Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE CCE2013

 
TITLE Introduction to Computer Architecture

 
UM LEVEL 02 - Years 2, 3 in Modular Undergraduate Course

 
MQF LEVEL 5

 
ECTS CREDITS 5

 
DEPARTMENT Communications and Computer Engineering

 
DESCRIPTION Introduction:

- Performance, metrics and speed-up.
- Data representation and computer arithmetic.
- Overview of computer organization
- Terminology: development tools, protection, etc.
- Programming models – stack-based vs. GPR architectures.
- Types of instructions and simple assembler programs.
- Stacks and procedure calls.

Processor Desing:

- Instruction set architecture, addressing modes, micro-architecture, register file design.
- Evolution from micro-programmed to RISC, pipelined, superscalar and VLIW architectures to multiprocessing.
- Hazards. Predicting execution time.

Memory Systems:

- DRAM and SRAM technologies.
- DRAM bus interfacing and improving performance.
- Short note on Flash and emerging memory technologies.

Cache Systems:

- Memory hierarchy.
- Direct mapped, set associative and fully associative caches.
- Cache implementation aspects.

Input/Output:

- Programmed I/O, interrupt driven I/O and DMA.
- Enhancements such as block output instructions, FIFO buffers, ping-pong buffers, etc.
- Simple example of interfacing an I/O peripheral – DIP switch and 4x7-segment display.
- Overview of hard disk drives. Short note on optical media.

Textbooks:

- Carter, N. Schaum’s outline of Computer Architecture. (Main)
- Stallings W. Computer Organisation and Architecture. (Supplementary)

Further Reading:

Virtual Memory
- Demand paging vs. swapping.
- Page tables.

Multiprocessing
- Speed-up revisited.
- Message passing vs. shared-memory systems.
- Consistency models. Cache coherence.

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Lecture

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Assessment Due Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Assignment SEM1 Yes 20%
Multiple Choice Questions Examination (2 Hours) SEM1 Yes 80%

 
LECTURER/S Mario Cordina

 

 
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It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

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