Mediaspace scheduled maintenance: Aug 25, 2026 07:00 - 12:00 AM. During this time, videos will be temporarily unavailable. Check status updates.

Lecture

Understanding Computers & Programs

Description

This lecture covers the history of human computers, the transition to electronic computers, memory components, control flow instructions, and programming algorithms, emphasizing the importance of following fixed rules in computing.

Official source

Ontological neighbourhood

Computer engineering

Hardware engineering: Microprocessors

Related concepts (32)

Instruction set architecture

In computer science, an instruction set architecture (ISA), also called computer architecture, is an abstract model of a computer. A device that executes instructions described by that ISA, such as a central processing unit (CPU), is called an implementation. In general, an ISA defines the supported instructions, data types, registers, the hardware support for managing main memory, fundamental features (such as the memory consistency, addressing modes, virtual memory), and the input/output model of a family of implementations of the ISA.

Complex instruction set computer

A complex instruction set computer (CISC ˈsɪsk) is a computer architecture in which single instructions can execute several low-level operations (such as a load from memory, an arithmetic operation, and a memory store) or are capable of multi-step operations or addressing modes within single instructions. The term was retroactively coined in contrast to reduced instruction set computer (RISC) and has therefore become something of an umbrella term for everything that is not RISC, where the typical differentiating characteristic is that most RISC designs use uniform instruction length for almost all instructions, and employ strictly separate load and store instructions.

Computer

A computer is a machine that can be programmed to carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations (computation) automatically. Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic sets of operations known as programs. These programs enable computers to perform a wide range of tasks. A computer system is a nominally complete computer that includes the hardware, operating system (main software), and peripheral equipment needed and used for full operation.

Reduced instruction set computer

In computer engineering, a reduced instruction set computer (RISC) is a computer architecture designed to simplify the individual instructions given to the computer to accomplish tasks. Compared to the instructions given to a complex instruction set computer (CISC), a RISC computer might require more instructions (more code) in order to accomplish a task because the individual instructions are written in simpler code.

No instruction set computing

No instruction set computing (NISC) is a computing architecture and compiler technology for designing highly efficient custom processors and hardware accelerators by allowing a compiler to have low-level control of hardware resources. NISC is a statically scheduled horizontal nanocoded architecture (SSHNA). The term "statically scheduled" means that the operation scheduling and Hazard handling are done by a compiler. The term "horizontal nanocoded" means that NISC does not have any predefined instruction set or microcode.

Related lectures (28)

Introduction to Processors

Covers the fundamentals of processors, from digital logic to program execution, including components like ALU, register file, and control logic.

Introduction to ISA

Covers the components of a processor, ISA classifications, specific ISAs like MIPS, assembly language examples, and the importance of machine instruction regularity.

Computing: Computer Components

Covers the basics of computing, human computers, Von Neumann architecture, and memory units.

Processor Architecture

Covers processor architecture, evolution of performance, algorithms to computers transition, registers, instructions, arithmetic unit, and memory management.

Software Engineering Fundamentals