This course presents key principles underlying the design of modern digital computers. The course introduces quantitative techniques used to guide the design process. It describes CPU performance issues and introduces instruction set architectures. The course then uses a hypothetical computer design, with a simple RISC architecture, to show how modern digital computers are implemented, first using a simple non-pipelined implementation, followed by a higher-performance pipelined implementation.
Prerequisite: A grade of "B-" or better in COMP 264.
Outcomes: Students gain an understanding of the design of the memory hierarchy in modern digital computers, caching and virtual storage techniques, multiprocessor systems, and distributed shared memory systems.
Prerequisite: A grade of "B-" or better in COMP 264.
Outcomes: Students gain an understanding of the design of the memory hierarchy in modern digital computers, caching and virtual storage techniques, multiprocessor systems, and distributed shared memory systems.