CMSC 411 Computer Architecture Syllabus

Class schedule, topic and assignments

Lec Date Subject                                 Reading     Homework
                                                             assigned  due
 1. 1/28 Introduction, terminology               1.1-1.6     HW0, HW1
 2. 2/2  Performance,                            2.1-2.5               HW0
 3. 2/4  Benchmarks,                             2.6-2.8     HW2       HW1
 4. 2/9  CPU operation                     skim  3.1-3.7
 5. 2/11 esim - project simulator                web page    HW3       HW2
 6. 2/16 Instructions and registers        skim  3.8-3.11
 7. 2/18 Arithmetic                              4.1-4.4     HW4       HW3
 8. 2/23 ALU                                     4.5
 9. 2/25 Multiply                                4.6         HW5       HW4
10. 3/2  Divide                                  4.7
11. 3/4  Floating Point                          4.8         HW6       HW5
12. 3/9  Control Unit                            5.1-5.3
13. 3/11 Microprogramming                        5.4-5.5               
14. 3/16 Special cases                     skim  5.8-5.9               HW6
15. 3/18 mid-term exam
Spring break
16. 3/30 Pipelining 1                            6.1
17. 4/1  Pipelining 2                            6.2-6.3     HW7
18. 4/6  Pipelining hazards 1                    6.4-6.6
19. 4/8  Pipelining hazards 2                    "           HW8       HW7
20. 4/13 Project outline                         web page
21. 4/15 Cache                                   7.1-7.2     HW9       HW8
22. 4/20 Cache performance                       7.3               PROJ 1/3
23. 4/22 Virtual memory 1                        7.4-7.5     HW10      HW9
24. 4/27 Virtual memory 2                        "
25. 4/29 Project layouts                         web page    HW11      HW10
26. 5/4  I/O types and performance               8.1-8.3           PROJ 2/3
27. 5/6  Busses, I/O-processor connection        8.4-8.6     HW12      HW11
28. 5/11 Multiprocessors                   skim  9.1-9.4
29. 5/13 Review                                                        HW12
30. 5/18 Final Exam 6:00 - 8:00                                    PROJ 3/3

Last updated 4/8/98