Authors: David A. Patterson, John L. Hennessy

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.

Download File Size:22.23 MB

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