In computer memory there is a tradeoff between capacity (how much data can be stored) and latency (how quickly it can be accessed). To achieve a balance, typical memory systems employ a hierarchy of d...
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Image signal processors (ISPs) are specialized circuits in cameras that help rapidly process image data. ISPs provide white balance, geometric correction and other functions that make an image suitabl...
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Many modern computers employ multiple processor types, for example, one or more conventional CPUs operating in tandem with specialized GPUs, the latter tailored to high-speed streaming processing. T...
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Energy efficiency is important in mobile electronics such as smart phones and tablets because of their size and reliance on battery power. At the same time, these kinds of devices must perform increas...
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Modern computer processors can process data faster than the data can be exchanged with external memory. For this reason there is considerable interest in boosting the ‘bandwidth’ of the memory bus...
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Computer programs access memory using virtual addresses, which are translated by hardware into unique physical addresses that locate the data in the cache or memory. The set of virtual addresses acces...
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High frequency (HF), very high frequency (VHF) and ultrahigh frequency (UHF) bands have long been used for many different communication systems, particularly in military applications. Standard monopol...
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In the field of quantum computing, the performance of quantum bits (‘qubits’) has advanced rapidly in recent years. A truly scalable system requires the ability to rapidly and accurately m...
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Some extremely complex tasks – like sorting very large databases or factoring large numbers – are challenging for classical computers. Quantum computers can solve such problems because they use qu...
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Hardware accelerators improve computer performance by allowing the main processor to off-load certain tasks, for example, processing floating-point or graphics calculations. The accelerator is designe...
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Energy consumption is a major constraint in computer design because of factors like power costs, operating life and heat. The tradeoff between energy consumption and performance is managed to some deg...
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A branch predictor is a digital circuit that attempts to direct traffic in an instruction stream. Branching is usually implemented with a conditional jump instruction, and branches may be ‘taken’ ...
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Logic gates are the building blocks of integrated circuits. They use multiple transistors to receive and interpret voltage inputs, then provide outputs. Future generations of integrated circuit micr...
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Cell phones, radar and other wireless communication systems use high power solid-state amplifiers to boost and transmit signals. These amplifiers function in the radiofrequency (RF) and microwave rang...
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In a computer, an input-output memory management unit (IOMMU) may be positioned between the physical memory and I/O devices such as disk drives. The IOMMU provides the I/O devices with virtual address...
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Computer processors typically include a number of central processing unit (CPU) cores for executing instructions. Each core is capable of reading and executing a sequence of instruction code, or ‘th...
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Tracking emissions, sensing earthquakes and monitoring patient brain waves are just a few of the applications that rely on changing, real-world information. In typical systems, sensors pass on raw dat...
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Cache memories play a critical role in reducing a computer system’s energy. Generally, they are fast access memories that store data reflecting locations in a corresponding main memory. Typically, t...
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Networks allow data exchange between linked computers. Data messages are divided into packets, which are able to navigate complex and changing networks. A router, or switch, reads packet addresses and...
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‘Exceptions’ are occurrences during the execution of a computer program that interrupt the normal program flow dictated by the instructions themselves. These include non-valid instructions, like d...
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Rapid development of superconducting quantum electronics has motivated a search for quantum-limited amplifiers for the low-noise readout of qubits and linear cavity resonators. Conventional approaches...
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The effective speed of computer processors may be increased by speculative execution in which computer instructions are executed before the data necessary for that execution are available. Speculation...
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Modern public information and transaction machines such as kiosks and automated teller machines (ATMs) frequently employ a touch screen in conjunction with a computer to provide multimedia capabilitie...
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Multicore processor technology allows a program to utilize resources efficiently by splitting into concurrently running tasks, or threads. Problems exist when these tasks access the same data. If one ...
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Quantum computers use quantum particles (e.g., electrons), called qubits, to process information, instead of bits as in classical, serial computing. Unlike bits, which exist in either the 0 or 1 state...
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