How Computers Work: Processor and Main Memory

How Computers Work: Processor and Main Memory

Explains the operation of a simple, but fully functional computer consists mainly of a processor and main memory, in complete detail. Relays, which are explained, are used in the circuitry instead of transistors for simplicity.

Publication date: 27 Sep 2015

ISBN-10: n/a

ISBN-13: n/a

Paperback: 152 pages

Views: 43,147

Type: N/A

Publisher: n/a

License: n/a

Post time: 30 Nov 2006 12:13:20

How Computers Work: Processor and Main Memory

How Computers Work: Processor and Main Memory Explains the operation of a simple, but fully functional computer consists mainly of a processor and main memory, in complete detail. Relays, which are explained, are used in the circuitry instead of transistors for simplicity.
Tag(s): Computer Organization and Architecture
Publication date: 27 Sep 2015
ISBN-10: n/a
ISBN-13: n/a
Paperback: 152 pages
Views: 43,147
Document Type: N/A
Publisher: n/a
License: n/a
Post time: 30 Nov 2006 12:13:20
Terms and Conditions:
Roger Young wrote:No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the author.

Book Excerpts:

Computers are the most complex machines that have ever been created. Very few people really know how they work. This book will tell the reader how computers work and no technical knowledge is required. It explains the operation of a simple, but fully functional, computer in complete detail. The simple computer described consists mainly of a processor and main memory. Relays, which are explained, are used in the circuitry instead of transistors for simplicity. This book does not cover peripherals like modems, mice, disk drives, or monitors.

Ever wonder what a bit, a pixel, a latch, a word (of memory), a data bus, an address bus, a memory, a register, a processor, a timing diagram, a clock (of a processor), an instruction, or machine code is? Though most explanations of how computers work are a lot of analogies or require a background in electrical engineering, this book will teach the reader precisely what each of them is and how each of them works without requiring any previous knowledge of computers or electronics. However, this book starts out very easy and gets harder as it goes along. The recommendation is to read the book starting at the first page and not skip around because later topics depend on understanding earlier topics. How far the reader can get may depend on his/her background. A junior high school science background should be enough. There is no mathematics required other than simple addition and multiplication.

This is a short book, but it must be studied carefully. This means that the reader will have to read some parts more than once to understand them. The reader will acquire more knowledge about how computers work at the end of this book than at the beginning, even if he/she is not able to get through the whole text. This is a technical book though it is aimed at a non-technical audience. Though this book takes considerable effort to understand, it is very easy for what it explains. This book will seem simple at the second reading.
 




About The Author(s)


Roger Stephen Young lives in Pennsylvania and graduated from The Pennsylvania State University in 1981 where he majored in physics and was interested in transistors. He went to the California State University at Fullerton and worked on a Master's degree in electrical engineering for two years but didn't complete it because he got a job at Texas Instruments before finishing. He worked there for 3 months in 1985.

Roger Stephen Young

Roger Stephen Young lives in Pennsylvania and graduated from The Pennsylvania State University in 1981 where he majored in physics and was interested in transistors. He went to the California State University at Fullerton and worked on a Master's degree in electrical engineering for two years but didn't complete it because he got a job at Texas Instruments before finishing. He worked there for 3 months in 1985.


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