What Should I Study to Understand Computer Hardware?

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on the educational path for understanding computer hardware, emphasizing the importance of foundational knowledge in Electricity and Electromagnetism, followed by Electronics and Digital Electronics. Key resources mentioned include "Computer Architecture: A Quantitative Approach" and "Operation and Modeling of the MOS Transistor." The user seeks guidance on the order of study and additional subjects necessary for a comprehensive understanding of hardware components, including CPU and memory interactions.

PREREQUISITES
  • Basic knowledge of Electricity and Electromagnetism
  • Understanding of Computer Architecture principles
  • Familiarity with Digital Electronics concepts
  • Foundational Mathematics, including Calculus and Discrete Mathematics
NEXT STEPS
  • Study "Operation and Modeling of the MOS Transistor" for insights into transistor behavior
  • Learn Digital Logic Design principles at the gate and register level
  • Explore VHDL for project description and hardware design
  • Investigate additional Electronics resources to bridge gaps between Electromagnetism and transistors
USEFUL FOR

Students, aspiring hardware engineers, and anyone interested in deepening their understanding of computer hardware components and their interrelations.

pc2-brazil
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Good morning,

(Note: I don't know if this is the correct forum to post this.)
I want to understand in detail the behavior and inter-relations of the components of a computer (CPU and its components, memory, etc.).
I am finishing reading an introductory book on Computer Architecture/Organization, and I have started to self-study Electricity/Electromagnetism (with "Physics" by Halliday, Resnick and Krane).
My question is: how should I proceed after studying basic Electricity and Electromagnetism, taking into account my goal of understanding how hardware works? I know I will need Electronics and Digital Electronics, for example, but I don't know which order I should follow or which books I should use. I also don't know if there are more necessary subjects.

I don't know if this information is relevant, but, for Mathematics, I'm self-studying "The Calculus With Analytic Geometry" by Leithold, and "Discrete Mathematics and Its Applications" by Rosen. I have basic knowledge from high-school on matrices, determinants and linear systems, but I plan on studying Linear Algebra in the future.

Thank you in advance.
 
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You did not say which computer architecture book you finished. If not this one then this might help you learn from the top down.
http://www.bestwebbuys.com/Computer...ive-Approach-ISBN-9781558603295?isrc=b-search
From the bottom up understanding MOS transistors would probably be next. This might help.
http://www.bestwebbuys.com/Operatio...S-Transistor-ISBN-9780195170146?isrc=b-search
From the lower middle would be a text on digital logic design at the gate and register level, but I cannot seem to find the name and author that I recommend for that.
From the higher middle might be a book on the languages and software tools used to describe very large projects, perhaps something introducing you to VHDL.
 
Bill Simpson said:
You did not say which computer architecture book you finished. If not this one then this might help you learn from the top down.
http://www.bestwebbuys.com/Computer...ive-Approach-ISBN-9781558603295?isrc=b-search
From the bottom up understanding MOS transistors would probably be next. This might help.
http://www.bestwebbuys.com/Operatio...S-Transistor-ISBN-9780195170146?isrc=b-search
From the lower middle would be a text on digital logic design at the gate and register level, but I cannot seem to find the name and author that I recommend for that.
From the higher middle might be a book on the languages and software tools used to describe very large projects, perhaps something introducing you to VHDL.
Thank you for the reply.
The computer architecture book is a Brazilian (I live in Brazil) book ("Introdução à Organização de Computadores", by Mário Monteiro; the title means "Introduction to Computer Organization").
I might be wrong, but shouldn't there be some general Electronics content between Electromagnetism and transistors?
 

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