Abstract
This course provides an overview of the architecture of microprocessor-based systems. It presents the main hardware and software components and the concept of Instruction Set Architecture (ISA) which can be considered as the hardware-software interface. It also shows how computer systems internally represent and process data. Its main goal is to explore the continuum between pure software concepts and the hardware components implementing them in the end. It is intended for students who never attended courses in computer architecture.
Laboratory sessions allow students to discover the internal details of a computer system, and to observe the behavior during the execution of software applications..
Teaching and Learning Methods
Lectures, exercises, laboratory sessions, homework..
Course Policies
Attendance to the laboratory sessions is mandatory.
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Bibliography
Online book / book: Computer Organization and Design, RISC-V Edition (The Hardware Software Interface), Second Edition, David A. Patterson and John L. Hennessy, 2021.
None
Description
· History of computers
· Binary representation of data
· Boolean logic, boolean logic gates, storage elements, registers
· Combinatorial circuits, sequential circuits
· Clock, clock frequency, the performance of microprocessors
· Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU), Central Processing Unit (CPU)
· Memory, addresses, load, store
· Instructions, instruction set architectures
· Assembly languages, assembler
· High-level programming languages, compilation
Labs on RISC-V architectures: observation of a processor during the execution of software applications, design of simple applications in assembly language.
Learning Outcomes
· Understanding of the structure of a computer system, its main hardware and software components, and their role.
· Programming in assembly language.
Understand how hardware and software interact.
|
Duration CE |
Total |
Lect. |
Lab |
Prob |
Project |
Perso. |
|
25 |
15 |
6 |
|
|
4 |
Evaluation
One hour written exam with documents: 100% of final grade.
