Architecture
Wait! This page refers to hardware architecture. It defines how software at the lowest level (eg assembly). This is different from Operating System (OS), which focuses on designing an environment for applications to run, abstracted away from hardware details.
What is it?
It stands for Instruction Set Architecture, also known as the Computer Architecture. It’s the set of instructions that a CPU can execute. It’s the bridge between the software and the hardware. It’s the equivalent of Language (Note: It’s the concept / Technology of language not a specific one) to a computer.
You can have different specific ISA’s, like MIPS (Architecture), ARM (ISA) or x86. Each of these are just different sets of commands designed for different chipsets. You can have different flavours/implementations of individual Architectures (Dubbed Microarchitectures). This allows the industry to put out newer chips. As long as you preserve the ISA, the software will continue to run.
What can ISAs do?
- Abstracts away hardware details to programmers.