Computer Architecture Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Computer Architecture - Assignment Example In his 1946 paper authored with Hermann H. Goldstine and Arthur W. Burks, and titled "Preliminary Discussion of the Logical Design of an Electronic Computing Instrument,† von Neumann provided an elaborate explanation and plan concerning the physical layout of a basic computer and how it should operate. The ideas and explanations in the paper were to have a massive influence on virtually every subsequent design and development of computers (Aspray, 1990). His pioneering design ultimately led to the building (in 1952) of the EDVAC computer. According to Aspray (1990), the von Neumann architecture is what has always been used in the computer world whenever computers are being designed, and it is what most people are used to anyway. It is considered to be a groundbreaking innovation that laid one of the strongest foundations in the design, organization and development of electronic computers. In the "Preliminary Discussion" section of his paper, von Neumann states that a computer s hould have 4 main "organs." These â€Å"organs† can be categorized as connected to memory, connection to human input, control and arithmetic; they are otherwise known as the control unit, the arithmetic logic unit, input-output devices and the memory unit. von Neumann considered the ability to store orders, or instructions, that resulted in computation, as well as the results of this computation, as the core elements of a computer. As a result, more attention was to be paid to these elements. It is important to note that von Neumann defined every one of the four components he saw as integral to the development of general purpose computers, and therefore made it easy for subsequent developments to be made (Aspray, 1990). Question 2 As one of the two main buses in a computer, the system bus plays a crucial role in ensuring that a computer functions normally and commands are executed as required. The system bus is a network formed by the linking of the different sections in a co mputer; these are the system memory, the CPU and other components that are located on the motherboard. The main function of the system bus is to enhance modularity and reduce production costs all at the same time (Appleman, 2000). For example, earlier computers were bulky and were considered them too expensive for regular people who wanted to own a computer. The primary reason behind this was that companies found it hard to fit all the components of a computer into the motherboard, and therefore had to use more materials in order to create enough space to house all of them. Thus, a combination of poor ergonomics and high production costs meant that it was inevitable that the final product would be huge and prices would be prohibitive. However, with the invention and increasing use of the system bus, it was possible to make smaller computers that performed just as well as (if not better than) the earlier versions. In addition to this, there was a lot of expectation from customers tha t prices would be lowered and modulation between memory, cost and input-output devices would be enhanced (Appleman, 2000). Over time, the system bus has been refined and improved on, leading to even smaller computers and eventually the development of laptop computers that incorporate sleeker and more sophisticated system buses. Question 3 Due to the fact that computers run in binary (using zeros (0s) and ones (1s) only), it