Class Notes

These are for my benefit. They tell me what to talk about in class. They are by no means a substitute for:

• Attending class.
• Reading the book
• Taking your own notes.

Expected topics/chapters:

• Background, what do you know about Computer Architecture?
  • CPU Overview
  • A Little Assembly
  • Some Math
    • Intro to the Factor-Label Method.
    • SI Prefixes
    • Some Architecture Math
    • Two Examples
• Chapter 1, Computer Abstractions and Technology.
  • The first part of the chapter
  • Performance
  • Power Wall and Multicore
• Appendix B, The Basics of Logic Design
  • Gates
  • Transistors
  • Equations
  • Modules
• A programming interlude
  • Quick Notes from 10/4
  • Simple Arrays
  • Read program from class
• Building an ALU
  • Getting Started
  • Digital Code for the ALU.
• Chapter 2, Instructions: Language of the Computer
  • Encoding instructions.
  • Functions
    • Intro
    • A partial example
    • Code for this section.
• Memory
  • Intro.
• The conclusion of chapter 2.
  • Branching and Jumps.
  • Half done Notes.
• Chapter 4, The Processor
  • 
  • CPU.docx.
  • Intro to Pipelining
  • Pipeline Hazards: Structural and Data Hazards
  • A Data Hazard Computation
  • Control Hazards
  • Advanced Topics
• Chapter 5, Large and Fast: Exploiting Memory Hierarchy
  • Intro and a Problem
  • Direct Mapped Cache
• Appendix A, Assemblers, Linkers and the SPIM Simulator.
• Other chapters as time allows.
  • Appendix C, Graphics and Computing GPUs
  • Appendix D, Mapping Control to Hardware.