Information Technology

Chapter 2

Computer Organization and Hardware

This chapter examines the hardware of a computer: the central processing unit (CPU), memory, the I/O subsystem, and the bus. Each of these components is described in detail to provide an understanding of its role. In examining the CPU, the chapter emphasizes the fetch–execute cycle. An example program is used to illustrate the fetch–execute cycle. The CPU’s components are themselves examined: the control unit, the arithmetic logic unit, and registers. In examining memory, the memory hierarchy is introduced and the different forms of memory are discussed: RAM, SRAM, DRAM, ROM, virtual memory. In the discussion of input and output devices, topics of human–computer interaction (HCI) and ergonomics are ...