What is the difference between computer architecture and computer organization? In simple words, computer architecture refers to the functional description of the requirements of the user and the computer system on the whole.
It also involves the design implementation of the different parts of the computer. You will need to look deeper into it if you want to have a better understanding. This is where this article will prove to be useful to you.
In This Article
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Computer architecture refers to the design and implementation blueprint of the computer system but computer organization refers to the components used in it.
- Computer architecture is visible to the software programmer since it represents the traits of it while computer organization represents the operational fundamentals and their relationship that helps in meeting the goal of the architectural specifications.
- Computer architecture deals with data types, instruction sets, cache optimization and addressing modes but computer organization deals with the signals, peripherals, circuit design and address.
Computer Architecture vs Organization – The 5 Differences
1. Basic Differences
Computer architecture is a logical representation of a bit higher level. While dealing with it, a programmer has to be conscious about the instruction set that is used.
It is the blueprint of the design as well as the implementation of the computer system. It provides the behavioral and functional details of the computer system.
Computer organization, on the other hand, deals with the operational components of the computer system and is basically the implementation of the computer architecture.
It is characteristically transparent from the programmer. This means that the programmer need not worry about how the addition is made in hardware.
2. Reference
Computer architecture refers to the traits of the system that are particularly visible to a software programmer.
This has a direct effect on the logical execution of any program such as the number of bits used to embody a variety of data types, technique for addressing memory, and the instruction set of the computer, the methods used for input and output, and more.
Computer organization, on the other hand, refers to the operational elements and their association in order to meet the architectural specifications and goals.
It particularly deals with the various functional blocks present in the computer system.
3. Categories
There are three main categories of computer architecture that one needs to consider while designing the architecture. These are:
- The System Design, which involves the hardware components used to build the computer system
- The ISA or the Instruction Set Architecture, which involves all of the instructions made available to the computer system and
- The micro architecture that deals with the minute details of the storage element.
On the other hand, computer organization also has three specific categories such as:
- Single accumulator organization
- General register organization and
- Stack organization.
Computer organization also involves physical connection of different components of the computer such as adders, subtractors, and the circuits.
4. Deals with
Computer architecture essentially deals with the design elements of a computer system such as:
- The instruction sets
- The data types
- The addressing modes and
- The cache optimization.
It basically deals with the system definition but it is done in an abstract way. It also deals directly with the idea dealt by the programmer.
Computer organization, on the other hand, basically deals with the physical components of the computer system such as:
- The circuit design
- The address
- The signals and
- The peripherals.
It basically deals with the structural relationship of the functional components of the computer system.
From the point of view of a programmer, it deals with a more transparent concept.
5. A Few Other Differences
Here are a few smaller but significant differences between computer architecture and computer organization.
Computer architecture emphasizes more on the connection of the hardware components in a computer system.
On the other hand, computer organization is more concerned with how the users see the structure and its behavior of the computer system.
Computer architecture helps in understanding the functionalities of the computer system but computer organization helps in understanding the arrangement of all the units of the computer architecture and their interconnection.
A programmer can visualize the computer architecture in the forms of addressing modes, instructions, and registers.
On the other hand, computer organization articulates the realization of computer architecture.
While the computer architecture is also referred to as the Instruction Set Architecture often, computer organization, on the other hand, is commonly referred to as the micro architecture.
Computer architecture establishes coordination between the software and hardware of the computer system. On the other hand, computer organization deals with the different sections of the network in a system.
Computer architecture investigates the instruction set and its formats along with the addressing technology.
Apart from that, it also looks into the specs of all other functional modules such as memories and CPU.
On the other hand, computer organization handles the Hardware System Architecture or HAS and investigates into the organizational structure of the computer system so that it operates smoothly.
Conclusion
So, as this article points out, there are lots of differences between computer organization and computer architecture though most people think that these terms can be used interchangeably.
Now you know that you literally cannot do so.