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Instructor: |
Course Description:
This course is an introduction to computer architecture.
In this class, we will focus on microprocessor design, including CPU
and memory, the interface between hardware and software, and an
introduction to multiprocessors. The labs for this course will focus on microprocessor
characteristics and design, using Verilog, a hardware description language, and performance simulators. A course project enables the students to explore a particular topic of
their choice in depth.
Textbooks:
- David Patterson and John Hennessy, Computer Organization and Design: The Hardware/Software Interface, fourth edition revised, Elsevier Publishers, 2012. (Required)
- John Hennessy and David Patterson, Computer Architecture: A Quantitative Approach, fifth edition, Elsevier Publishers, 2012. (Optional)
Links:
- Verilog Handbook
- Verilog Synthesis Tutorial
- Verilog "Cheat sheet"
- Introduction to C Programming
- C Programming Notes
- The C Library Reference Guide
- Emacs command summary
- Quartus II Software
- SimpleScalar tool set
- WWW Computer Architecture Page
Tentative Class Schedule
NOTE: Some of the links on this page are not accessible from outside Swarthmore.
| Week | Dates | Topics | Readings & Handouts | Labs & HW |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jan 16-Jan 20 |
|
Chapter 1 Slides |
|
| 2 | Jan 23-Jan 27 |
|
Chapter 1 |
Homework 1 Lab 1 ALU.do ModelSim tutorial (see step 5) Erik Cheever's .do file reference |
| 3 | Jan 30-Feb3 |
|
See Verilog links above
Chapter 2.1-2.7 Slides |
|
| 4 | Feb 6-Feb 10 |
|
Chapter 2.10, 2.11, 2.16, 2.17 Appendix B Chapter 4.1-4.4 Slides |
(Appendix D)
Homework 2 Lab 2 Example MIPS program Download SPIM from here |
| 5 | Feb 13-Feb 17 |
|
Chapter 4.4-4.6 Slides |
(Appendix D)
Homework 3 Lab 3 ( register_file.v) |
| 6 | Feb 20-Feb 24 |
|
Chapter 4.6, 4.5, 4.7-4.9 Slides |
|
| 7 | Feb 27-March 2 |
|
Chapter 4.6, 4.5, 4.7-4.9 Slides BPred Handouts Slides |
Homework 4 |
Spring Break |
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| 8 | March 12-March 16 |
|
Chapter 5.1-5.3, 5.5 Slides |
Homework 5 |
| 9 | March 19-March 23 |
|
Chapter 5.4 Slides |
Lab 4 www.SimpleScalar.com |
| 10 | March 26-March 30 |
|
Chapter 4.10 Slides XMT_Slides |
Lab 5 task1_serial_template.c Input files XMT limitation summary The XMT Webpage |
| 11 | April 2-April 6 |
|
Tomasulo Handouts Slides Chapter 7.1-7.6, 2.11, 5.8 |
Final Project Homework 6 Research Paper Prep |
| 12 | April 9-April 13 |
|
Intel Pentium 4 Intel Core Duo AMD Opteron: Sections 2.17, 3.7, 4.11, 5.10 AMD Opteron Cache Hierarchy |
|
| 13 | April 16-April 20 |
|
Energy Management in Power7 The Cell Processor GPUs: Appendix A SPARC T4 (formerly Niagara) Parallelism and the ARM ISA |
|
| 14 | April 23-April 27 |
|
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| Final Exam: 05/03, 9am, Hicks 211 | ||||