Modern Computer Architecture and Organization

A practical guide in digital systems that demystifies how modern hardware executes software, enabling you to design smarter, more efficient computing solutions across everyday and emerging tech platforms Key Features Understand digital circuitry through the study of transistors, logic gates, and sequential logic Learn the architecture of x86, x64, ARM, and RISC-V processors, iPhones, and high-performance gaming PCs Study the design principles underlying the domains of cybersecurity, bitcoin, and self-driving cars Book DescriptionAre you a software developer, systems designer, or computer architecture student looking for a methodical introduction to digital device architectures, but are overwhelmed by the complexity of modern systems? This step-by-step guide will teach you how modern computer systems work with the help of practical examples and exercises. You’ll gain insights into the internal behavior of processors down to the circuit level and will understand how the hardware executes code developed in high-level languages. This book will teach you the fundamentals of computer systems including transistors, logic gates, sequential logic, and instruction pipelines. You will learn details of modern processor architectures and instruction sets including x86, x64, ARM, and RISC-V. You will see how to implement a RISC-V processor in a low-cost FPGA board and write a quantum computing program and run it on an actual quantum computer. This edition has been updated to cover the architecture and design principles underlying the important domains of cybersecurity, blockchain and bitcoin mining, and self-driving vehicles. By the end of this book, you will have a thorough understanding of modern processors and computer architecture and the future directions these technologies are likely to take.What you will learn Understand the fundamentals of transistor technology and digital circuits Explore the concepts underlying pipelining and superscalar processing Implement a complete RISC-V processor in a low-cost FPGA Understand the technology used to implement virtual machines Learn about security-critical computing applications like financial transaction processing Get up to speed with blockchain and the hardware architectures used in bitcoin mining Explore the capabilities of self-navigating vehicle computing architectures Write a quantum computing program and run it on a real quantum computer Who this book is forThis book is ideal for developers, engineering students, and tech enthusiasts eager to understand computing from the ground up. Whether you're exploring embedded systems, cloud infrastructure, AI, or blockchain, this book blends foundational theory with real-world applications. No prior experience in hardware required—just curiosity and a desire to connect code to circuits.

Jim Ledin is the CEO of Ledin Engineering, Inc. Jim is an expert in embedded software and hardware design and testing. He is also an expert in system cybersecurity assessment and penetration testing. He has a B.S. degree in aerospace engineering from Iowa State University and an M.S. degree in electrical and computer engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Jim is a registered professional electrical engineer in California, a Certified Information System Security Professional (CISSP), a Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), and a Certified Penetration Tester (CPT).