This edition is now out of print. Please see Computer Organization and Design, Third edition (ISBN 1558606041) for latest edition with over 40% of the content updated.

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.

* Real Stuff provides relevant, tangible examples of how the concepts from the chapter are implemented in commercially successful products.
* Fallacies and Pitfalls share the hard-won lessons of the authors and other designers in industry.
* Big Pictures allow the reader to keep major insights in focus while studying the details.
* Key terms, all fully defined in an end-of-book glossary, summarize the essential ideas introduced in the chapter.

Review:

This textbook provides a basic introduction to the fundamentals of current computer designs. As the title suggests, the text skirts the border between hardware and software. After an overview of the subject and a discussion of performance, the book launches into technical matter such as instruction sets, how they are constrained by the underlying processor hardware, the constraints on their design, and more. An excellent critique of computer arithmetic methods leads to a high-level discussion on processor design. Following is a great introduction to pipelining, nice coverage of memory issues, and solid attention to peripherals. The book concludes with a brief discussion of the additional issues inherent in multiprocessing machines. The extremely lucid description is grounded in real-world examples. Interesting exercises help reinforce the material, and each section contains a write-up of the historical background of each idea. Computer Organization and Design is accessible to the beginner, but also offers plenty of valuable knowledge for experienced engineers.

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