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Computer Bus

Data bus | address bus | control bus, bus architecture | bus width | bus speed, introduction to computer bus.

The Computer Bus is a communication link used in a computer system to send data, addresses , control signals, and power to various hardware components in a computer system.

The computer buses are used to connect the various hardware components that are part of the computer system. In simple terms, the computer buses are electrical wires that connect the various hardware components in a computer system . The computer bus carries the data , control signals , memory addresses, and power supply to these components.

The buses act as a shared communication channel, allowing various hardware components, such as the CPU (Central Processing Unit), main memory RAM modules, storage devices, input/output devices, and expansion cards, to interact and transfer data with each other.

The computer system makes use of different types of buses, such as data buses, address buses, and control buses.

What Is Computer Bus ?

The primary purpose of a computer bus is to provide a standardized method for components to communicate with each other. By using a bus, various devices can interact and transfer information without the need for custom connections or protocols for each individual component.

Different types of busses are used in the computer. Computer buses can vary in terms of their speed, width, and protocols depending on the specific requirements of the system. Advancements in technology have led to the development of faster and more efficient bus architectures, allowing for increased data transfer rates and improved overall system performance.

In summary, computer buses provide a crucial communication infrastructure within a computer system, enabling the exchange of data and signals between different hardware components. Bus architecture plays a vital role in ensuring the smooth operation and coordination of various components in a computer system.

In this article, we are going to study in detail what computer buses are, the computer system bus architecture , types of buses , technical features, and functions of computer buses.

Computer Buses And Functions

Buses are typically categorized based on their functionality and the type of data they carry. Here are some common types of computer buses that are important part of computer architecture :

Table Of Contents

What is data bus , what is address bus , computer bus functions, motherboard bus architecture, types of computer buses, what is control bus , what is system bus , bus width and bus speed, what is expansion bus .

The  computer system   consist of  number  of  internal  and  external components . These components  are physically  interconnected  and communicate with each other through a network of  wires running  across the computer system. These  wires are referred as computer buses. The buses are  essential  to the functioning  of  the computer  system.

A computer bus is a communication pathway that allows various components within a computer system to transfer data and signals between each other. It serves as a wired physical connection or set of wires running across connecting various system components.

Computer buses enable the transfer and exchange of information, such as commands, addresses, signals, and data, between the different hardware components in a computer. Computer system makes use of different types of busses as per the system architecture.

The computer  buses can be in the form of wired cables  or  electrical wires embedded in the  computer motherboard PCB  ( Printed Circuit Board )  visible on the rear side of  motherboard .

It is important for computer science professional to study the computer system bus architecture , technical features of these buses  such as bus width  and bus speed  and its overall impact  on  the  system  performance.

A  bus is a common communication  pathway  used in a computer system through which information flows from  one computer component to another.  

 The  computer bus system   is  a  network of   buses  which  physically  connect  all the  components  with  wires  (  actual  bus wires  OR  circuit  wires on the motherboard  ) .

The bus system consist of different types of buses depending upon  the  components being connected  and  the function  assigned  to the  bus .

A  bus  can  consist  of  set  of wires  grouped  together as  connection wire or a printed circuit boards  which  carry  the  data  and  other commands ( instructions ) from  the  CPU to the  memory  and  to  various  other  components connected to the system. 

 The  bus  performance  is  an important  parameter  to  access  the  computer system  performance . The bus width and the bus speed affects the system performance .

Cable Buses

Motherboard Buses

The data bus is a bidirectional bus and can carry the data in both the direction along the data bus. For example , the CPU can send the data to be stored into the RAM .

Similarly, the CPU can also perform the fetch operation for retrieving the data from the specific memory location. 

The computer bus system makes use of different types of buses depending upon the purpose and the function  of the bus. 

The computer system buses can be classified on the basis of number of factors . These factors include :

• Components being connected . ( CPU , RAM , Input And  Output Devices  ).
• Type of  Data being Transmitted  (  Data , Address , Control Signals ) .
• Location of the  components (  Internal  bus And External bus ).
• Connectivity with the CPU   chipset (  Through  Northbridge  Or  Through Southbridge ) 

Bus Types On the Data Being Transmitted

The computer system buses can be classified on the basis of type of the data being transmitted as :

1. Data Bus ,    2. Address Bus  ,  3. Control Bus.

Computer Bus Types

Bus Types Based On the Components Being Connected

The computer system buses can be classified on the basis of type of the components being connected as :

1. System Bus ,    2. Expansion Bus  ,  3. Input And Output Bus.

Bus Types Based On The Location Of Components

The computer system buses can be classified on the basis of location of the component being connected as :

1. Internal Bus ,    2. External Bus  

In computer architecture , the data bus is  a wired connection dedicated for the transmitting the data between the CPU , peripheral devices and other hardware components . The data bus is a part of the system  bus  in  addition  to  address bus and the control bus.

 A  data bus has many different features , but one of the most important feature  is the bus width . The width of a data bus refers  to the number of bits ( electrical wires ) that  the  bus  can carry at a time.

For example , a 16 Bit wide data bus can carry 16 bits of data simultaneously between the CPU and the system component such as main memory RAM ( Random Access Memory ).

The Common  data bus widths include  8 bit , 16 bit ,  32 bit  and 64 bit . The wider the bus width ,  faster would be  the  data  flow   on the  data bus and thus better system performance.

Bus Architecture

Control Bus

The  CPU ( Microprocessor ) contains a control unit   which controls  the functioning of all  other components connected to the computer system. The control  bus   is  used  to transfer  the control signals   from  one  component to  another  component  .

 A  control bus is a computer bus that is used by the CPU to communicate with the devices that are connected to the computer system. These devices are connected with the help of   cables   and  printed circuits  board such as motherboard .

The Control Bus is a part of System Bus in addition to Data Bus and Address Bus.

The Central Processing Unit ( CPU ) transmits different types of control signals to the system components. The devices also communicate with CPU by transmitting the control signals  using  the  control bus.

 The control bus   is a  bidirectional  and assists the  CPU in synchronizing control signals to the internal components and the external devices connected to the system. 

The control bus transmits the control signals such as device interrupt signal , byte enable signal , memory read or write signals  and  status signals.

How CPU Works ?

Address bus, what is a address bus .

The computer program consist of number of program instructions. These instructions direct the CPU to perform desired operation. 

The operating system loads the program instructions and the data into the main memory . The  CPU  executes the program instructions one-by-one by  fetching  the  program instructions  from  the  main  memory  RAM   ( Random Access Memory )  .

 In order to perform the memory read or write  operation  from the main memory RAM  , the  CPU  sends  either  read  or  write  control  signal on  the  control  bus  and  address  of  the memory location  along  the “Address Bus”  from where  the  operation is to be performed .

The address  bus  is  a  part  of the “System Bus” along with the data bus and the control bus which we have discussed .

What Is A System Bus ?

A  System Bus is the main bus which contains Data Bus , Address Bus And Control Bus. 

The System bus in computer system  connects  number of vital internal hardware components placed on the motherboard .

These hardware components   mainly include  CPU , motherboard , Internal  add on cards  such as  Graphic card , Sound card  , Network card ,  RAM ( Main Memory ) and the internal  hard disk  .   

 A  system  bus  is  a  set  of  parallel wires  which connects the  two or more  independent major internal components of a  computer system. The System bus  transfers   data , memory   addresses  and  device control  instructions.

What Are The Functions Of The Computer Bus ?

The computer bus system makes use of different types of buses . Each of these bus is assigned to carry specific type of signal and data depending upon its function.  

• Data Sharing .
• Control  Signals
• Providing Power to Components .
• Sharing The System Time .

Internal Bus

The internal buses connect the various internal system components such as microprocessor ( CPU ) , RAM ( main memory ) , Chipset ( North Bridge And South Bridge ) and disk memory ( Hard Disk ) .

External Bus

The external bus connects the various external system components such as monitor , keyboard , printer , external hard disk and other components externally connected to the system.

The system bus connects the most important internal system components such as Microprocessor ( CPU ) and main system memory RAM . The system bus is also referred as FSB ( Front Side Bus ) or memory bus. It consist of data bus , address bus and control bus.

Expansion Bus

The expansion bus connects the most important internal system components such as Microprocessor ( CPU ) and PCI OR PCI Express slots on the motherboard .

The PCI And PCI Express slots are used to connect the add on cards such as graphics card and sound card . These cards are installed to enhance the system performance.

Input And Output Bus

The input and output bus connects the most important internal system components such as Microprocessor ( CPU ) , main system memory RAM and the input / output devises through input and output controller south bridge . 

Computer Bus And System Performance

Computer bus width and bus speed.

A  bus  is a information highway over which information flows and wider  the bus , the more information can flow over the channel .

And therefore , a  compatible  bus width  and  bus speed  is  important  for  the  optimal  performance of the two most vital system components which includes Central Processing Unit ( CPU )  and  main system memory RAM .

This  is  similar to  a   multi lane  wider highway   that  can carry  more  cars due to  more  number of  lanes available for traffic .  whereas , a single  lane road can carry less number of cars  as compared  to a  multi lane road .

The computer system at the hardware level understands only binary 0 ( zero ) and 1 ( one ) . And therefore , all computer programs are compiled to convert into machine code instructions in binary which computer CPU can decode and execute.      

The  bus  consist  of  group of cables  and each  of these cable  can  carry  1 BIT  ( Binary   0  OR 1  )  at a time  . Therefore ,  a  bus  consist of  a  group  of cables  so that  a  group of  bits  can be sent at a time  through  these  buses .

Why Computer Bus Use Binary ?

What is bus width .

The size of a bus is measured in terms number of Bits it can transmit at a time . Each wire can transmit one bit thus more number of wires in the bus can transmit more bits at a time . This number of wires in bus is referred as Bus Width.

The Bus width is an  important measure because it determines how much data can be transmitted at one time. For example, a 16 Bits bus can transmit 16 bits of data and a 32 Bit Bus  can transmit 32 bits of data at a time.

The  bus  consist  of  group of cables  and each  of these cable  can  carry  1 BIT  ( Binary   0  OR 1  )  at a time  . Therefore  a  bus  consist of  a  group  of cables  so that  a  group of  bits  can be sent  through  the  bus  .

This  is  similar to  a   multi lane  wider highway   that  can carry  more  cars due to  more  number of  lanes available for traffic .​

What Is Bus Speed ?

The Bus performance is important for optimal CPU performance . The Bus performance is measured on two factors ( Bus Width And  Bus Speed ) . 

The bus speed is another important parameter for the  bus performance . The bus speed is defined by its frequency expressed in Hertz .

The  bus frequency  is  the  number  of data packets  sent or received per second. Each time that data  is   sent   or  received , It  is  called  as  one cycle. 

The  bus speed  is generally referred  to the FSB – Front Side Bus  speed . The Front Side Bus connects  the  CPU  to  the memory controller  chip  North-bridge .

What Is Bus Bandwidth ?

Let us summarize the bus width and the bus speed using the highway analogy. If the bus width is the number of lanes available for the traffic and the bus speed is how fast the vehicles  are moving on each of these lanes.

The bandwidth is the product of Bus Width And Bus Speed  and reflects the amount of traffic  that  the  channel  can convey per second.

The CPU is connected to the internal system components ( RAM , Graphics Card Network card ) and external peripheral devices ( Monitor , Printer , Mouse , Keyboard ) by using device controller circuits placed on the motherboard .

 All the device controller chips are now integrated  into only  two  controller chips called chip-set . The chip-set consist of two prominently visible IC Chips called   North-bridge and South-bridge placed  on  the  motherboard .      

Computer Motherboard Chipset

The memory controller chip North-bridge and input / output   controller chip South-bridge circuits  are placed on the motherboard.

The internal components   ( CPU , main memory RAM , Graphics Card ) are connected through North Bridge. 

And other peripheral devices ( Display monitor , printer , keyboard , mouse ) are connected through the input & output controller chip South Bridge.

All these components are connected  by  using  the system of bus wires  which  essentially carries  three different types  of  information : 

1. Memory Addresses , 2. Control Instructions And  3. Data.

1. Memory Addresses.

2. control instructions., chipset north bridge and south bridge.

What Is Expansion Bus?

The  performance features  and  functionality of a computer system can be extended  by  adding   an    additional    cards    such  as  graphics  card   Or   sound card. 

The  expansion slots  are  the ports located  on the motherboard  of  a  computer  system   in which an expansion cards  can be installed .  The  user  can use these  slots  to  insert  additional  expansion cards   as per the  functional  requirements .

An expansion bus is a group of wires OR PCB  used to connect with the expansion slots on the motherboard. These expansion slots are used for  installing the  expansion cards .

Expansion Slots

Front And Back Side Bus

Front Side Bus

What is front side bus ( fsb ) .

The front side bus ( FSB ) represents one of the most important communication bus that connects some of the most vital components of the system. And hence , the FSB is also referred as system bus .

The front side bus connects the computers central processing unit ( CPU ) with the main system memory RAM . The FSB also connects PCI slots and DIMM slots on the motherboard with the processor socket .

And therefore , the FSB is an important communication bus that connects some of the most important components such as CPU , main memory RAM , graphics card and other components connected through PSI slots.

Chipset Architecture - Front Side Bus ( FSB )

These components are connected using  the FSB through one of the memory controller chip called the north bridge . The motherboard chip set consist of two controller chips.

The front side bus is present on the motherboard embedded as a printed circuit board ( PCB ) wired connections running across the motherboard PCB .

The FSB speed is considered as an important parameter that significantly affect the CPU performance . The FSB speed is measured in Megahertz ( MHz ).

The FSB speed is generally ranges between 66 MHz to 800 Mhz. It can also be expressed as a ratio to CPU speed.

RAM Standards - Front Side Bus ( FSB ) Speed

The front side bus ( FSB )  is bi-directional bus . The FSB is used to by the CPU to either receive or send the data from various components connected to the CPU.

 The CPU frequently communicates with system main memory RAM and other devices during the program execution. And therefore , the FSB speed matters for the CPU performance.

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What is bus | types of computer bus.

By Dinesh Thakur

What is Computer Bus: The electrically conducting path along which data is transmitted inside any digital electronic device. A Computer bus consists of a set of parallel conductors, which may be conventional wires, copper tracks on a PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD, or microscopic aluminum trails on the surface of a silicon chip. Each wire carries just one bit, so the number of wires determines the largest data WORD the bus can transmit: a bus with eight wires can carry only 8-bit data words, and hence defines the device as an 8-bit device.

A computer bus normally has a single word memory circuit called a LATCH attached to either end, which briefly stores the word being transmitted and ensures that each bit has settled to its intended state before its value is transmitted.

The Computer bus helps the various parts of the PC communicate . If there was no bus, you would have an unwieldy number of wires connecting every part to every other part. It would be like having separate wiring for every light bulb and socket in your house. 

We’ll be covering the following topics in this tutorial:

Types of Computer Bus

There are a variety of buses found inside the computer.

D ata Bus : The data bus allows data to travel back and forth between the microprocessor ( CPU ) and memory (RAM).

A ddress Bus : The address bus carries information about the location of data in memory.

C ontrol Bus : The control bus carries the control signals that make sure everything is flowing smoothly from place to place.

E xpansion Bus: If your computer has expansion slots, there’s an expansion bus. Messages and information pass between your computer and the add-in boards you plug in over the expansion bus. 

Although this is a bit confusing, these different buses are sometimes together called simply “the bus.” A user can think of the computer’s “bus” as one unit made up of three parts: data, address, and control, even though the three electrical pathways do not run along each other (and therefore don’t really form a single “unit”) within the computer.

There are different sizes, or widths of data buses found in computers today. A data bus’ width is measured by the number of bits that can travel on it at once. The speed at which its bus can transmit words, that is, its bus BANDWIDTH, crucially determines the speed of any digital device. One way to make a bus faster is to increase its width;

for example a 16-bit bus can transmit two 8-bit words at once, ‘side-by-side’, and so carries 8-bit data twice as fast as an 8-bit bus can. A computer’s CPU will typically contain several buses, often of differing widths, that connect its various subunits. It is common for modern CPUs to use on-chip buses that are wider than the bus they use to communicate with external devices such as memory, and the speed difference between on- and off-chip operations must then be bridged by keeping a reservoir of temporary data in a CACHE. For example many of the Pentium class of processors use 256 bits for their fastest on-chip buses, but only 64 bits for external links.

An 8-bit bus carries data along 8 parallel lines. A 16-bit bus, also called ISA (Industry Standard Architecture), carries data along 16 lines. A 32-bit bus, classified as EISA (Enhanced Industry Standard Architecture) or MCA ( Micro Channel Architecture ), can carry data along 32 lines.

The speed at which buses conduct signals is measured in megahertz (Mhz). Typical PCs today run at speeds between 20 and 65Mhz. Also see CPU, Expansion Card, Memory, Motherboard, RAM, ROM, and System Unit.

How Does Computer Bus Work?

A bus transfers electrical signals from one place to another. An actual bus appears as an endless amount of etched copper circuits on the motherboard’s surface. The bus is connected to the CPU through the Bus Interface Unit.

Data travels between the CPU and memory along the data bus. The location (address) of that data is carried along the address bus. A clock signal which keeps everything in synch travels along the control bus.

The clock acts like a traffic light for all the PC’s components; the “green light” goes on with each clock tick. A PC’s clock can “tick” anywhere from 20 to 65 million times per second, which makes it seem like a computer is really fast. But since each task (such as saving a file) is made up of several programmed instructions, and each of those instructions takes several clock cycles to carry out, a person sometimes has to sit and wait for the computer to catch up.

You’ll also like:

• What is Bus Topology? Advantages and Disadvantages of Bus Network
• Types of Computer Networks
• Types of Computer Memory
• what is processor in computer? Types of Microprocessor
• What is ISA Bus?

Dinesh Thakur is a Freelance Writer who helps different clients from all over the globe. Dinesh has written over 500+ blogs, 30+ eBooks, and 10000+ Posts for all types of clients.

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Posted on Oct 9

Understanding the Computer Bus: The Backbone of Digital Communication

Welcome to the next installment of our series on building a 6502 processor simulation in C++. Before diving into the coding, it’s crucial to understand the foundational concepts of computer architecture and organization. In this article, we’ll explore the computer bus — a fundamental component that enables communication between various parts of a computer system.

Understanding how a bus works will not only help you in simulating the 6502 processor but also deepen your knowledge of how modern computers operate. Let’s get started!

What Is a Bus?

In computing, a bus is a communication system that transfers data between components inside a computer or between computers. Think of it as a shared highway that connects different parts of the computer, such as the CPU, memory, and input/output (I/O) devices, allowing them to communicate with each other.

Key Characteristics :

• Shared Transmission Medium : Multiple devices are connected to the same bus and share the communication pathways.
• Multiple Communication Lines : A bus consists of multiple lines (wires or traces on a circuit board), each capable of transmitting binary data (0s and 1s).
• System Integration : Buses are integral to the computer’s architecture, facilitating data transfer across various levels of the system hierarchy.

Bus Structure: The Three Functional Groups

A typical bus comprises around 50 to 100 separate lines, which can be classified into three main functional groups:

• Data Lines (Data Bus)
• Address Lines (Address Bus)
• Control Lines (Control Bus)

Let’s delve into each of these groups to understand their roles.

1. Data Lines (Data Bus)

Purpose : Transfer actual data between the CPU, memory, and I/O devices.

• Bidirectional Communication : Data can flow in both directions—reading from memory or writing to it.
• Width Determines Throughput : Common widths are 8, 16, 32, or 64 bits, affecting how much data can be transferred at once.
• Collectively Known As : Data Bus.

Example : When you save a document, the CPU sends data through the data bus to the storage device.

2. Address Lines (Address Bus)

Purpose : Carry the addresses of memory locations or I/O ports where data is to be read from or written to.

• Unidirectional Communication : Typically, addresses flow from the CPU to memory/I/O devices.
• Determines Addressable Memory Space : The number of lines affects how much memory the system can address (e.g., 16, 20, 24 bits).
• Collectively Known As : Address Bus.

Example : To read a value from memory, the CPU places the address of that memory location on the address bus.

3. Control Lines (Control Bus)

Purpose : Transmit control signals used to manage and coordinate various operations within the computer.

• Control Signals : Include read/write commands, interrupt requests, clock signals, and bus arbitration signals.
• Directionality : Can be unidirectional or bidirectional, depending on the specific control signal.
• Collectively Known As : Control Bus.

Typical Control Signals :

• Memory Read : Indicates a read operation from memory.
• Memory Write : Indicates a write operation to memory.
• I/O Read/Write : Similar signals for I/O devices.
• Bus Request/Grant : Manage bus access among multiple devices.

Example : When the CPU wants to write data to memory, it sends a “Memory Write” signal over the control bus.

How Does a Bus Operate?

Understanding the bus operation is crucial for grasping how data moves within a computer system.

Basic Operation Steps :

• Bus Access Request : A device (e.g., CPU) requests control of the bus if it’s shared among multiple devices.
• Address Placement : The device places the address of the target location on the address bus.
• Control Signal Transmission : Appropriate control signals are sent over the control bus to specify the operation type (read/write).
• Data Transfer : Data is transferred over the data bus between devices.
• Bus Release : The device releases control of the bus after the operation is complete.

Example Scenario :

CPU Reads Data from Memory:

• CPU requests bus access.
• Places the memory address on the address bus.
• Sends a “Memory Read” signal on the control bus.
• Memory places the requested data on the data bus.
• CPU reads the data from the data bus.
• Bus is released for other devices to use.

Types of Buses

Computers use various types of buses to handle different communication needs. Here are some of the most common ones:

1. System Bus

Definition : Connects the major components of a computer system, such as the CPU, memory, and I/O devices.

• Components : Combines the data bus, address bus, and control bus.
• Function : Facilitates data transfer among the core components.
• Also Known As : Front-Side Bus.

2. Peripheral Bus (I/O Bus / External Bus)

Definition : Connects peripheral devices to the CPU and memory.

• Purpose : Handles communication with external devices like printers, storage drives, and network cards.
• PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) : Connects high-speed devices; allows for expansion cards.
• USB (Universal Serial Bus) : Connects a wide array of devices; supports plug-and-play and hot-swapping.

Key Points :

• Expansion Slots : PCI devices are typically added via expansion slots on the motherboard.
• Data Transfer Rates : Peripheral buses have varying speeds, with USB 3.0 offering up to 5 Gbps.

3. Local Bus

Definition : Connects internal components at high speeds, often used for graphics and memory.

• ISA (Industry Standard Architecture) : An older standard for connecting low-speed devices.
• MCA (Micro Channel Architecture) : An IBM proprietary bus with improved performance over ISA.
• EISA (Extended ISA) : Extended the ISA bus to 32 bits, allowing for better performance.
• Specialized Roles : Often used in situations where higher performance is needed within the system, such as video rendering.

4. High-Speed Bus

Definition : Designed to support high-capacity and high-speed I/O devices.

Purpose : Connects devices that require rapid data transfer, like high-speed storage and network interfaces.

• PCI Express (PCIe) : A high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard.
• AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) : Designed specifically for graphics cards (now largely replaced by PCIe).
• FireWire (IEEE 1394) : Used for high-speed multimedia devices.

Increased Bandwidth : Supports the demands of modern high-performance devices. Point-to-Point Connections : Reduces bottlenecks by providing dedicated pathways.

CPU Writes Data to a Peripheral Device

• Bus Request : The CPU gains control of the system bus.
• Address Placement : The CPU places the address of the peripheral device on the address bus.
• Control Signal : The CPU sends an “I/O Write” signal over the control bus.
• Data Transmission : The CPU sends the data over the data bus to the peripheral.
• Peripheral Response : The peripheral receives the data and acknowledges the operation.
• Bus Release : The CPU releases the bus for other devices to use.

Key Takeaways :

Synchronization : Control signals ensure that devices are synchronized during data transfer. Resource Sharing : The bus allows multiple devices to share the same communication pathways efficiently.

The computer bus is the lifeline of digital communication within a computer system. It connects all the critical components, allowing them to work together seamlessly.

By understanding the data, address, and control buses, and the different types of buses used in computer systems, you’re better equipped to tackle complex topics in computer architecture and to implement accurate simulations.

• Bidirectional : Capable of transmitting data in both directions.
• Unidirectional : Transmits data in only one direction.
• Bus Width : The number of bits that can be transmitted simultaneously.
• Bus Mastering : A feature that allows a device connected to the bus to initiate transactions.
• Arbitration : The process of managing access to the bus when multiple devices need to use it.

By mastering the concept of the computer bus, you’re building a solid foundation that will support your journey into more advanced topics in computer architecture and processor simulation. Happy studies!

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