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Multilevel Viewpoint of A Machine

The document describes the multilevel view of a computer system from the user level down to the digital logic level. It outlines 7 levels of abstraction: 1) the user level where users interact with application programs, 2) the high-level language level where programmers write code, 3) the assembly language level which is a low-level human readable form, 4) the system software level containing operating systems and utilities, 5) the machine level consisting of instructions specific to the computer architecture, 6) the control level which decodes and executes machine instructions, and 7) the digital logic level comprising the basic electronic components of chips and gates. Each higher level builds upon the lower levels and provides more abstraction from the physical computer.

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Vikas Kasana
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162 views

Multilevel Viewpoint of A Machine

The document describes the multilevel view of a computer system from the user level down to the digital logic level. It outlines 7 levels of abstraction: 1) the user level where users interact with application programs, 2) the high-level language level where programmers write code, 3) the assembly language level which is a low-level human readable form, 4) the system software level containing operating systems and utilities, 5) the machine level consisting of instructions specific to the computer architecture, 6) the control level which decodes and executes machine instructions, and 7) the digital logic level comprising the basic electronic components of chips and gates. Each higher level builds upon the lower levels and provides more abstraction from the physical computer.

Uploaded by

Vikas Kasana
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Multilevel View Point of A Machine

Actual Multilevel Computer

The Computer Level Hierarchy

Level 6: The User Level


o Program execution and user interface level.
o The level with which we are most familiar.
o Composed of application programs such as Word Processor,Paint etc.
o The implementation of the application is hidden completely from the user
Level 5: High-Level Language Level
o The level with which we interact when we write programs in languages
such as C, Pascal, Lisp, and Java
o The level allows users to write their own application with languages such
as C, Java and many more
o High-level languages are easier to read, write, and maintain
o User at this level sees very little of the lower level
Level 4: Assembly Language Level
o Acts upon assembly language produced from Level 5, as well as
instructions programmed directly at this level.
o Lowest human readable form before dealing with 1s and 0s (machine
language)
o Assembler converts assembly to machine language

Level 3: System Software Level


o Controls executing processes on the system.
o Protects system resources.
o Assembly language instructions often pass through Level 3 without
modification.
o Operating System software supervises other programs
Controls execution of multiple programs
Protects system resources. E.g. Memory and I/O devices
o Other utilities
Compilers, Interpreters, Linkers, Library etc.
o The software can be written in both assembly and high-level language
High-level is much more portable i.e. easier to modify to work on
other machines
Level 2: Machine Level
o Also known as the Instruction Set Architecture (ISA) Level.
o Consists of instructions that are particular to the architecture of the
machine.
o Programs written in machine language need no compilers, interpreters, or
assemblers.
o Also known as the Instruction Set Architecture (ISA) Level
o Consists of instructions that are particular to the architecture of the
machine
o Programs written in machine language (0s and 1s) need no compilers,
interpreters, or assemblers
Level 1: Control Level
o A control unit decodes and executes instructions and moves data through
the system.
o Control units can be microprogrammed or hardwired.
o A microprogram is a program written in a low-level language that is
implemented by the hardware.
o Hardwired control units consist of hardware that directly executes
machine instructions.
o Detailed organization of a processor implementation
How the control unit interprets machine instructions (from fetch
thru execute stages)
o There can be different implementations of a single ISA
o In the book this level is called Control level
Level 0: Digital Logic Level
o This level is where we find digital circuits (the chips).
o Digital circuits consist of gates and wires.
o These components implement the mathematical logic of all other levels.
o This level is where we view physical devices as just switches (On/Off)
o Instead of viewing their physical behavior (i.e. in terms of voltages and
currents) we use two value logic i.e. 0 (off) and 1(on)

We will briefly look at the physical electronic components mainly the


transistor technology
Multi-level organization: summary
Computers are designed as a series of levels
Each level represent a different abstraction (hence a different language)
The bottom level is the actual computer and its (real) machine language (lowlevel language)
The top-level is for High-Level Languages (C,C++,Java, Prolog) easier for the
final user
The set of data types and operations of each level is called an architecture.
Choosing data types and operations for each level is a fundamental part of
computer architecture design.

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