Technical Documents

Throughout this course, we will use the MIPS Architecture Reference Manual as the definitive specification for the MIPS ISA. All other MIPS-related material provided below are only for your benefit.

• (1.5MB) MIPS R4000 Microprocessor User’s Manual (1994)
• MIPS Cheat Sheet (from P&H)
• MIPS Tutorial (pdf)
• MIPS Tutorial (ppt)

• Intel® 64 and IA-32 Architectures Software Developer Manual (2013)
  • (15MB) Combined Volumes 1-3
  • (2MB) Volume 1: Basic Architecture
  • (5MB) Volume 2: Instruction Set Reference, A-Z
  • (8MB) Volume 3: System Programming Guide
• IA-32 = 32-bit x86
• Intel 64 = 64-bit x86 (a.k.a. x86-64 or amd64)
• (Note: IA-64 is different from Intel 64 and is not an x86 ISA.)

• (5MB) Alpha Architecture Handbook (1998)
• (8MB) Alpha 21264 Microprocessor Hardware Reference Manual (1999)
• (2MB) Compiler Writer’s Guide for the Alpha 21264 (1999)

• (11MB) VAX11/780 Architecture Handbook (1977)
• (15MB) VAX11/780 Hardware Handbook (1979)

• (CMU WebISO) P&P Appendix A (The LC-3b ISA)
• (CMU WebISO) P&P Appendix C (The Microarchitecture of the LC-3b, Basic Machine)
• LC-3b Figures from Appendix C
• Pipelined LC-3b Microarchitecture

• ARM Architecture Reference Manual
  • Manual (5MB)
• ARM Architecture Instruction Quick Reference
  • Quick Ref (.5MB)
• ARM university teaching material: Link
  • There are interesting and potentially useful slides on the ARM ISA:
    • ARM Teaching material
    • ARM Univ. Program
    • A8 Architecture

• xst.pdf: XST User Guide for Virtex-4, Virtex-5, Spartan-3, and Newer CPLD Devices 14.2 (2010)

• ASIC World System Verilog Tutorial
• SystemVerilog 3.1a Language Reference Manual

While this class will focus on System Verilog, these Verilog manuals are useful for additional studies:

• Cummings, Nonblocking Assignments in Verilog Synthesis, Coding Styles That Kill
• Parkin, Writing Successful RTL Descriptions in Verilog
• 18-447 Handout: Moving from System Verilog to Verilog
• Online Verilog Manual (UT-Austin EE 382N)
• HDL Compiler for Verilog Reference Manual by Synopsys.