Computer Architecture
Keywords |
Classification |
Keyword |
OFICIAL |
Computer Science |
Instance: 2020/2021 - 1S
Cycles of Study/Courses
Teaching language
Suitable for English-speaking students
Objectives
Introduce the basic working concepts of modern computer organization and design, namely, the internal representation of programs and data, the hardware components and their interactions, and ways to evaluate its performance.
Learning outcomes and competences
At the end of the course, the students are expected to know:
- the basic von Neumann architecture concept
- the intimate relationship between code and hardware
- the main components of a CPU and their interaction
- the data and control paths of a CPU in a single-cycle, multi-cycle and pipelinig implementation
- the interaction between CPU and the memory sub-system
- the memory hierarchy model and its relevance to performance
- the basic performance analysis metrics and techniques
Working method
Presencial
Program
Computer history and evolution. The von Neumman architecture. Data and program representation. Languages, compilers, assembly and binary code. Instruction Sets. Basic CPU components. The data- and control-paths in a single-cycle, multi-cycle and pipelinig implementation. Basic performance analysis. Memory hierarchy. Main meory and caches. Virtual memory.
Mandatory literature
Patterson David A.;
Computer organization and design. ISBN: 1-55860-604-1
Teaching methods and learning activities
In the lectures, the fundamental concepts of computer design and organization are presented and discussed.
In the practical classes, students will get hands-on experience in solving problems that illustrate the concepts introduced in the lectures.
Software
MARS - Simulador do Microprocessador MIPS R2000
Evaluation Type
Distributed evaluation without final exam
Assessment Components
designation |
Weight (%) |
Teste |
100,00 |
Total: |
100,00 |
Amount of time allocated to each course unit
designation |
Time (hours) |
Frequência das aulas |
56,00 |
Estudo autónomo |
106,00 |
Total: |
162,00 |
Eligibility for exams
N/A
Calculation formula of final grade
Students are assessed by their performance in two written assignments or in a final exam.
The first written assignment takes place in the middle of the semester and the second in the first exams epoch. Each assignment is worth 10 points out of 20. The final exam takes place in the second exams epoch and is worth 20 points out of 20.