CISC 662: Computer Systems: Architecture

Catalog Description:
Recent advances in computer architecture and their impact on architectural design. Multicomputer and multiprocessor architectures. Parallel machines.

Current Texts:
Computer Architecture: A Quantitative Approach
(Third Edition) by John Hennessy and David Patterson

Goals:
This is one of the core courses for CISC Graduate students. Its aim is not only to provide a broad background in computer architecture, but also to explore the topics in some degree of depth. At the end of this course, the student should have sufficient knowledge of the field as to be able to start conducting research in specific sub-areas of interest in computer architecture seminar courses.

Contents:

• Introduction and review topics: von Neumann architecture and alternati ve architectures; conventional CPU architecture
• Input-output Systems: I-O interfaces; DMA interfaces and channels; interru pt structures; Bus protocols
• Memory architecture: basic memory organizations; interleaving; associative memory; virtual memory systems; cache memories
• Pipeline design techniques: principles of pipeline design; performance of pipelined computers; control of pipeline stages; exploiting pipeline techniques.
• Array processors: basic structure; interconnection mechanisms.
• Vector computers: basic principles; data-structuring techniques for vector computers; Examples of vector computers.
• Multiprocessors: multiprocessor performance; multiprocessor interconnectio n; cache coherence in multiprocessors.

Required Background: CISC 360 (Computer Architecture) or equivalent.

Helpful Background: CISC 220 (Data Structures) or equivalent.