DESCRIPTION
This course provides computer science and computer engineering students with an in depth look at computer architecture and the hardware/software interface. The major topics are: computer abstractions and technology; the role of performance and measuring performance; SPEC. computer arithmetic; machine language: a comparative analysis of instruction sets of current processors using debuggers, simulators and by the partial reverse engineering of executables. The processor: data path and control; RISC versus CISC; design, implementation (using VHDL), and verification (in simulation) of a simplified RISC processor using CAD tools. Enhancing performance with pipelining. Memory hierarchy, cache, virtual memory, performance issues. interfacing processors and peripherals; PCI chipset. Overview of multiprocessors, grid computing.
Prereq.: CSc 21100 or (CSc 21000 & EE 21000); coreq:. CSc 34300. 3 hr./wk.; 3 cr.
Last Updated: 07/30/2015 08:18