9
INPUT/OUTPUT
You’ve seen how to build a basic CPU and RAM, which together can run programs. CPU and RAM are great for performing calculations, but to bring a computer to life with graphics, sound, joysticks, and other interactions with the real world, we also need input and output, known together as I/O. In this chapter, you’ll see how to add I/O capabilities using buses, I/O modules, devices, and peripherals.
Basic I/O Concepts
To discuss I/O in detail, let’s first define a few terms. I/O modules are digital electronics that—like RAM—are assigned and connected to addresses in the computer’s address space, the range of possible addresses that ...
Get Computer Architecture now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.
