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Introduction:
COMPUTER ORGANIZATION • Programs and the data they operate on are held in the
AND ARCHITECTURE memory of the computer.

(18EC35)
Module 4
Memory Systems
By
Keith R Fernandes • The execution speed of programs is highly
Asst. Professor dependent on the speed with which instructions and
Dept. of ECE, SJEC Mangaluru data can be transferred between the processor and the
memory.

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Introduction: Introduction:
• Requirement is, large memory to facilitate execution • Ideally, the memory would be fast, large, and
of programs that are large and deal with huge inexpensive.
amounts of data.

fast large

cheap

• Increased speed and size are achieved at increased cost.

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Introduction: Introduction:
Solution? Solution?

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Some Basic Concepts: Some Basic Concepts:

• The maximum size of the memory of computer is
determined by the addressing scheme.
• A 16-bit computer that generates 16-bit addresses is
capable of addressing up to 216 = 64K memory
locations.
• A machines having 32-bit address line can utilize a
memory that contains up to 2 32 = 4G (giga) memory
locations.
• Whereas machines with 40-bit addresses can access
up to 240 = 1T (tera) locations.
• The number of locations represents the size of the
address space of the computer.

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Some Basic Concepts: Some Basic Concepts:

• Most modem computers are byte addressable.

• The big-endian arrangement is used in the 68000

processor.
• The little-endian arrangement is used in Intel
processors.
• The ARM architecture can be configured to use
either arrangement.
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Some Basic Concepts: Some Basic Concepts:

• The memory is usually designed to store and retrieve
data in word-length quantities.
• The number of bits actually stored or retrieved in one
memory access defines the Word Length of the
computer.
• Let us consider a byte addressable computer whose
instructions generate 32-bit addresses.
• When a 32-bit address is sent from the processor to
the memory unit, the high-order 30 bits determine
which word will be accessed.
• If a byte quantity is specified, the low-order 2 bits of
the address specify which byte location is involved.

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Some Basic Concepts: Some Basic Concepts:

• In a Read operation, other bytes may be fetched from • From the system standpoint, we can view the
the memory, but they are ignored by the processor. memory unit as a Black Box.
• If the byte operation is a Write, however, the control
circuitry of the memory must ensure that the contents
of other bytes of the same word are not changed.

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Some Basic Concepts: Some Basic Concepts:

• Data transfer between the memory and the processor
takes place through the use of two processor
registers, usually called MAR (memory address
register) and MDR (memory data register).
• If MAR is k bits long and MDR is n bits long, then
the memory unit may contain up to 2k addressable
locations.
• During a memory cycle, n bits of data are transferred
between the memory and the processor.
• This transfer takes place over the processor bus,
which has k address lines and n data lines.

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Some Basic Concepts: Some Basic Concepts:

• The bus also includes the con1rollines Read/ Write • Upon receipt of the MFC signal, the processor loads
(R/ Wഥ ) and Memory Function Completed (MFC) for the data on the data lines into the MDR register.
coordinating data transfers.
• Other control lines may be added to indicate the
number of bytes to be transferred.
• The processor reads data from the memory by
loading the address of the required memory location
ഥ line to 1.
into the MAR register and setting the R/ W
• The memory responds by placing the data from the
addressed location onto the data lines, and confirms
this action by asserting the MFC signal.

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Some Basic Concepts: Some Basic Concepts:

• The processor writes data into a memory location by
loading the address of this location into MAR and
loading the data into MDR.
• It indicates that a write operation is involved by
ഥ line to 0.
setting the R/ W
• Memory accesses may be synchronized using a
clock, or they may be controlled using special
signals.
• Memory read and write operations are controlled as
input and output bus transfers.

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Some Basic Concepts: Some Basic Concepts:

• If read or write operations involve consecutive • A useful measure of the speed of memory units is the
address locations in the main memory, then a "block time that elapses between the initiation of an
transfer" operation can be performed in which the operation and the completion of that operation.
only address sent to the memory is the one that • The time between the Read and the MFC signals cab
identifies the first location. be referred to as the Memory Access Time.
• The Memory Cycle Time, is the minimum time delay
required between the initiation of two successive
memory operations.
• Example, the time between two successive Read
operations.
• The cycle time is usually slightly longer than the
access time.
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Some Basic Concepts: Some Basic Concepts:

• A memory unit is called Random Access Memory
(RAM), if any location can be accessed for a Read or
Write operation some fixed amount of time that is
independent of the location's address.
• This distinguishes such memory units from serial, or
partly serial, access storage devices such as magnetic
disks and tapes.
• Access time on the these devices depends on the
address or position of the data.

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Some Basic Concepts: Some Basic Concepts:

• The basic technology for implementing the memory
uses Semiconductor Integrated Circuits.

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