The Physics of Computing gives a foundational view of the physical principles underlying computers. Performance, power, thermal behavior, and reliability are all harder and harder to achieve as transistors shrink to nanometer scales. This book describes the physics of computing at all levels of abstraction from single gates to complete computer systems.
It can be used as a course for juniors or seniors in computer engineering and electrical engineering, and can also be used to teach students in other scientific disciplines important concepts in computing. For electrical engineering, the book provides the fundamentals of computing that link core concepts to computing. For computer science, it provides foundations of key challenges such as power consumption, performance, and thermal. The book can also be used as a technical reference by professionals.
Key Features
- Links fundamental physics to the key challenges in computer design, including memory wall, power wall, reliability
- Provides all of the background necessary to understand the physical underpinnings of key computing concepts
- Covers all the major physical phenomena in computing from transistors to systems, including logic, interconnect, memory, clocking, I/O
- Preface
- Chapter 1. Electronic Computers
- 1.1. Introduction
- 1.2. The long road to computers
- 1.3. Computer system metrics
- 1.4. A tour of this book
- 1.5. Synthesis
- Chapter 2. Transistors and Integrated Circuits
- 2.1. Introduction
- 2.2. Electron devices and electronic circuits
- 2.3. Physics of materials
- 2.4. Solid-state devices
- 2.5. Integrated circuits
- 2.6. Synthesis
- Chapter 3. Logic Gates
- 3.1. Introduction
- 3.2. The CMOS inverter
- 3.3. Static gate characteristics
- 3.4. Delay
- 3.5. Power and energy
- 3.6. Scaling theory
- 3.7. Reliability
- 3.8. Synthesis
- Chapter 4. Sequential Machines
- 4.1. Introduction
- 4.2. Combinational logic
- 4.3. Interconnect
- 4.4. Sequential machines
- 4.5. Synthesis
- Chapter 5. Processors and Systems
- 5.1. Introduction
- 5.2. System reliability
- 5.3. Processors
- 5.4. Memory
- 5.5. Mass storage
- 5.6. System power consumption
- 5.7. Heat transfer
- 5.8. Synthesis
- Chapter 6. Input and Output
- 6.1. Introduction
- 6.2. Displays
- 6.3. Image sensors
- 6.4. Touch sensors
- 6.5. Microphones
- 6.6. Accelerometers and inertial sensors
- 6.7. Synthesis
- Chapter 7. Emerging Technologies
- 7.1. Introduction
- 7.2. Carbon nanotubes
- 7.3. Quantum computers
- 7.4. Synthesis
- Appendix A. Useful Constants and Formulas
- Appendix B. Circuits
- Appendix C. Probability
- Appendix D. Advanced Topics
- References
- Index
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- Hennessy and Patterson, Computer Architecture: A Quantitative Approach, Fifth Edition, Morgan Kaufmann, Sep 2011, 9780123838728, $89.95
- Harris and Harris, Digital Design and Computer Architecture, Second Edition, Morgan Kaufmann, Jul 2012, 9780123944245, $89.95
- Harris and Harris, Digital Design and Computer Architecture, ARM Edition, Morgan Kaufmann, Apr 2015, 9780128000564, $99.95
- Wolf, Computers as Components: Principles of Embedded Computing System Design, Third Edition, Morgan Kaufmann, May 2012, 9780123884367, $84.95
- Saltzer and Kaashoek, Principles of Computer System Design: An Introduction, Morgan Kaufmann, Jun 2009, 9780123749574, $82.95
Undergraduate students in computer engineering, electrical engineering, computer science. For EEs, provides fundamentals of computing that links core EE concepts to computing. For CS, provides foundations of key challenges such as power consumption, performance, and heat. Professional reference uses for people who want the basics for topics such as heat dissipation, leakage, performance, etc.
