Difference Between Logical address and Physical Address
Parameter | LOGICAL ADDRESS | PHYSICAL ADDRESS |
---|---|---|
Basic | generated by CPU | location in a memory unit |
Address Space | Logical Address Space is set of all logical addresses generated by CPU in reference to a program. | Physical Address is set of all physical addresses mapped to the corresponding logical addresses. |
Visibility | User can view the logical address of a program. | User can never view physical address of program. |
Generation | generated by the CPU | Computed by MMU |
Access | The user can use the logical address to access the physical address. | The user can indirectly access physical address but not directly. |
Editable | Logical address can be change. | Physical address will not change. |
Also called | virtual address. | real address. |
Some reference books on operating system concepts that cover logical and physical addressing include:
- “Operating System Concepts” by Abraham Silberschatz, Peter Baer Galvin, and Greg Gagne.
- “Modern Operating Systems” by Andrew S. Tanenbaum.
- “Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces” by Remzi H. Arpaci-Dusseau and Andrea C. Arpaci-Dusseau.
These books provide detailed coverage of operating system concepts, including memory management and addressing techniques.
Logical and Physical Address in Operating System
A logical address is generated by the CPU while a program is running. The logical address is a virtual address as it does not exist physically, therefore, it is also known as a Virtual Address. The physical address describes the precise position of necessary data in a memory. Before they are used, the MMU must map the logical address to the physical address. In operating systems, logical and physical addresses are used to manage and access memory. Here is an overview of each in detail.