COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE

Course Description

This course deals with attributes and functional behavior of a computer system that are visible to the programmer such as instruction set, number of bits used for data representation, input-output mechanisms, addressing techniques, and types of operations that are supported by computer systems e.g., addition, subtraction and subroutine calls.

This course is a key component of computer engineering. Knowledge in computer architecture makes it easier to design an operating system.

Course objectives

• To equip students with knowledge of the architecture and organization of current microprocessor based computers.

• To enable students relate the instruction set architecture at the programmer’s level of abstraction to the digital logic implementation at the hardware designer’s level of abstraction.

Learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of the course, students shall be able to:

• Describe the organization of a von Neumann machine, its major functional units, its strength and weaknesses.

• Write simple programs of assembly language code to demonstrate an understanding of machine level operations.

• Discuss the generation of control signals using hardwired or microprogrammed implementation.

• Identify the new trends and technologies of computer architecture and organization.

• Recognize the importance of pipelining to enhance the performance.