization & Architecture

their interrelationships.

• The behavior at each level depends only on a simplified,

abstracted characterization of the system at the next lower
level.

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 Structure and Function

• At each level, the designer is concerned with:

• Structure: The way in which components relate to each
other (interrelated).
• Function: The operation of each individual components as
ITEC255 - Computer Organization & Architecture

part of the structure.

• We will usually describe systems from the top-down, instead

of bottom-up.

Function
• There are only four basic functions that a computer can
perform.
1. Data processing: The data may take a wide variety of form,
but only a few fundamental methods or types of data
processing.
ITEC255 - Computer Organization & Architecture

2. Data storage: There are long-term or short, temporary storage.

3. Data movement
• Input/Output: When data are received from or delivered to
a peripheral, a device connected directly to the computer.
• Data communication: When data is moved over longer
distances, to or from a remote device.
4. Control: Control of the above functions, by instructions
provided by the user of the computer (i.e. their programs).

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 Function
ITEC255 - Computer Organization & Architecture

A functional view of the computer 11

Function

• Within the computer, a control unit manages the computer’s

resources and orchestrates the performance of its functional
ITEC255 - Computer Organization & Architecture

parts in response to those instructions.

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 Function
• The number of possible operations that can be performed is
four:
1. The computer can function as a data movement device,
simply transferring data from one peripheral or
communications line to another.
ITEC255 - Computer Organization & Architecture

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Function
2. The computer can function as a data storage device, with
data transferred from external environment to computer
storage (read) and vice versa (write).
ITEC255 - Computer Organization & Architecture

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 Function
3. The computer can operate data processing in storage.
ITEC255 - Computer Organization & Architecture

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Function
4. The computer can operate data processing between storage
and external environment.
ITEC255 - Computer Organization & Architecture

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 Structure
• Figure shows the simplest possible representation of a
computer.
• The computer interacts in some fashion with its external
environment.
• In general, all of its linkages to the external environment can
ITEC255 - Computer Organization & Architecture

be classified as peripheral devices or communication lines.

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Structure
• There are four main structural components in the internal
structure of the computer:
1. Central processing unit (CPU): Controls the operation
of the computer and performs its data processing
functions. Often simply referred to as processor.
ITEC255 - Computer Organization & Architecture

2. Main memory: Stores data.

3. I/O: Moves data between the computer and its external
environment.
4. System interconnection: Some mechanism that provides
communication among CPU, main memory and I/O. A
common example of system interconnection is by means
of a system bus, consisting of a number of conducting
wires to which all the other components attach.

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 Structure
• Internal structure of a computer:

Peripherals Computer

Main
ITEC255 - Computer Organization & Architecture

CPU
Memory

Computer Systems
Bus

I/O
Communication
lines

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Structure – CPU
• Traditionally, there has been just a single processor. In recent
years, there has been increasing use of multiple processors in a
single computer.

• Major structural components of CPU are as follows:

ITEC255 - Computer Organization & Architecture

• Control Unit: Controls the operation of CPU and hence

computer.
• Arithmetic and logic unit (ALU): Performs computer’s
data processing functions.
• Registers: Provides storage internal to CPU.
• CPU interconnection: Some mechanism that provides
communication among control unit, ALU and registers.

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 Structure – CPU
• Internal structure of a CPU:

CPU
ITEC255 - Computer Organization & Architecture

ALU Computer
Registers
Main
CPU Memory

Internal Bus Systems

Bus

I/O
Control
Unit

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Structure – Control Unit

• There are several approaches to the implementation of the

control unit.

• The most common is a microprogrammed implementation.

ITEC255 - Computer Organization & Architecture

• A microprogrammed control unit operates by executing

microinstructions that define the functionality of the control
unit.

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 Structure – Control Unit
• Internal structure of a control unit:

Control Unit

CPU
Sequencing
ITEC255 - Computer Organization & Architecture

Registers ALU Logic

Internal
Bus
Control Unit
Control
Registers
Unit and
Decoders

Control
Memory

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Why Study Computer Organization and Architecture?

• To be a professional in any field of computing today, one

should not regard the computer just as a black box that
executes programs by magic.
ITEC255 - Computer Organization & Architecture

• Students need to understand computer architecture in order

to structure a program so that it runs more efficiently on a
real machine.

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