How is our code translated to machine code?

Question

I read a lot about the topic, even though I don't know how our code is translated to machine code and how the hardware processes this kind of code.(How could a piece of metal work like this?) I would like to understand the physical work/function of a computer.

Answer 1

From the Electronic Engineering direction...Coursera has a course:

"Build a Modern Computer from First Principles: From Nand to Tetris"
https://www.coursera.org/learn/build-a-computer

...that appears to have a free enrollment option (you just may not have access to all assignments).

The syllabus appears to cover what you need to know here.

Answer 2

From the bottom up:
High school physics: DC systems + diodes + transistors (magic happens here)
Logic gates: made from transistors (exercise: implement mathematical operations using logic gates)
Instruction set: registers, math, jumps(also, memory) (exercise: physically implement a 4 or 8 bit processor, use an Arduino for memory. Theoretically design a 32-bit floating point (co)processor).
Real ISAs: Southbridge, concurrency, interrupts: RTFM.
Compilers: Read a simple compiler like old C/Lisp compilers, or the Go Compilers. Also the purple dragon book.

Answer 3

PBarna You mean the boot up process? That's simple. Some code exists on a ROM and gets loaded into memory on boot up (the BIOS). This looks for a bootable device. When it finds it, the bootloader is loaded into memory. The bootloader searches for, and boots the operating system.

Answer 4

I read about where "the magic happens". However, I would like to know the whole process in details from turning on the computer.