Microprocessors and Personal Computers

Code:

EIC0016

Acronym:

MPCP

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Computer Arquitechture

Instance: 2010/2011 - 2S

Active?	Yes
E-learning page:	http://moodle.fe.up.pt/
Responsible unit:	Electronics and Digital Systems
Course/CS Responsible:	Master in Informatics and Computing Engineering

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MIEIC	206	Syllabus since 2009/2010	1	-	6	56	162

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students

Objectives

The course unit Microprocessors and Personal Computers aims to develop, combine and apply concepts in the areas of Computer Architecture and Programming Languages. On the one hand, the course explores the relationships between the CPU instruction set and low-level programming (assembly language). On the other hand, recognizing that the architecture of modern personal computers goes far beyond the architecture of the CPU, the course addresses the general architecture of a PC, including data storage subsystem and other peripherals. The discussion is based on the family of microprocessors Intel IA-32, used in the vast majority of personal computers.

Upon successful completion of this course, students will have acquired the ability to identify and describe the architecture of personal computers in use today, as well as the ability to apply assembly programming to the implementation of any algorithm.

After completing this course, students will:

- Identify and describe the major subsystems of a personal computer;
- Explain and evaluate the contribution of each subsystem to the overall performance;
- Use tools for compiling and debugging (MASM, debugger);
- Describe the architecture of the IA-32 instruction set;
- Develop short programs in IA-32 assembly language;
- Explain the operation of programs in IA-32 assembly language;
- Explain the mechanisms for invocation of subroutines;
- Use modular subroutines to implement programs;
- Use the math co-processor (floating point instructions);
- Establish the correspondence between assembly code and C code;
- Describe and assess the performance of data storage systems (magnetic disks);
- Distinguish different types of RAID;
- Describe, select and evaluate the performance of different methods of communicating with peripherals (polling, interrupts, DMA)
- Explain the principles of operation of buses for communication with peripherals;
- Describe the organization of the graphics subsystem of a personal computer.
- Explain the usefulness and overall architecture of a GPU.

Program

1. Introduction to microprocessors and microcomputers. Architecture of the IA-32 microprocessor. Addressing modes. Functionality and organization of an "assembler".
2. Instructions for data transfer, arithmetic and logic. Flow control instructions: conditional and unconditional jumps.
3. Subroutines (invocation, parameter passing). Modular programming.
4. Math co-processor.
5. Peripheral Interface: polling, interrupts, DMA. Buses for communication with peripherals.
6. Data storage subsystem. RAID.
7. Graphics subsystem. GPUs.

Mandatory literature

Kip R. Irvine; Assembly language for intel-based computers. ISBN: 0-13-049146-2

Complementary Bibliography

David A. Patterson, John L. Hennessy; Computer organization and design. ISBN: 978-0-12-374493-7
Barry B.Brey; The Intel microprocessors 8086/8088, 80186/80188, 80286, 80386, 80486, Pentium, Pentium Pro Pprocess. ISBN: 0-13-048720-1

Teaching methods and learning activities

Theorical classes: Oral presentation of the different topics of the course. This presentation will be supported, when possible, with examples and its discussion. Practical classes: The methodology of the practical classes is based in the presentation, discussion, and resolution of problems that will be tested in a personal computer.

Software

MASM
Ollydbg

keywords

Technological sciences > Engineering > Computer engineering

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

Description	Type	Time (hours)	Weight (%)	End date
Attendance (estimated)	Participação presencial	56,00
First mini test	Exame	1,00
Second mini test	Exame	1,00
Exam	Exame	2,00
	Total:	-	0,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Description	Type	Time (hours)	End date
Study for first mini-test	Estudo autónomo	10
Study for second mini-test	Estudo autónomo	10
Autonomous study	Estudo autónomo	82
	Total:	102,00

Eligibility for exams

Admission to exams is based on two closed-book tests (M1 and M2) and two programming exercises (P1 and P2). The programming exercises will be done in class.

The grade for admission to the exams is given by

Admission grade = (2 * M1 + 2 * M2 + P1 + P2)/6

For admission to the exams, the grade must be equal to or larger than 6.0 (in 20).

Test dates: 13/April/2011 and 1/June/2011

Calculation formula of final grade

Final grade= 0.5 x exam + 0.5 x admission grade

For successful completion of the course unit, the student must have both
- Exam grade equal to or larger than 7.0 (in 20);
- Final grade (rounded to units) equal to or larger than 10 (in 20).

Closed-book exam, 2:00H.

Examinations or Special Assignments

N/A.

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

Students that are automatically admitted to exams without admission grades will have a special exam of 2:30H.

Classification improvement

The exam grade can be improved in the appeal exam (similar to the regular exam).
The final (global) grade (including the admission grade) can be improved by taking a special exam (similar to the exam used for special evaluation).

Observations

The development of microcomputer applications requires knowledge of computer architecture, microprocessors, low-level programming languages (assembly) and interfacing to external physical devices. This course unit comes in course plan after the course “Computer Architecture and Orgabization” and its objective is to develop and apply these concepts in the context of the Intel IA-32 processor line. A more detail study of the interfacing with external physical devices and its concrete applications is left to the following course “Computer Laboratory”.