Computer Organization and Design: The Hardware/Software Interface
Books / Hardcover
Books › Computers › Computer Engineering
ISBN: 1558604286 / Publisher: Morgan Kaufmann, August 1997
An introduction to the field for students in software and hardware design, emphasizing the relationships between software and hardware. Presents each idea from its first principles, adding complexity through a series of worked examples and solutions, with coverage of the MIPS instruction set, fundamentals of assembly language, computer arithmetic, pipelining, and memory hierarchies. Discusses design, performance, and significance of I/O systems, and emerging architectures of multiprocessor systems. Each chapter includes sections on examples (new to this edition), fallacies and pitfalls, and history of the field, plus exercises and key terms. Layout is attractive and readable. Assumes beginning courses in programming. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.
Read More
The performance of software systems is dramatically affected by how well software designers understand the basic hardware technologies at work in a system. Similarly, hardware designers must understand the far reaching effects their design decisions have on software applications. For readers in either category, this classic introduction to the field provides a deep look into the computer. It demonstrates the relationship between the software and hardware and focuses on the foundational concepts that are the basis for current computer design. Using a distinctive "learning by evolution" approach the authors present each idea from its first principles, guiding readers through a series of worked examples that incrementally add more complex instructions until they have acquired an understanding of the entire MIPS instruction set and the fundamentals of assembly language. Computer arithmetic, pipelining, and memory hierarchies are treated to the same evolutionary approach with worked examples and incremental drawings supporting each new level of sophistication. The design, performance, and significance of I/O systems is also discussed in depth, and an entire chapter is devoted to the emerging architectures of multiprocessor systems.
Read Less