This course introduces the concepts of computer architecture and performance trade-offs that must be made in the design of computer systems. Topics covered include reduced instruction set computers, instruction set design options, processor implementation, pipelining and memory hierarchy. The lectures are reinforced through projects in which students design and simulate the data path and control circuitry of a reduced instruction set microprocessor.

This website serves as a common syllabus providing the daily learning objectives, reading assignments, homework assignments, laboratory assignments, and on-line tutorials. Instructors may provide a supplemental syllabus to students. Use the links at the top of the page to learn about:

• the classroom policies applied by the course instructors,
• the integrated circuit chips used in the laboratory,
• the daily lecture plan,
• the weekly laboratory plan,
• and the software used in the course.

This class has a prerequisite of CE1911: Digital Logic 2. The prerequisite is in place because students must have a strong understanding of:

• binary and hexadecimal numbers,
• logic equations and equation minimization techniques,
• gate-level circuits,
• functional level components such as multiplexers, full-adders, ALUs, flip-flops, registers, register-files, counters, and
• basic skills using a hardware description language

Computers serve as the brain in thousands of products that make daily life easier and more interesting. The prerequisite courses have introduced basic digital logic techniques, VHDL description of digital circuits, and instruction set programming. This course continues the exploration of computer sytems design by exposing students to the advanced circuitry that forms the heart of all modern computer systems.

• write basic assembly language programs,
• compare and contrast the Princeton and Harvard computer organizations,
• describe foundational concepts within instruction set architecture, micro-architecture and system architecture,
• organize hardware component to implement architecture,
• evaluate how architectural and organizational decisions affect system performance, and
• justify exploiting parallelism to improve performance.