Computer Architecture — an Introduction
C. V. Ramamoorthy, Benjamin Wan-Sang Wah · 2018
The study of computer architecture is the study of the organization and interconnection of computer system components. This chapter discusses general Von Neumann computer architecture. It also discusses the single data stream class architecture, the pipeline architecture, Stream and Multiple Data Streams (SIMD) architecture, multiple data stream class architecture, and Multiple SIMD architecture. The chapter attempts to describe some special features of parallel computers and mentions that parallel computers operate with tight coupling. It explains the interconnection network, which is static; that is, the connection between two elements remains fixed. In a parallel computer system, an interconnection network refers to the network that interconnects the multiple processors with the memories or other processors. The chapter presents the design and operational problems associated with a typical pipeline. They are buffering, busing, branching, and interrupt handling. Pipelining requires the concurrent processing of independent instructions although they can be in consecutive stages of execution.