229 ST2
(703)993-3176
rsingh9@cs.gmu.edu
Office hours: Tue/Thur 3:00-4:30 pm
Teaching Assistant
Noorullah Moghul
nmoghul@gmu.edu
Office hours: Mon 1:30 - 3:30 pm and Wed 3:00 - 5:00 pm
Prerequisites
Assembly language programming (CS 265)
and Digital Electronics (ECE 301).
Students not satisfying the pre-requisites
will be dropped from the course.
Course description
The course is an introduction to
computer architecture and organization.
Motivation
Understand the characteristics and
performance of
- functional units of a computer, and
- communication between the functional
units of a computer.
Use the above understanding to
- choose a computer for some performance
requirements, and (or)
- write a program for some performance
requirements.
Readings
- Textbook: Computer organization and design:
The hardware software approach
by Patterson and Hennessy.
- Recommended book: Computer architecture:
a quantitative approach
by Patterson and Hennessy.
Course outline
- Computer organization.
- Instructions.
- Performance.
- Central Processing Unit: Arithmetic and Logic Unit.
- Central Processing Unit: Control Unit.
- Central Processing Unit: Pipelining.
- Memory hierarchy.
- Input and Output unit.
Assignments
- Assignment 1 .
- Assignment 2 .
- Assignment 3 .
- Assignment 4 .
- Assignment 5 .
- Assignment 6 .
- Assignment 7 .
Grade distribution
- Assignments: 35%.
- Quizzes: 20%.
- Two Midterms: 15% each.
- Final: 15%.
The exams will be closed book and closed notes.
The final score should be at least 90%
to get an A.
A final score below 50% will
result in F.
Honour code
You are expected to abide by the
University's honour code.
A violation of the honour code will
result in an F for the class.