digital design and computer architecture harris pdf
Digital Design and Computer Architecture by Harris: An Overview
Digital Design and Computer Architecture by Harris offers a modern approach to digital design, linking digital logic with computer architecture. The book covers fundamental building blocks to designing actual processors. It’s suitable for single-semester introductions or two-semester sequences on digital design.
Digital Design and Computer Architecture merges two critical areas of computer engineering, establishing a strong understanding of both digital logic and architectural principles. Beginning with basic digital logic gates, the text progresses through the design of combinational and sequential circuits. These fundamentals act as the bedrock for creating complex systems, including actual microprocessor designs.
The book takes a unique and modern approach, bridging the gap between theoretical concepts and practical implementations. It’s an ideal resource for students and professionals looking to grasp the intricacies of digital systems, offering insights into microarchitecture, memory systems, and I/O systems. The content effectively integrates digital design principles with computer architecture, allowing for a deeper understanding of how hardware and software interact.
This approach is suitable for a fast-paced, single-semester introductory course or a more comprehensive two-quarter or two-semester sequence.
Authors: Sarah L. Harris and David Harris
Digital Design and Computer Architecture is authored by Sarah L. Harris and David Harris, both accomplished figures in the field of computer engineering. David Money Harris is an associate professor of engineering, bringing extensive academic expertise to the subject matter. Together, they offer a blend of theoretical knowledge and practical insights that makes the book uniquely valuable.
Their combined experience ensures that the material is presented in a clear, engaging, and effective manner. The authors have seamlessly integrated digital design principles with computer architecture concepts, providing readers with a holistic view of the subject. They have a proven track record of creating educational resources that are both informative and accessible.
The authors’ expertise is evident in their ability to explain complex topics in a way that is easy to understand, making the book suitable for a wide range of readers, from students to professionals. Their collaborative effort has resulted in a comprehensive and modern guide to digital design and computer architecture.
Key Concepts Covered in the Book
The book comprehensively covers digital logic gates, combinational and sequential circuits, microarchitecture, memory systems, and I/O systems. These fundamentals are crucial for understanding digital design and computer architecture, providing a solid foundation for further learning and application.
Digital Logic Gates
The foundation of digital design lies in understanding digital logic gates. These gates, such as AND, OR, NOT, NAND, NOR, XOR, and XNOR, are the fundamental building blocks of all digital circuits. They perform basic logical operations on one or more binary inputs, producing a single binary output. The behavior of each gate can be precisely defined using truth tables, which map all possible input combinations to their corresponding output.
The book “Digital Design and Computer Architecture” thoroughly explores the characteristics and applications of these gates, providing detailed explanations and examples to ensure a solid grasp of the underlying principles. Understanding digital logic gates is essential for designing more complex combinational and sequential circuits, and ultimately, for building entire computer systems. The text emphasizes how these gates are implemented using transistors and how their properties impact circuit performance.
Combinational and Sequential Circuits
Building upon the foundation of digital logic gates, “Digital Design and Computer Architecture” delves into the design and analysis of combinational and sequential circuits; Combinational circuits produce outputs based solely on the current inputs, with no memory of past states. Examples include adders, multiplexers, decoders, and encoders. The text illustrates how to design these circuits using Boolean algebra and Karnaugh maps for simplification.
Sequential circuits, on the other hand, incorporate memory elements like flip-flops and latches, allowing their outputs to depend on both current inputs and past states. This capability enables the implementation of state machines, counters, and registers, which are crucial components of digital systems. The book covers different types of flip-flops (SR, D, JK, T) and their characteristics, along with techniques for designing synchronous and asynchronous sequential circuits. Practical examples and exercises reinforce the concepts, preparing readers for more advanced topics in computer architecture.
Microarchitecture
The “Digital Design and Computer Architecture” text dedicates significant attention to microarchitecture, bridging the gap between the instruction set architecture (ISA) and the underlying hardware implementation. Microarchitecture defines how instructions are fetched, decoded, executed, and written back, influencing performance, power consumption, and complexity. The book likely explores different microarchitectural techniques, such as pipelining, caching, and branch prediction, which are used to enhance processor performance.
Pipelining, for example, allows multiple instructions to be in different stages of execution simultaneously, increasing throughput. Caching utilizes small, fast memory to store frequently accessed data, reducing memory access latency. Branch prediction attempts to predict the outcome of conditional branches, minimizing stalls in the pipeline. The book may also cover control unit design, data path design, and the implementation of various functional units, such as ALUs and floating-point units. By understanding microarchitecture, readers gain insights into how software interacts with hardware at a low level.
Memory Systems
“Digital Design and Computer Architecture” thoroughly examines memory systems, a critical component in computer architecture that significantly impacts overall system performance. The text likely covers various memory technologies, including SRAM, DRAM, ROM, and flash memory, discussing their characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages. It delves into memory hierarchy, exploring the concepts of cache memory, main memory, and secondary storage, and how they work together to provide efficient data access.
Cache memory organization, including cache levels (L1, L2, L3), cache mapping techniques (direct-mapped, set-associative, fully associative), and cache replacement policies (LRU, FIFO), are also likely discussed in detail. The book probably addresses virtual memory, which allows programs to access more memory than physically available, and memory management techniques, such as paging and segmentation. Understanding memory systems is crucial for optimizing program performance and designing efficient computer systems. The text aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the principles and techniques used in modern memory systems.
I/O Systems
The section on I/O Systems in “Digital Design and Computer Architecture” explores how a computer interacts with external devices. It likely covers various I/O devices, such as keyboards, mice, displays, storage devices, and network interfaces, detailing their operating principles and communication protocols. Addressing schemes, like memory-mapped I/O and port-mapped I/O, are also explained, highlighting the differences and trade-offs.
Interrupt handling mechanisms, which allow I/O devices to signal the CPU when they require attention, are examined in detail. DMA (Direct Memory Access), a technique that allows I/O devices to transfer data directly to or from memory without CPU intervention, is discussed. The book probably covers standard I/O interfaces like USB, PCIe, and SATA, describing their features and protocols. Understanding I/O systems is essential for designing systems that can effectively communicate with the outside world. This section will likely give a comprehensive overview of the principles and techniques used in I/O systems.
Different Editions and Target Architectures
The book “Digital Design and Computer Architecture” has different editions tailored to specific architectures. These include the ARM Edition and the RISC-V Edition. Each edition focuses on the instruction set and design considerations relevant to its target architecture.
ARM Edition
The ARM Edition of “Digital Design and Computer Architecture” is designed to guide students through the process of building a simplified ARM microprocessor using an FPGA. This version empowers students to understand computer architecture and complex digital design, starting from basic gates and progressing to microarchitecture, assembly language, and programming.
Harris and Harris have successfully adapted their popular textbook to target ARM architecture, providing a unique and modern approach to digital design. The ARM Edition uses fundamental building blocks to design combinational and sequential circuits, which then form the basis for designing an actual ARM processor. This edition offers a hands-on approach, making it suitable for courses that combine digital logic and computer architecture.
This edition is particularly valuable as it enables students to grasp the complete picture of microprocessor design, from the underlying hardware to the software that runs on it. Companion resources, including lecture slides and lab exercises, further enhance the learning experience.
RISC-V Edition
The RISC-V Edition of “Digital Design and Computer Architecture” by Harris and Harris provides a modern approach to digital design centered around the RISC-V instruction set architecture (ISA). This edition is designed to introduce students to the fundamentals of digital logic and then guide them through the step-by-step process of building a RISC-V microprocessor.
This edition maintains the engaging and humorous writing style of the authors while providing a hands-on approach to digital design. Companion resources for the RISC-V edition include lecture slides, labs, figures, and appendices covering digital system implementation, the RISC-V ISA, and C programming. These resources enrich the learning experience, enabling students to implement and test their designs.
The RISC-V Edition covers key concepts such as combinational logic, sequential logic, microarchitecture, memory systems, and I/O systems, all within the context of the RISC-V architecture. This allows students to understand the practical application of digital design principles in a modern and relevant setting.
Companion Resources and Supplementary Materials
The book offers companion resources like lecture slides, lab exercises with solutions, and HDL code examples (Verilog and VHDL). These materials support learning and practical application of digital design and computer architecture concepts explained in the book.
Lecture Slides
The accompanying lecture slides for “Digital Design and Computer Architecture” by Harris provide a structured and visually engaging way to review the key concepts presented in each chapter. These slides are designed to complement the textbook, offering a concise summary of the material and highlighting the most important topics. Instructors can use these slides directly in their lectures, saving valuable preparation time and ensuring consistency with the book’s content.
The slides often include diagrams, examples, and key equations to help students grasp complex ideas more easily. They serve as a valuable tool for both instructors and students, facilitating a deeper understanding of digital logic, computer architecture, and related topics. They cover topics like combinational logic design, sequential logic design, microarchitecture, memory systems, and I/O systems. Moreover, the slides are provided in an editable format, enabling instructors to customize them to suit their specific course requirements and teaching style.
Lab Exercises and Solutions
“Digital Design and Computer Architecture” by Harris includes a comprehensive set of lab exercises designed to provide hands-on experience with the concepts covered in the textbook. These exercises allow students to apply their knowledge of digital logic, combinational and sequential circuits, microarchitecture, and other essential topics in a practical setting. The labs are carefully designed to reinforce learning and develop problem-solving skills.
Solutions to the lab exercises are also provided, allowing students to check their work and gain a deeper understanding of the material. These solutions are particularly helpful for self-study and for students who may need additional guidance. The exercises often involve using hardware description languages (HDLs) like Verilog or VHDL to design and simulate digital circuits. They also cover the design of key components of a microprocessor, such as the arithmetic logic unit (ALU) and memory system. By completing these lab exercises, students gain valuable practical skills that are essential for a career in digital design and computer architecture.
HDL Code Examples (Verilog and VHDL)
The textbook, “Digital Design and Computer Architecture” by Harris, is accompanied by extensive HDL code examples in both Verilog and VHDL. These examples are crucial for students to grasp the practical aspects of digital design and computer architecture. The code snippets demonstrate the implementation of various digital circuits, ranging from basic logic gates to complex systems like microprocessors.
The use of both Verilog and VHDL allows students to become familiar with industry-standard hardware description languages. These examples provide a starting point for designing and simulating digital systems, facilitating hands-on learning. The HDL code covers combinational and sequential circuits, memory systems, and I/O interfaces. Students can learn to model and simulate these components using industry-standard EDA tools. Furthermore, by studying and modifying these examples, students can develop their own digital designs and gain a deeper understanding of the hardware implementation aspects of computer architecture. The availability of both Verilog and VHDL examples caters to different learning preferences and industry practices.