Evolution of computer memory structure

ABSTRACT

The memory structure of a computer refers to those hardware elements that store the data elements and the related information during program execution. It has a great impact upon the usage and the programming of the computer. Since the advent of commercial electronic digital computers, the memory has made great hardware advances in speed, capacity, size, cost and reliability. It has also made great organizational changes.

This paper reviews the memory structure of typical computers from the viewpoint of the software need. It emphasizes the structural advances in satisfying the software need of various types of data elements and data structures. It presents observations of the evolutionary nature of the memory structure development toward the high-level language architecture.

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