FIT 100
© Copyright 1999-2000
University of Washington
Why Is Universality True?
vRecall (Lecture 4) that computers interpret instructions using
the fetch/execute cycle in hardware
vEverything that a computer does, except the basic instructions, is
formulated as software, i.e. a series of instructions accomplishing the task
vSuppose computer A
has a special instruction in its hardware that computer B doesn’t have in
its hardware
… and A’s software uses that instruction
Computer A’s Program
A’s Special Instruction