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Course Objectives

Prerequisites

Approach

Typical Text

Course Outline

Course Objectives
Mastery of the machine representation of instructions and elementary data. Understanding of the fundamentals of computer system architecture. Exposure to the elements of computer implementation. Familiarity with, but not expertise in, assembler-language programming.

Prerequisites
COMP 401 is a hard prerequisite.

Approach
The course should use real computer systems as examples. It should use more than one system, to exemplify more than one important system, but the number of systems used should be minimized. Machine- and assembler-language processing are included. If microprocessors are available, they should be used.

Typical Text
Hamacher, Vranesic and Zaky, Computer Organization (but a better text is needed)

Course Outline

Simple Machine (e.g. PDP-11) at the Machine Code Level (two passes) (3)

• Von Neumann machine structure
• Data types and representation
  • bits, bytes, words
  • number and sign representation
• Instruction specifications
  • one- and two-operand formats
  • addressing modes
• Program sequencing
  • jumps
  • conditional branching
  • subroutine transfers
• Operations
  • moving data
  • arithmetic

Logic Implementation and Microcontrol


• Switching circuits (1)
  • boolean functions
  • combinational and sequential circuits
• CPU components (registers, arithmetic units, memories) (0.5)
• Controller design (1.5)
  • microprogramming
  • hardwired control

Refinements in Computer Architecture (3)


• Data representation and operations
  • character representation
  • floating point
• Instruction sets (e.g. IBM 370, HP 3000)
  • multiple operation code formats
  • stack operations
• Memory structure and accessing techniques
  • base registers
  • interleaved and multi-module memories
  • relocatability
  • virtual memory and paging

Computer Systems


• Peripheral devices (2)
  • backing store and memory hierarchy
    • drums
    • disks
    • tapes
  • communication devices
    • terminals
    • cathode-ray tube devices
    • printers
  • I/O interfaces and controllers (2)
    • serial and word-parallel interfaces
    • direct memory access interfaces
    • channels
    • I/O control programs (incl. interrupts and interrupt handling)