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Central Processing Unit

What's a Computer?. Monitor. Central Processing Unit. Disk. Main Memory. mouse. Keyboard. Network. can do very simple tasks VERY FAST. add, write in memory. CPU: (stupid) brain of the computer. Goal: Perform elaborate tasks by putting together many simple tasks. HOW ?.

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Central Processing Unit

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  1. What's a Computer? Monitor Central Processing Unit Disk Main Memory mouse Keyboard Network can do very simple tasksVERY FAST add, write in memory... CPU: (stupid) brain of the computer Goal: Perform elaborate tasks by putting together many simple tasks HOW ? 142 A-1

  2. Write a program! But A computer only understands instructions written as a series of 0’s and 1’s Could write as such, TIME CONSUMING... MACHINE LANGUAGE BETTER High level language close (but ) to plain English What MSVC does for us • To solve a specific problem: weather forecast, payroll, word processing, traffic lights... Need a compiler to translate our program into 0’s and 1’s 142 A-2

  3. Which language? What we will use BUT You will learn programming C is not the point A useful skill valid for any language Examples of High level languages: • FORTRAN, LISP… 50’s (scientific) • COBOL… 60’s (business) • BASIC, PASCAL, C… 70’s (multipurpose) • C++…80’s (OOP) • Java, Java++… 90’s (platform independent) WIDESPREAD A NECESSARY STEP TOWARDS C++, Java... 142 A-3

  4. How to write a program Logical series of tasks Example: Managing a traffic light Check the time How long has it been since the light has changed? No Yes • Clearly specify the problem • Analyze the problem • Find an algorithm to solve the problem Long enough? Change the light Write the program (use C). DOCUMENTATION Test and Debug (correct mistakes) Maintain and Update 142 A-4

  5. A little bit of history Still Advancing Pentium has 7.5 millions of transistors 300 millions in 10 years Should level off (?) in 20 years • Computers have improved dramatically If the same had happened to cars: • a Cadillac would cost $0.50 • 0 to 60 mph in 3 milliseconds • Go to the moon and back on a tank of gas • Could put the Cadillac in your pocket Moore’s Law: every 18 months, double the number of components on a chip... for the same price Atom is the limit (insulators are a few atoms thick) 142 A-5

  6. What to Expect? * Programming is FUN DO NOT FALL BEHIND plenty Rewards: • Open doors in • Education: Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, Bio technologies... * and sometimes frustrating • Read the book • Come to class • Get a lot of practice on the computers • And... • Employment: e.g. from ADOBE _ Education: None _ Experience: 3 years C++ _ Salary: $96,000 142 A-6

  7. What Car makers say if cars were like computers For no reason whatsoever your car would crash twice a day. The airbag system would say "Are you sure?" before going off. Every time they repainted the lines on the road you would have to buy a new car. Occasionally your car would die on the freeway for no reason, and you would just accept this, restart and drive on. Occasionally for no reason whatsoever, your car would lock you out and refuse to let you in until you simultaneously lifted the door handle, turned the key, and grabbed hold of the radio antenna 142 A-7

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