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 | HW1 due | B-B.3 | Boolean logic and gates |
| 20 Feb | Last day to drop courses | ||
| 24 Feb | HW2 | Size and depth of combinational circuits | |
| 26 Feb | 4-4.4 | Implementing arithmetic and logic with gates | |
| 3 Mar | 4.5 | An ALU to perform different operations | |
| 5 Mar | Lab work: breadboards, wires, chips.... | ||
| 10 Mar | HW2 due | Lab work; review for midterm | |
| 12 Mar | Midterm exam | ||
| 16-22 Mar | Spring break -- no classes | ||
| 24 Mar | 4.6--4.7 | Multiplication and division | |
| 26 Mar | 4.8--4.12 | Floating point, etc. | |
| 31 Mar | B.4-B.5 | Circuits involving time | |
| 2 Apr | HW3 | B.6-B.9 | More about sequential circuits |
| 3 Apr | Last day to withdraw from classes | ||
| 7 Apr | 5-5.3 | Designing a whole processor | |
| 9 Apr | 5.3-5.4 | Data path, continued | |
| 14 Apr | 5.4 | Another example | |
| 16 Apr | HW3 due | 5.5 | Microprogramming |
| 21 Apr | HW4 | 5.6-5.10 | Conclusions about processor design |
| 23 Apr | App. C | State Machines in Hardware | |
| 28 Apr | 6-6.2 | Overview of pipelining | |
| 30 Apr | 7-7.3 | Cache memory | |
| 5 May | HW4 due | 9-9.4 | Overview of Multiprocessors |
| 7 May | Catch up and review for final | ||
| 14 May | 3:30 - 5:30, Final Exam |