Computer Organization and Architecture: Course Contents

Introduction & Background

• Architecture & Organization
• Computer structure and function
• Hardware/Software Interface
• System Level Decisions
• Computer System Performance
• Fundamentals of computer system
• Structure, The CPU, The Control Unit

Computer Evolution

• History of Computers
• First generation computers, IAS – Von Neumann Architecture, First Generation Commercial Computers
• Second generation computer
• Third generation computer, DEC PDP-8, IBM System/360
• Later generations
• Designing for Performance, Performance Mismatch, DRAM and Processor Characteristics , Microprocessor speed, Performance balance
• Pentium Evolution
• Program Concept
• Function of Control Unit
• Computer Components
• Instruction Cycle, Instruction fetch and execute, Instruction Cycle - State Diagram
• Interrupts, Interrupt Cycle, Instruction Cycle with Interrupts, Program Timing for I/O Wait, Multiple Interrupts

Memory

• Memory Hierarchy
• Characteristics of Memory System, Memory Location, Memory Capacity, Unit of transfer, Memory Access method, Memory Performance, Physical characteristics, Memory Organization
• Semiconductor Memory
• Semiconductor Memory Types
• Random Access Memory, Dynamic RAM, Static RAM, SRAM v DRAM, Error Correction, Advanced DRAM Organization, Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), RAMBUS,
• Read Only Memory (ROM)
• Cache, Cache operation, Cache Design, Mapping Function, Replacement Algorithms, Write Policy
• Pentium 4 Cache

Input/Output

• Input/Output Module, I/O Module Function, Model of I/O Module
• I/O Operation Steps, External devices
• Input Output Techniques
• Programmed I/O, I/O Commands, Addressing I/O Devices, I/O Mapping
• Interrupt driven I/O, Interrupt Driven I/O Basic Operation, Identifying Interrupting Module
• Direct memory access, DMA Function, DMA Module, DMA Operation, DMA Transfer Cycle Stealing, DMA Configurations
• I/O Channels
• Magnetic Disk Technology, Disk Device Terminology, Drawbacks to Magnetic Tape

Machine Instruction & Addressing Modes

• Elements of a machine instruction
• Instruction representation, Instruction types
• Number of Addresses, Types of Operand
• Pentium Data Types
• Types of Operation, Data Transfer, Arithmetic, Logical, Conversion, I/O, System Control, Transfer of Control
• Instruction Formats
• Addressing modes

Processor Structure and Function

• CPU Structure
• Processor organization
• Registers, User Visible Registers, General Purpose Registers, Condition Code Registers, Control & Status Registers
• Instruction Cycle, Indirect Cycle, Instruction Cycle with Indirect
• Instruction pipelining
• Pipelining strategy, pipeline performance, Timing of Pipeline
• Dealing with Branches

System Buses

• Bus structure, Data Bus, Address bus, Control Bus
• Bus Interconnection Scheme
• Single Bus Problems
• High Performance Bus, Bus Types
• Bus Arbitration Types, Bus Timing
• PCI Bus, PCI Commands, PCI Arbitration