18-447 Introduction to Computer Architecture – Spring 2015

Welcome to the wiki for 18-447, Introduction to Computer Architecture for Spring 2015

Computer architecture is the science and art of selecting and interconnecting hardware components and designing the hardware/software interface to create a computer that meets functional, performance, energy consumption, cost, and other specific goals. This course introduces the basic hardware structure of a modern programmable computer, including the basic laws underlying performance evaluation. We will learn, for example, how to design the control and data path hardware for a ARM-like processor, how to make machine instructions execute simultaneously through pipelining and simple superscalar execution, and how to design fast memory and storage systems. The principles presented in the lecture are reinforced in the laboratory through the design and simulation of a register transfer level (RTL) implementation of a MIPS-like pipelined processor in Verilog. In addition, we will develop a cycle-accurate simulator of this processor in C, and we will use this simulator to explore processor design options.

• Prerequisites: 18-240 and (15-213 or 18-243) and (18-320 or 18-340 or 18-341 or 18-348 or 18-349)

Subject to change.

• Syllabus

• Lecture: Mon., Wed., & Fri. 12:30PM – 2:20PM, Hammerschlag Hall 1107
• Recitation
  • Section A: Tue. 11:00AM – 1:20PM, Hammerschlag Hall 1303
  • Section B: Thu. 1:30PM – 4:20PM, Hammerschlag Hall 1303
  • Section C: Fri. 3:30PM – 6:20PM, Hammerschlag Hall 1305

There is no required textbook. But we recommend several textbooks below which may be helpful supplements to the material covered in the lectures, labs, and homework assignments. You can place orders for these books at the CMU bookstore.

• Computer Organization and Design: The Hardware/Software Interface, Fourth Edition by Patterson and Hennessy, Morgan Kaufmann/Elsvier.
• HDL Compiler for Verilog Reference Manual by Synopsys, Inc. /afs/ece/class/ece447/docs/synopsys/top.pdf.
• Introduction to Computing Systems: From Bits and Gates to C and Beyond, Second Edition by Patt and Patel, McGraw-Hill.
• Computer Organization by Hamacher, Vranesic, and Zaky, McGraw-Hill.
• Computer Architecture and Implementation by Harvey Cragon, Cambridge University Press.
• Structured Computer Organization by Andrew Tanenbaum, Prentice Hall.

• Mailing List: 447-instructors@ece.cmu.edu (sent to instructor and TAs)

• Hamerschlag Hall: Google Maps
• CIC (Collaborative Innovation Center): Google Maps