CS 331: Computer Architecture (Spring 2008)


 Instructor: Dr. Xiaoyu Zhang
 Class: MW 11:30 -12:45 in SCI2 206
 Office hours: MW 9:30 - 10:00 and 12:45 - 1:15 or by appointment
 Office:  SCI2 239A
 Email:   xiaoyu@csusm.edu
 Phone: 760-750-4187
 WebCT Page Course Page on WebCT6

Link to Syllabus

WebCT

Lecture Notes and Assignments can be found on WebCT6

Student Learning Objectives

After taking this course, students will be able to

  • develop a good understanding of the organization of  computer systems and the design of machine instructions,
  • become familiar with the MIPS instructions and assembly programming
  • understand the concepts and techniques for designing processors and the memory hierarchy.
  • learn how to evaluate and improve the performance of computers.
  • become a better computer user and apply the knowledge to other fields of computer science.
  • improve analysis and critical thinking skills.

Course Description

Computer architecture is essential for better understanding many other areas in computer science. In this class we will study the fundamentals of computer architecture and design. The major components of a computer will be discussed. Topics include computer instruction set, computer arithmetic, performance evaluation, processor design, pipelining, memory hierarchy, and input/output devices.

Prerequisite

Phys 301 or equivalent

Textbook

Computer Organization & Design: the Hardware/Software Interface, 3rd Edition ” by D. Patterson and J. Hennessy, 2007 (ISBN 0123706068)

 
©2005-2007 xiaoyu@csusm.edu