-
input
-
output
-
memory
-
control
-
datapath
-
main memory (or primary memory) - volatile, typically DRAM
-
secondary memory - nonvolatile, typically flash memory or magnetic disk
-
- memory hierarchy
- SRAM - static random access memory
- instruction set architecture (ISA)
- ABI - application binary interface
- cache memory
-
volatile - loses data when power is off
- DRAM - dynamic random access memory
-
nonvolatile - retains data even when power is off
- flash memory - semiconductor memory
- magnetic disk (or hard disk)
- optical disk
-
Very-large-scale integration (VLSI) is the process of creating an integrated circuit (IC) by combining millions or billions of MOS transistors onto a single chip.
-
metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOS transistor) is a type of field-effect transistor (FET), most commonly fabricated by the controlled oxidation of silicon
-
Field-effect transistor (FET) is
Performance
- throughput (or bandwidth) is the number of tasks completed per unit time
- performance is the reciprocal of response time
- response time (or execution time) is the total time required for the computer to complete a task (including disk accesses, memory accesses, I/O activities, operating system overhead, CPU execution time, etc.)
- CPU execution time (or CPU time) is the actual time the CPU spends computing for a specific task (excluding other activities)
- clock cycle is the time for one clock period (usually of the processor clock, which runs at a constant rate)
- clock rate is the inverse of the clock cycle
- instruction count is the number of instructions executed by the program
- CPI (cycles per instruction) is the average number of clock cycles per instruction for a program or program fragment
- CPU clock cycles is the total number of clock cycles consumed by the program