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The document outlines the levels of abstraction in electronic computing systems, starting from the physical motion of electrons to application software. It explains how each level, including analog and digital circuits, microarchitecture, and architecture, plays a role in managing complexity and functionality. The relationship between hardware and software is also highlighted, emphasizing the operating system's role in facilitating user applications.

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6 views2 pages

1

The document outlines the levels of abstraction in electronic computing systems, starting from the physical motion of electrons to application software. It explains how each level, including analog and digital circuits, microarchitecture, and architecture, plays a role in managing complexity and functionality. The relationship between hardware and software is also highlighted, emphasizing the operating system's role in facilitating user applications.

Uploaded by

BUSHANA
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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UE20EC205

Notes

Unit 1: Number System & Logic Gates


Levels of abstraction for an electronic computing system:

• The critical technique for managing complexity is abstraction: hiding details when they
are not important.

• A system can be viewed from many different levels of abstraction.

• The following Figure illustrates levels of abstraction for an electronic computer system
along with typical building blocks at each level.

• At the lowest level of abstraction is the physics, the motion of electrons.

• Our system is constructed from electronic devices such as transistors (or vacuum tubes,
once upon a time).

Figure: Levels of abstraction for an electronic computing system


• The next level of abstraction is analog circuits, in which devices are assembled to create
components such as amplifiers.

• Analog circuits input and output a continuous range of voltages.

• Digital circuits such as logic gates restrict the voltages to discrete ranges, which we will
use to indicate 0 and 1.

• In logic design, we build more complex structures, such as adders or memories, from
digital circuits.

• Microarchitecture links the logic and architecture levels of abstraction.

• The architecture level of abstraction describes a computer from the programmer’s


perspective.

• For example, the Intel x86 architecture used by microprocessors in most personal
computers (PCs) is defined by a set of instructions and registers (memory for
temporarily storing variables) that the programmer is allowed to use.

• Microarchitecture involves combining logic elements to execute the instructions defined


by the architecture.

• A particular architecture can be implemented by one of many different


microarchitectures with different price/performance/power trade-offs.

• For example, the Intel Core i7, the Intel 80486, and the AMD Athlon all implement the
x86 architecture with different microarchitectures.

• Moving into the software realm, the operating system handles low level details such as
accessing a hard drive or managing memory.

• Finally, the application software uses these facilities provided by the operating system
to solve a problem for the user.

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