Computer Architecture — The Evolution of Human Intelligence

People who are really serious about software should make their own hardware. — Alan Kay

Imagination Graph

Computer architecture is a specification detailing how a set of software and hardware technology standards interact to form a computer system or platform. In short, computer architecture is the logic behind the CPU, GPU or other computing and memory unit inside computer system.

Stories of computer architecture begins with a magic tube — Vacuum Tube:

Left — IBM Vacuum Tube Right — Tubes over Tubes: BULL GAMMA 3, First Generation of Computer Architecture

During 1940 to 1950, the first generation of computer used vacuum tubes as basic logic unit. Below is a more detailed summary:

• Language: Machine Language / Assembly Language (Sequential Execution)
• Memory: Use of drum memory or magnetic core memory, programs and data are loaded using paper tape or punch cards, around 2KB
• Instructions Per Second (IPS): 10 KIPS (10 thousands of instructions can be executed per second)
• Two types of models for a computing machine: Harvard architecture and Von Neumann architecture