Introduction to Information Systems

ISM - 121
Lecture 6

Chapter 3

Processing & Memory Devices

By

Dr. Nawsher Khan

Associate Professor
nawsher@kku.edu.sa

King Khalid University

Abh, Saudi Arabia

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Processing & Memory Devices
Processing Characteristics and Functions
 System Unit: Components responsible for processing
 CPU
 Primary Storage

Measures of processing speed:

1. Machine Cycle Time:
Computer executes an instruction during a machine cycle.
 Microseconds (1 Millionth)

 Nanoseconds (1 Billionth)

 Picoseconds (1 Trillionth)

 MIPS (Millions of Instructions Processed per Second)

Processing Characteristics and Functions
2. Clock speed:
A series of electronic pulses affecting machine cycle time.
Computer executes instruction in accordance with the electronic cycles
Each instruction takes at least the same amount of time as same as the
interval between pulses
 Hertz: one cycle (pulse) per second
 Megahertz (MHz): Millions of cycles per second

 Gigahertz (GHz): Billions of cycles per second)

 Shorter interval between pulses the faster instruction can be executed

Disadvantage: faster clock speed means more heat produced and heat
must dissipated to avoid corrupting the data and the CPU
Physical Characteristics of the CPU
 CPUs are collection of digital circuits imprinted on silicon
wafers or chips.
 To turn a digital circuit ON or OFF, electrical current must
flow through a medium from A to B.
 Speed can be increased by:
 Reducing the distance
 Reducing the resistance of a medium to electrical current
 Memory Measurement Unit
 Data is stored in memory as a combination of ON or OFF circuit states
 8 bit is used to represent a character such as A
 8 bit together form a byte
Memory Types

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Memory Types (conti …)

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Types of Computer Memory
Read Access Memory (RAM)

 RAM is a form of memory in which data or

instructions can be temporarily stored

 RAM are volatile storage devices meaning they

lose their contents if the current is turned off or
disrupted
 Types of RAM
1. Static RAM (SRAM): used for high speed registers and caches

2. Dynamic RAM (DRAM): used for main memory

3. Double Data Rate Synchronous Dynamic RAM (DDR SDRAM): an

improved form of DRAM used to double the rate at which data is moved in
and out of memory

4. DDR2 SDRAM, DDR3 SDRAM, and DDR4 SDRAM

Cache Memory
 Cache is a type of high speed memory that a processor can access more
rapidly than main memory
 Frequently used data is stored in easily accessed caches instead of slower
memory such as RAM.
 Processors can access cache faster than main memory.
 Cache controller determine how often data is used, transfers frequently used
data to cache memory and then delete data when it goes out of use
 Caches hold less data and instructions, thus CPU can quickly access data and
improve performance
L1 cache is on CPU chip
L2 cache can be accessed by CPU using high speed dedicated interface.
L3 cache is external caches
Read Only Memory (ROM)
 ROM is nonvolatile meaning that its contents are not lose
if the power is turned off or interrupted

 ROM provide permanent storage for data that do not

change such as programs and data from computer
manufacture including the instruction that tell the
computer how to start when power is turned on.
Types of ROM
1. Programmable Read Only Memory (PROM): used to hold
data and instructions that is never changed.

2. Erasable
Program Read Only Memory (EPROM):
programmable ROM can be erased and reused.

3. Electrically
Erasable Program Read Only Memory
(EEPROM): a user modifiable that can be erased and
reprogrammed repeatedly
Multiprocessing
 Multiprocessing: the simultaneous execution of two or
more instruction at the same time

Coprocessor: The part of the computer that speeds

processing by executing specific types of instructions
while the CPU works on another processing activity

Multicore Microprocessor: A micro processor that

combines two or more independent processors into a
single computer so that they share the workload and
improve processing speed
Parallel Computing
 Parallel computing: the simultaneous execution of the
same task on multiple processors to obtain result faster

 Massively parallel processing system: a system that

speeds processing by linking hundreds or thousands of
processors to operate at the same time or in parallel with
each processor has its own memory, desk, a copy of
operating system, and application
Used to analyze huge amount of data

 Grid Computing: the use of a collection of computers

often owned by multiple individuals or organizations to
work in a coordinated manner to solve a common problem
Massively Parallel Processing
 End

Any Question ?

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