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Phuong Fulsom

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Aug 3, 2024, 7:57:32 PM8/3/24

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Computer Systems Organization and Architecture by John D. Carpinelli: A Review

Computer Systems Organization and Architecture is a book that provides up-to-date coverage of fundamental concepts for the design of computers and their subsystems. The author, John D. Carpinelli, is a professor of computer engineering at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. He presents material in this book in the same way he does in his classroom - by using simple examples to help readers understand concepts without getting bogged down in details[^1^] [^2^].

The book emphasizes a finite state machine approach to CPU design, which provides a strong background for reader understanding. It forms a solid basis for readers to draw upon as they study this material and in later engineering and computer science practice. The book also examines the design of computer systems, including such topics as memory hierarchies, input/output processing, interrupts, and direct memory access, as well as advanced architectural aspects of parallel processing[^2^].

To make the material accessible to beginners, the author has included two running examples of increasing complexity: the Very Simple CPU, which contains four instruction sets and shows very simple CPU design; and the Relatively Simple CPU which contains 16 instruction sets and adds enough complexity to illustrate more advanced concepts. Each chapter features a real-world machine on which the discussed organization and architecture concepts are implemented[^2^].

Computer Systems Organization and Architecture is designed to teach computer organization/architecture to engineers and computer scientists. It is accompanied by simulation software for the Relatively Simple CPU, which allows students to enter a program written in the assembly language of the CPU and simulate its execution[^3^]. The book also contains numerous problems and exercises to reinforce the material covered.

This book is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to learn about the design and operation of modern computer systems. It offers a clear and concise presentation of the essential topics, with an emphasis on practical applications and examples. It is suitable for undergraduate courses in computer engineering, computer science, and electrical engineering.

The following is a brief overview of the main topics covered in each chapter of the book:

Chapter 1 introduces the basic concepts of computer systems organization and architecture, such as instruction sets, addressing modes, data types, registers, buses, and memory.

Chapter 2 explains the design of the Very Simple CPU using a finite state machine model. It also introduces the assembly language and machine language of the CPU.

Chapter 3 extends the design of the Very Simple CPU by adding more instructions, such as arithmetic, logic, branch, and subroutine instructions. It also discusses the concept of instruction formats and encoding.

Chapter 4 presents the design of the Relatively Simple CPU using a microprogrammed control unit. It also describes the assembly language and machine language of the CPU.

Chapter 5 covers the topic of memory and its organization. It explains the concepts of memory hierarchy, cache memory, virtual memory, paging, segmentation, and memory management.

Chapter 6 deals with input/output processing and devices. It describes the methods of input/output communication, such as programmed I/O, interrupt-driven I/O, and direct memory access. It also introduces some common input/output devices, such as keyboards, mice, monitors, printers, disks, and networks.

Chapter 7 explores the advanced aspects of parallel processing and pipelining. It explains the types and levels of parallelism, such as instruction-level parallelism, data-level parallelism, and task-level parallelism. It also discusses the techniques and challenges of pipelining, such as pipeline hazards, stalls, forwarding, branch prediction, and superscalar processing.

Chapter 8 summarizes the main points of the book and provides some suggestions for further reading and study.

The book also includes appendices that provide additional information on topics such as number systems, logic gates, Boolean algebra, Karnaugh maps, flip-flops, counters, shift registers, multiplexers, decoders, adders, subtractors, multipliers, dividers, and floating-point arithmetic.