Course Outline for Computer Architecture

Important topics to be covered in this course Brief review of Computer Organization Foundations of Computer Architecture An example processor: the SRC ISA: Design and Development Other example processors CPU Design Advanced topics in processor design Input-output (I/O) Arithmetic Logic Shift Unit implementation Memory subsystems Please refer to the course outline for details on this slide

Course Outline (Module 1) Introduction Distinction between Computer Architecture, Organization and Design Levels of Abstraction in Digital Design Introduction to the course topics

Course Outline (Module 2) Review of computer organization Perspectives of different people about computers General operation of a stored program digital computer The Fetch – Execute process Concept of an ISA

Course Outline (Module 3) Foundations of Computer Architecture A taxonomy of computers and their instructions Instruction set features Addressing Modes RISC and CISC architectures Measures of performance

Course Outline (Module 4) An example processor: The SRC Introduction to the ISA and instruction formats Coding examples and Hand assembly Using RTL to describe the SRC Implementing Register Transfers using Digital Logic Circuits

Course Outline (Module 5) ISA: Design and Development Outline of the thinking process for ISA design Introduction to the ISA of the FALCON – A Learning Aids for the FALCON-A

Course Outline (Module 6) Other example processors FALCON-E EAGLE and Modified EAGLE Comparison of the four ISAs

Course Outline (Module 7) CPU Design The Design Process A Uni-bus Data Path Implementation for the SRC Structural RTL descriptions for the SRC instructions Logic Design for the 1-bus SRC The Control Unit The 2-and 3-Bus Processor Implementations The Machine Reset Machine Exceptions

Course Outline (Module 8) Advanced topics in processor design Pipelining Instruction-Level Parallelism Microprogramming

Course Outline (Module 9) Input-output (I/O) I/O interface design Programmed I/O Interrupt driven I/O Direct memory access (DMA)

Course Outline (Module 10) Arithmetic Logic Shift Unit implementation Addition, subtraction, multiplication & division for integer unit Floating point unit

Course Outline (Module 11) Memory subsystems Memory organization Memory hierarchy Cache memory Virtual memory