Jim Ledin Bücher

This practical guide offers a clear introduction to current and future processor and computer architectures, aimed at software developers, systems designers, and computer architecture students. It demystifies digital circuitry through transistors, logic gates, and sequential logic, while examining the architecture and instruction sets of x86, x64, ARM, and RISC-V processors. The book provides insights into how modern computer systems function, from the fundamental level of transistor switching to the broader perspective of multiprocessor servers. Readers will learn about the internal behavior of processors that execute high-level language code, enabling the design of efficient software systems. Key topics include transistor technology, digital circuit principles, pipelining, superscalar execution, and floating-point data formats. Additionally, it covers the implementation of a RISC-V processor on a low-cost FPGA board and guides readers in writing a quantum computing program for actual quantum computers. By the end, readers will have a comprehensive understanding of modern processor architectures and future trends. This resource is suitable for anyone interested in the architecture and design principles of modern computer systems, from embedded devices to large-scale cloud server farms, with a basic understanding of computer processors being beneficial but not essential.