| Unit name | Overview of Computer Architecture |
|---|---|
| Unit code | COMSM1302 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Kerrison |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School of Computer Science |
| Faculty | Faculty of Engineering |
This unit covers a range of different computer related topics, including historical material, digital electronics and gradually build up to the design of a computer system. The major topics we will cover are: History: From the abacus to the present day. Pascal, Babbage, Hollerith, Von Neumann, Turing. First-Fifth Generation computers. Moore's Law. Fundamentals: An introduction to digital electronics, building from simple logic gates into flip- flops, registers, multiplexer etc, number systems (binary numbers and arithmetic). Basics of computer architecture: Buses, the von Neumann architecture, memory, data representation, arithmetic operation, the ALU, the fetch-execute cycle. Control: Data path layout, controlling the fetch-decode-execute cycle. Microcoded control and hardwired control. Parallelism in the processor, basics of pipelines. Instruction set design: Deigning a processor to execute programs. Instruction types, addressing modes. Supporting subroutines, exceptions and interrupts. Assembly languages and compilers, requirements for operating systems. At this point we will be able to look at how the computer as a whole works.
Successful completion of this unit will enable you to: Demonstrate a a basic understanding of digital electronics and the components used in the design of computer systems. Explain the design and operation of the principal components of the both hardware and software, and how they fit together. Show how high level programs are executed in hardware, by performing simple computations at various levels in the machine.
There are 24 lectures, 12 tutorials and 24 hours of supervised laboratory session. Coursework consists of two major assignments, and several minor assignments, to be carried out in both supervised sessions and your own time. A further 140 hours are nominally set aside for coursework, private study, etc.
Coursework (100%). The coursework will include take home problem assignments and in-class progress tests.
M Morris Mano. Computer System Architecture. Pearson Higher Education. 1992. ISBN: 0131757385 Essential A. Tanenbaum. Structured Computer Organization. Prentice Hall, 2005. ISBN: 0-131-48521-0 Background
