New to electronics

[Waltur]

Hello-

A few months ago I bought an Arduino board. It sparked an interest in electronics/computers.

I would like to learn about computer architecture and low level programming. I'm intrigued by how computers work.

I would like to better understand how signals and data flow within a CPU (I'm not sure if that is how to express what I'm thinking...basically, I want to be familiar with what happens "behind the scenes" of a computer, if that makes sense).

I have been looking at sources online...so far, the most interesting and helpful thing I have found was "Machine Language for the Commodore 64 and Other Commodore Computers" by James Butterfield.

I was wondering if someone could point me in the right direction to learn the basics of what I described above. This is purely a personal interest and hobby.

I'm wondering if it would be most helpful to a) start with a high level language to understand how programming works, b) buy a microcontroller training kit to learn about assembly language and how a processor works, c) buy a textbook and study it, d) find an older computer that is very simple and download some manuals, or e) use simulators/emulators online.

Should focus on one specific processor and learn everything I could about that?

I would appreciate it if someone could point me to a website or textbook that would be good...any suggestions are appreciated.

Thank you.

 

[(*steve*)]

Since you have an Arduino board, I would concentrate on that.

You're not going to learn too much about computer architecture from programming a microcontroller, and precious little "real" computing is done at a low level these days.

A radical distinction is one between Harvard and Von Neumann architecture, but for 99% of applications you neither need to know or care if the data and program memory do or do not share the same address space

Your PC is Von Neumann, your Arduino is Harvard.