This class meets every Tuesday and Thursday from 3:05 PM to 4:20 PM, except on University holidays or if I cancel class. All dates in the following schedule are tentative, except those fixed by the University; if some topic listed here as taking one lecture in fact takes two lectures to cover adequately, or vice versa, the schedule will shift.
I expect you to have read the reading assignments before the lecture that deals with that topic; this way I can concentrate my time on answering questions and clarifying subtle or difficult points in the textbook, rather than on reading the textbook to you, which will bore both of us. Please read ahead!
| Date(s) | Assignment | Reading | Lecture Subject |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Jan | Administrivia, ``what is computer architecture?'' | ||
| 29 Jan | 1 | Levels of Abstraction and Parts of a Computer | |
| 3 Feb | HW1 | 2-2.4 | How fast is this computer? |
| 5 Feb | 2.5-2.10 | Ways to measure performance | |
| 6 Feb | Last day to add courses | ||
| 10 Feb | 3-3.9 | Review MIPS assembly language | |
| 12 Feb | 3.10-3.16 | Examples and history | |
| 17 Feb | HW1 due | B-B.3 | Boolean logic and gates |
| 19 Feb | HW2 | Size and depth of combinational circuits | |
| 20 Feb | Last day to drop courses | ||
| 24 Feb | 4-4.4 | Implementing arithmetic and logic with gates | |
| 26 Feb | 4.5 | An ALU to perform different operations | |
| 3 Mar | 4.6-4.7 | Multiplication and division | |
| 5 Mar | HW2 due | 4.8-4.12 | Conclusions about Computer Arithmetic |
| 10 Mar | Catch up & review for midterm | ||
| 12 Mar | Midterm exam | ||
| 16-22 Mar | Spring break -- no classes | ||
| 24 Mar | B.4-B.5 | Circuits involving time | |
| 26 Mar | B.6-B.9 | More about sequential circuits | |
| 31 Mar | HW3 | Examples with sequential circuits | |
| 2 Apr | 5-5.3 | Designing a whole processor | |
| 3 Apr | Last day to withdraw from classes | ||
| 7 Apr | 5.4 | Another example | |
| 9 Apr | HW3 due | 5.5 | Microprogramming |
| 14 Apr | 5.6-5.10 | Conclusions about processor design | |
| 16 Apr | HW4 | App. C | State Machines in Hardware |
| 21 Apr | 6-6.2 | Overview of pipelining | |
| 23 Apr | 6.3-6.6 | Implementing pipelining | |
| 28 Apr | 6.7-6.13 | Pipelines in Real Life | |
| 30 Apr | HW4 due | 7-7.3 | Cache memory |
| 5 May | 9-9.4 | Multiprocessors | |
| 7 May | 9.5-9.11 | Conclusions; review for final | |
| 14 May | 3:30 - 5:30, Final Exam |