- "In computer science, an instruction set architecture (ISA), also called computer architecture, is an abstract model of a computer."
The set of instructions that a processor can execute, including the machine language, instruction format, and addressing modes.
Computer Organization: This topic explores the overall structure and organization of a computer system, including its various components and their interactions.
Instruction Set Design: This topic covers the design and implementation of instruction sets that are used to program computer systems.
Processor Design: This topic focuses on the design and development of processors, including their various components and how they work together.
Memory Hierarchy Design: This topic explores the different levels of memory within a computer system and how they interact with each other.
Parallel Processing: This topic covers the use of parallel processing techniques to improve the performance of computer systems.
Microarchitecture: This topic focuses on the detailed design of the components of a computer system, such as its interfaces, pipelines, and functional units.
Pipeline Design: This topic explores the design of pipelines in computer systems, including their different stages and how they are optimized for performance.
Cache Memory: This topic covers the design and implementation of cache memory, which is used to improve the performance of computer systems by reducing memory access times.
Input/Output Systems: This topic covers the design and implementation of input/output (I/O) systems, including different types of devices and how they are managed by the system.
Virtual Memory: This topic explores the use of virtual memory, which enables a computer system to use more memory than is physically available by temporarily transferring data from memory to disk.
System-Level Design: This topic covers the design and integration of different components of a computer system to create a complete system that meets given requirements.
Instruction Set Architecture/Design: This topic covers the architecture and design of instruction sets, which define the operations and data types that can be used in programs.
Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC): This topic explores the characteristics and design of RISC processors, which use a simplified instruction set to improve performance.
Complex Instruction Set Computer (CISC): This topic covers the characteristics and design of CISC processors, which use a more complex instruction set to improve code density and functionality.
Memory Organization: This topic covers the organization and access of different types of memory, including main memory, cache memory, and secondary storage.
Instruction Execution: This topic explores how instructions are executed by a computer system and the various techniques used to optimize their performance.
Compiler Optimization: This topic covers the use of compiler optimization techniques, which optimize the performance of programs by generating efficient code.
Instruction Pipelining: This topic explores the use of instruction pipelining, which allows multiple instructions to be executed simultaneously by dividing them into smaller stages.
Superscalar Processors: This topic covers the design and characteristics of superscalar processors, which execute multiple instructions per cycle to improve performance.
Vector Processors: This topic explores the design and use of vector processors, which specialize in performing operations on large amounts of data simultaneously.
Complex Instruction Set Computer (CISC): CISC is an early computer architecture that uses complex instructions which are capable of performing multiple steps in one operation, reducing the need for memory access.
Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC): RISC is a newer computer architecture that uses simple instructions and focuses on performing a small number of operations quickly, relying on memory access to perform more complex tasks.
Superscalar: This is a type of architecture that can execute multiple instructions simultaneously by using multiple processing units.
Very Long Instruction Word (VLIW): VLIW uses a single instruction to perform multiple tasks simultaneously, similar to superscalar architecture.
Explicitly Parallel Instruction Computing (EPIC): EPIC is a type of VLIW architecture designed for highly parallel computing tasks, common in supercomputing applications.
Stack-based: This architecture uses a stack to store operands instead of registers, allowing for more efficient use of memory.
Graphics Processing Units (GPU): GPUs are a specialized type of computer architecture designed for parallel processing of graphical data.
Vector processors: Vector processors are designed to handle large amounts of data simultaneously, making them ideal for scientific and engineering applications.
Digital Signal Processors (DSP): DSPs are specialized computer architectures designed for processing audio and video signals.
ARM: ARM is a family of RISC-based processors commonly used in mobile devices and other embedded systems.
Power Architecture: Power Architecture is a family of RISC-based processors commonly used in servers and other high-performance computing systems.
X86: X86 is a family of CISC-based processors commonly used in personal computers.
MIPS: MIPS is a family of RISC-based processors commonly used in embedded devices and other small systems.
- "An ISA specifies the behavior of machine code running on implementations of that ISA in a fashion that does not depend on the characteristics of that implementation, providing binary compatibility between implementations."
- "An ISA defines the supported instructions, data types, registers, the hardware support for managing main memory, fundamental features, and the input/output model of a family of implementations of the ISA."
- "This enables multiple implementations of an ISA that differ in characteristics such as performance, physical size, and monetary cost, but that are capable of running the same machine code."
- "It also enables the evolution of the microarchitectures of the implementations of that ISA, so that a newer, higher-performance implementation of an ISA can run software that runs on previous generations of implementations."
- "If an operating system maintains a standard and compatible application binary interface (ABI) for a particular ISA, machine code will run on future implementations of that ISA and operating system."
- "However, if an ISA supports running multiple operating systems, it does not guarantee that machine code for one operating system will run on another operating system, unless the first operating system supports running machine code built for the other operating system."
- "An ISA can be extended by adding instructions or other capabilities, or adding support for larger addresses and data values."
- "Machine code using those extensions will only run on implementations that support those extensions."
- "The binary compatibility that they provide makes ISAs one of the most fundamental abstractions in computing."
- "A device that executes instructions described by that ISA, such as a central processing unit (CPU), is called an implementation."
- "So that a lower-performance, lower-cost machine can be replaced with a higher-cost, higher-performance machine without having to replace software."
- "If an operating system maintains a standard and compatible application binary interface (ABI) for a particular ISA, machine code will run on future implementations of that ISA and operating system."
- "A newer, higher-performance implementation of an ISA can run software that runs on previous generations of implementations."
- "However, if an ISA supports running multiple operating systems, it does not guarantee that machine code for one operating system will run on another operating system, unless the first operating system supports running machine code built for the other operating system."
- "This enables multiple implementations of an ISA that differ in characteristics such as performance, physical size, and monetary cost."
- "An ISA defines the supported instructions, data types, registers, the hardware support for managing main memory, fundamental features, and the input/output model of a family of implementations of the ISA."
- "An implementation of the extended ISA will still be able to execute machine code for versions of the ISA without those extensions."
- "It also enables the evolution of the microarchitectures of the implementations of that ISA."
- "The binary compatibility that they provide makes ISAs one of the most fundamental abstractions in computing."