Showing posts with label Computer Architecture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Computer Architecture. Show all posts
Computer Archtecture : Floating Point Unit (FPU)
A floating point unit (FPU), also known as a math coprocessor or numeric coprocessor, is a specialized coprocessor that manipulates numbers more quickly than the basic microprocessor circuitry. The FPU does this by means of instructions that focus entirely on large mathematical operations. In the early years of personal computing, the FPU was physically separate from the main microprocessor. Starting with the Intel Pentium and Motorola 68000 series in the late 1990s, the FPU became a physical part of the microprocessor chip.
A floating point number is a binary number carried out to a specific number of digits, and containing a radix (or decimal) point somewhere in the digit sequence. Such numbers are stored in three parts: the sign (either plus or minus), the mantissa (sequence of meaningful digits), and the exponent (power or order of magnititude), which determines the position in the mantissa where the radix point is placed. The main operations of the FPU consist of conventional arithmetic such as addition and multiplication. Some FPUs can also perform more sophisticated functions such as exponentials, logarithms, and trigonometry.
Some programs commonly downloaded from the Internet, such as Macromedia's Shockwave, require that a computer have an FPU. If a computer is old and its microprocessor does not have an FPU built in, a program called an FPU emulator can be downloaded. This can, in many cases, allow such programs to run, but not as fast as they would in a computer that has a hardware FPU.
A floating point number is a binary number carried out to a specific number of digits, and containing a radix (or decimal) point somewhere in the digit sequence. Such numbers are stored in three parts: the sign (either plus or minus), the mantissa (sequence of meaningful digits), and the exponent (power or order of magnititude), which determines the position in the mantissa where the radix point is placed. The main operations of the FPU consist of conventional arithmetic such as addition and multiplication. Some FPUs can also perform more sophisticated functions such as exponentials, logarithms, and trigonometry.
Some programs commonly downloaded from the Internet, such as Macromedia's Shockwave, require that a computer have an FPU. If a computer is old and its microprocessor does not have an FPU built in, a program called an FPU emulator can be downloaded. This can, in many cases, allow such programs to run, but not as fast as they would in a computer that has a hardware FPU.
Computer Architecture : PCMCIA card
PCMCIA Stands on Personal Computer Memory Card International Association. Some People Called it as People Cannot Memorize the Computer Industries Acronyms.as joking to remember it.
A PCMCIA card is a credit card-size memory or I/O device that
connects to a personal computer, usually a notebook or laptop computer.
Probably the most common example of a PCMCIA card is the 28.8 Kbps
modem for notebook computers.
The Personal Computer Memory Card International Association was
organized in 1989 to promote standards for both memory and I/O
integrated circuit cards. The PCMCIA 2.1 Standard was published in
1993. As a result, PC users can be assured of standard attachments for
any peripheral device that follows the standard.
A PCMCIA card has a 68-pin connector that connects into a slot in the PC. There are three sizes (or "Types") of PCMCIA cards:
| Type | Thickness (mm) | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| I | 3.3 | Memory |
| II | 5.0 | Modems, LANs. SCSI, sound |
| III | 10.5 | ATA hard drive |
The Type I and II cards work in a Type III slot and a Type I card will
work in a Type II slot. (On the other hand, the thicker cards can't be
fitted into the slots for the thinner cards.)
The PCMCIA standard is most commonly applied to portable PCs but it can also be used on desktop computers.
The PCMCIA card is not to be confused with another credit-size electronic card, the smart card.
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