Computer system architecture for image and spectral processing

Abstract

In this paper we shall discuss digital imaging and spectroscopy systems from the perspective of a system designer and we shall concentrate on those design choices that limit performance in microscopy and analysis applications. The hardware of a computer system can be broken down into three main components. These are the processor which performs arithmetic and logical operations, the memory for storing data and instructions and the peripherals for long term data storage (disks, tapes) and communication with the outside world. Linking these components is a data highway or bus for passing digital information from one section of the machine to another. A good definition of a bus is a set of interconnections with a defined procedure (protocol) for information transmission. In many small systems the bus is not only a set of electrical connections but is also an enclosure (a backplane) into which the different modules (processor, memory, peripheral controllers) are added.