Focus On Microcomputers: Fill & Download for Free

Microcomputer Engineering by Gene H. Miller : This complete book and laboratory manual focuses on microcomputers and microprocessors used as control devices (e.g., the Motorola 68HC11). It includes extensive material on using the Motorola M6HC11EVB and M68HC11EBU Trainers and encourages hands-on learning. KEY TOPICS Specific chapter topics cover computer fundamentals, instruction subset and machine language, assemblers and assembly language, program structure and design, advanced assembly language programming, hardware, advanced 68HC11 hardware, real-time operating systems, and real-time system design. For individuals studying, for the first time, microcomputers/microcontrollers.

Mainframes and minicomputers used a variety of approaches to loading and running operating systems, but since you asked about desktop computers, I’ll focus on microcomputers (i.e., systems based on microprocessors).In early desktop systems (e.g., Altair 8800 in the mid 1970s), all software, including the operating system (OS) had to be loaded into RAM from punched paper tape, cassette audio tape, or (for the more affluent owners) 8-inch floppy disks. In some cases, the user had to manually enter the machine code for a boot loader program, which would then take over and load everything else into the system.“Operating systems” in this environment often consisted of a BASIC interpreter, a few additional commands to load and save programs, and little else. More complete operating systems, such as CP/M, soon appeared. These operating systems were similar in function to what we would later see in DOS on the IBM-PC and compatibles of the early 1980s.Consumer desktop computers would sometimes build their BASIC interpreter plus a few OS-like commands into ROM (read-only memory), so that the software would start running as soon as power was applied, with no need to load anything from an external device. For example, the Radio Shack TRS-80 Model I, Commodore PET 2001, Apple II, and TI-99/4 all took this route in the late 1970s. But this approach had the disadvantage of not allowing easy updates and extensions, so upgrades to most of these systems involved floppy disk drives (either 5.25-inch or 8-inch) to allow loading of more capable operating systems into RAM. New versions with bug fixes and additional features could be released by simply shipping one or more floppy disks.Because RAM was very limited in size in these systems, operating systems loaded from floppies usually consisted of a core piece that was always resident, and overlays that would be loaded into RAM as needed, and replaced with other overlays as needed. Performance was sacrificed for maximizing the amount of RAM available to the application.DOS (MS-DOS, PC-DOS, IBM-DOS) appeared in 1981 with the advent of the IBM PC, and was loaded from floppy disk into RAM, with a small BIOS (basic I/O system) resident in ROM. Some functions in DOS would make use of ROM functions, but almost everything was loaded from floppies (initially, 5.25-inch, and later 3.5-inch).As hard drives became more affordable during the early 1980s, the trend toward installing the operating systems on the hard drive and booting from there superseded booting from floppy disks.

"High-impact"???The dominant academic journals are various IEEE journals depending on specific interest or specialty. They can be quite specific to a fairly narrow area. Just a few examples that I've read/studied/used/published in my career:IEEE Electron Devices Society - electron devices journal and conference - focuses on the design, performance and characterization of transistors and related specific structures used in integrated circuits, as well as process designs.IEEE ICMTS - microelectronic test structures journal and conference - focuses on manufacturing test structures that are built into a semiconductor wafer in addition to the product die which are used to monitor the manufacturing processes, characterize devices for simulation and reliability.IEEE IRPS - international reliability physics symposium journal and conference - focuses on reliability and sustaining performance of integrated circuits during their useIEEE Nuclear and Space Radiation Effects Conference - focuses on radiation effects on semiconductors and circuits in outer space or other environmentsIEEE Solid-State Circuits Society - focuses on on fabricated integrated circuit designs -- in contrast to simulated circuits and analyzed models-- for all applications using relevant materials and interconnections.IEEE Circuits and Systems Society - focuses on circuits, systems, signals, modeling/simulation, analysis, and design of circuits used in integrated circuits.IEEE Microprocessors and Microcomputers - focuses on the architecture, design, and application of microprocessors and microcomputers.IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society - focuses on research, development, design, or manufacturing of high frequency materials, devices, circuits, components, or systems. (remember digital cell phones plus microprocessor clock rates are in the GHz microwave range)IEEE Instrumentation & Measurement Society - focuses on the science, technology and application of instrumentation and measurement.