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Anyone suggest some great book recommendations to better understand modern computing hardware? I have these three on my shortlist: (i) The Art of Electronics (
by adrian_mrd 3y ago
Anyone suggest some great book recommendations to better understand modern computing hardware?
I have these three on my shortlist: (i) The Art of Electronics (3rd edition), written by Horowitz and Hill; (ii) Digital Design and Computer Architecture: ARM Edition; and (iii) The Elements of Computing Systems: Building a Modern Computer from First Principles, by Nisan & Schoken
But keen for more.
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- SomeoneFromCA 3y agoIMHO there is no way to understand _modern_ computer hardware without knowing the old, retro one. Start with basics od digital electronics, then analyze some old computers (Altair, Apple 1, PC XT)then, slowly move on.
- junon 3y agoThis is great advice. The concepts haven't changed much - electricity and physics don't change at all - we just have new techniques and the scale is way larger than before.
- nickelpro 3y agoElectricity and physics change immensely with scale. The kinds of slop you could get away with at very slow speed and relatively low powers on old hardware are not allowed for with modern high-speed technologies. In the context of PCB design, even something as simple as decap sizing and placement becomes tricky as clock rate increases. EE students regularly suffer through voltage drops and ground bounce from poorly managing the size and placement of decaps. These are problems that either did not exist or had simpler solutions in the old days.
- junon 3y agoI didn't mean that, I just meant that the laws of physics don't evolve as the industry evolves - they're constant.
- nickelpro 3y ago"The laws of the universe are constant" is not useful advice for learning anything. Which subset of said laws is applicable for electrical engineering has changed immensely over the years, and studying old hardware will not prepare the student for modern design.