ch2 pc-components-features-and-system-design

CH2-PC COMPONENTS, FEATURES AND SYSTEM DESIGN

2011© Eng. Mohamed Ahmedall rights reservedComputer Architecture

¨ What exactly is a PC?v It stands for Personal Computer.v Not all PCs are personal

computers.(Apple,Mac,Motorolla)v PC is much more specific than Personal Computer

(IBM Family Relation).v IBM literally invented the PC in 1981

Ch2-PC Components, Features and System Design

v IBM controlled Development and Evolution of PC from 1981-1987.

v PCs were either IBM-Compatible or IBM Clone.v Since IBM lost control of PCs ,who Controls it?


¨ Who Controls PC Software?v Do not even hesitate to say: Microsoft.v Because it controls the dominant OS used for PCs.v Then it begun to control other types of PC software.

(drivers, utilities and applications).v Many utilities originally offered by independent

companies.


v In the early days, IBM hired Microsoft to develop most of the PC core software.

v IBM made the most costly business mistake in history.v It has failed to secure exclusive rights to the DOS it

had contracted from Microsoft.v IBM allowed Microsoft to sell the same MS-DOS

code to any other company interested.

Software Copyright and Hardware Patterns.

v Software enjoys copyright protection.v Hardware is protected only by patters which is

much more difficult, time-consuming and expensive to obtain.

v In US patterns expires 20 years after filling it.v Almost any one could duplicate the IBM hardware

because it was not wholly patterned.


v the difficult part of copying IBM PC was the software (BOIS).

v Compaq and Phoenix Technology developed a legal way around this problem.

v It is called Clean Room approach to reverse engineering.


¨ Who Controls PC Hardware?v IBM controlled the Hardware till 1987.v since then Intel has ben responsible for creating and

inventing newer hardware designs.v Intel became dominant processor supplier after IBM

chose Intel 8088 in 1981.v In 1994 Intel became the largest motherboard

manufacturer in the world.


v Intel had also a hand in setting some PC hardware standards:ط PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) local bus

interface.ط AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) for high performance

video cards.ط DMI (Desktop Management Interface).ط DPMA(Dynamic Power Management Architecture)


v Who ever controls the Operating System, controls the PC software.

v Who ever controls the Motherboard controls the Hardware

v So it is not surprise to call the modern PC “Wintel”.


White-Box Systems:¨ Many companies design and manufacture their

motherboards.¨ White-box system uses industry-standard

components that are interchangeable.¨ Companies selling white-box systems do not

manufacture all the system parts, but assemble them (HP, Acer and Dell).


PC Design Guides:¨ For several years Intel and Microsoft released “PC

XX DESIGN GUIDE”.¨ The documents were guidelines for companies

developing products that work with Windows.¨ “Designed for Windows” logo requirement.


System Types:¨ Can be broken down based on:

ط Design..”Width of processor bus “FSBط.Width of internal registers (16-bit,32-bit,64-bit)ط.Width of the data bus (8,16,32,64-bit)ط


¨ Confusion can arise in the processor’s width.ط some refer it to how many bits of data can be read or

written at a time “Data Bus Width”.ط Some refer to it how many bits of data can be operated at

a time “Internal Registers Size”.


System Components:¨ Modern PC is both simple and complicated, How?¨ It is simple: many components have been integrated.¨ It is complicated: each part performs many more

functions.


¨ Basic PC Components:ط Motherboard.ط Processor.ط Memory(RAM).ط Case.ط Power Supply.ط Floppy Drive.ط Hard Drive.ط CD/DVD Drive.ط Keyboard.ط Mouse.ط Video Card.ط Monitor.ط Network/Modem.

ch2 pc-components-features-and-system-design

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