CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1. INTRODUCTION This manual is primarily written for those users who need to know the software and hardware details of the computer in order to utilize its features more efficiently. These include application programmers, hardware designers as well as hobbyists. It provides specific information on the internal workings of the computer and is intended to be a technical supplement to the user's manual that comes with your computer. 1.1 Organisation of manual This manual can be conceptually divided into two sections. Chapters 1 to 10 describe the functional and software aspects of the computer in a programmer's point of view.
The organisation and management of the memory and I/O devices are described in detail. After going through these chapters, the reader should be able to access the resources on the computer directly, by- passing the built-in firmware. (Note: For compatibility reasons, access to these resources should be made through the built- in firmware whenever possible.) 1-1