Von Neumann Computer Architecture

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Von Neumann computer architecture
Background

John von Neumann 1903-1957 was a child-prodigy; he received his Ph.D. in mathematics from Pázmány Péter University in Budapest at the age of 22, while also earning a diploma in chemical engineering from the ETH Zurich in Switzerland.
During his work on the Manhattan Project he happened upon a chance meeting with Lieutenant Herman Goldstine, who he himself was working on a military project that evolved creating a computer system that could help calculate the trajectories of the army’s heavy gun’s shells, this project was known as Electronic Discrete Variable Computer (EDVAC). Von Neumann wrote an incomplete set of notes, titled the First Draft of a Report on the EDVAC. This widely distributed paper …show more content…

• Accumulator (AC) and multiplier quotient (MQ): Employed to hold temporarily operands and results of ALU operations. For example, the result of multiplying two 40-bit numbers is an 80-bit number; the most significant 40 bits are stored in the AC and the least significant in the MQ.
What are Machine instructions and how do they get processed in the CPU
A machine instruction asks the processor to perform a certain operation. It is made up of two types of code, operation code (op code) operand. The op code is the action, all though modern processors are limited at the machine level to instructions with no more than two operands the operands can be one or more type of instructions and are commonly grouped by the following headings;
• Data transfer: Move data between memory and ALU registers or between two ALU registers.
• Unconditional branch: Normally, the control unit executes instructions in sequence from memory. This sequence can be changed by a branch instruction, which facilitates repetitive operations.
• Conditional branch: The branch can be made dependent on a condition, thus allowing decision …show more content…

It might have been Aiken’s idea but he needed the money and resources to build this project, this brought doubt into who actually built the computer? Although like said before it was Aiken’s paper inspired the project, it was IBM who had to provide the required components to build this computer and in some instances develop specialised components in order to finish. The finished computer was built using electromagnetic components instead of the more traditional methods such as an electrical system. The Mark 1 was built between 1939 and 1944 and was primarily used in World War II by the US Navy, to help protect of ships from being destroyed by magnetic mines in the sea, and also help manage radar system’s not to forget but also further design of these radar

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