Hardware Architecture Lecture Notes

Introduction

• Purpose of Lecture:
  • To understand terms such as secondary storage, CPU, RAM, peripherals, and input devices.
  • To comprehend hardware architecture even if not directly building hardware.

Raspberry Pi

• A small single board computer example
• As hardware evolves, components decrease in number, yet architecture stays the same.

Generic Computer Architecture

• Main Components:
  • Microprocessing Unit (CPU):
    • Acts as the brain of the computer.
    • Operates at billions of cycles per second.
    • Processes instructions from memory.
  • Main Memory:
    • Stores instructions quickly accessible by CPU.
    • Volatile - data lost when power is off.
  • Motherboard:
    • Connects all hardware components together (CPU, memory, storage).
  • Secondary Storage:
    • Non-volatile storage for long-term data retention.
    • Examples: Hard drives, flash drives.

Evolution of Hardware

• Old vs. New Hardware:
  • Transition from large, component-filled boards to miniaturized microprocessors.
  • Integration of components into smaller, single units like in phones or Raspberry Pi.

Input and Output Devices

• Input Devices: Keyboards, mice, pens.
• Output Devices: Screens.

Storage Types

• Main Memory:
  • Fast, temporary storage.
• Secondary Memory:
  • Permanent storage.
  • Increasingly becoming flash or static memory, moving away from moving physical parts.

Role of Programmers

• Software and Programming:
  • Programmers write software that dictates CPU actions.
  • Python programming code is translated into machine language for CPU execution.
  • Emphasis on writing efficient software to maximize hardware capabilities.

Videos for Supplementary Learning

• Suggested videos illustrate CPU operations and hard disk functionality.

Conclusion

• Understanding basic hardware architecture aids in better software development.
• Upcoming focus: Learning and coding in Python.