Computer Architecture (and Low-Level Programming)

Sketch of Lecture Sessions

1. Class introduction (week 1)
   1. Goals and expectations of this course
   2. Review of basic architecture: block diagram of a generic computer and basic program execution
   3. Architecture design goals
2. Low-level programming issues (weeks 2-3)
   1. High-level language support
      • Parameters, local variables
      • High-level language calling convensions
      • Architecture support for high-level languages
   2. Co-routines and "processes"
      • Using several stacks
      • State of computation ("process")
      • Re-entrant code
      • Transfer of control: RESUME operation
   3. Pseudo-operations and the process of assembly and linking
      • Macros (outline)
      • Assembly: pass I
      • Assembly: pass II
      • Address fixup tables, relocatable object files
      • The linking process and executable files
      • Libraries, dynamic linking
   4. Monitors and debuggers: debugging low-level programs
      • Viewing and modifying registers and data
      • Running, single-stepping, breakpoints
      • Trace and watch
      • Symbolic debuggers
3. A RISC Architecture and Assembly Language - MIPS (weeks 4-8)
   1. RISC vs. CISC
   • Computer performance measures
   • CISC design basics
   • RISC design basics
   2. MIPS organization and architecture
   • Register set
   • Instruction formats
   • Addressing modes
   3. MIPS assembly language
   • Branch instructions
   • Arithmetical and logical instructions
   • Load/store instructions
   4. The arithmetical and logical unit (ALU)
   • Arithmetic operations on integers
   • Logical operations
   • Status bit generation
   • MIPS ALU
   5. The control unit and the datapath
   • The Branch execution unit
   • Hard wired control
   • Single cycle control
   • The MIPS Data-path
   6. Processor bus interface
   7. Microprogramming
   • The control logic unit
   • Multiple cycle hard-wired control
   • Microprogram control
4. Issues in modern architectures (weeks 9-12)
1. Advanced data formats: floating point standards
• Addition, subtraction and multiplication on fixed point numbers
• The IEEE standard for floating point number representation,
•  Addition subtraction and multiplication of floating point numbers
• The MIPS floating Point Unit
2. Associative memory and caches
• Locality of reference
• The "small is fast" principle
• Stack memory
• Modular memory
• Associative memory
3. Address mapping (paging, segmentation, virtual memory)
• Direct mapping
• Associative mapping
• Set-associative mapping
• Cache write policies
• Cache design principles
• Cache management in the MIPS
• Hardware support of virtual memory
• Memory management in the MIPS
4. Pipelining
• Principles of pipeline design
• Instruction pipeline
• Functional pipeline
• Synchronization and control of pipelines
• The MIPS instruction pipeline
• Performance of pipelined computers
5. Co-processor and multiprocessor systems
• Classification of parallel computers
• Speedup of parallel systems
• Special purpose co-processors
• Array processors and vector processor
• The ILLIAC IV
• Systolic arrays
• Multiprocessor systems
• Data decomposition vs functional decomposition
5. System Issues (weeks 12-13)
1. Machine control operations and interrupts
   • Protection support instructions
   • Interrupts: hardware and software
   • Atomic operations
   • Special control operations
2. Inter-process/processor communication
1. Error detection and correction
   • Parity and error detection
   • Principles of error correction
   • Single-bit error correction: Hamming code
   • Hamming + parity and beyond
   • Correcting erasures
2. Parallel communication (hardware handshake)
3. Serial communication
   • USART device, serial communication
   • Hardware level: RS232, RS422
   • Hardware and software (XON-XOFF) handshakes

Online Exercises

Web pages for exercise sessions and assignments can be accessed here.

Other Online Material

1. Slides for week 1 lectures, (sans figures - postscript).
2. Slides for week 2-3 lectures, (postscript).
3. Slides for week 4-5 lectures, (postscript).
4. Slides from Patterson and Hennesy. Copyright 1998 Morgan Kaufmann Publishers.
   1. Chapters 1-4, powerpoint, or postscript.
   2. Chapter 5, powerpoint, or postscript.
   3. Chapter 6, powerpoint, or postscript.
   4. Chapters 7-9, powerpoint, or postscript.

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