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Computer Architecture
CMPS 321 - Winter 2007
Dr. Melissa Danforth

Office: Sci 403, 654-3180 
Office Hours: MWF 3:30pm - 5:00pm or by appointment
Email: mdanfor@cs.csubak.edu or mdanforth@csub.edu
Course web site: http://www.cs.csubak.edu/~mdanfor/ under Teaching menu

Course meets MWF 9:30am - 10:55am in Sci 414
             Tu 8:00am - 10:25am in Sci 407

Course Description
This course follows the Digital Logic Design course and focuses on the
design of the CPU and computer system at the architectural (or functional)
level: CPU instruction sets and functional units, data types, control unit
design, interrupt handling and DMA, I/O support, memory hierarchy, virtual
memory, and buses and bus timing.  In contrast, the Digital logic Design
course is primarily concerned with implementation; that is, the combinatorial
and sequential circuits which are the building blocks of the functional units.

Prerequisites
CMPS 223 and 320

Textbook
Computer Organization and Design, 3rd edition. David A. Patterson and
John L. Hennessy. Publisher: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, 2005.
ISBN: 1-55860-604-1.

Topics:
Chapter 1	Computer Abstractions and Technology
Chapter 2	Instructions: Language of the Computer
Chapter 3	Arithmetic for Computers
Chapter 4	Assessing and Understanding Performance
Chapter 5	The Processor: Datapath and Control
Chapter 6	Enhancing Performance with Pipelining
Chapter 7	Large and Fast: Exploiting Memory Hierarchy
Chapter 8	Storage, Networks and Other Peripherals
Chapter 9	Multiprocessors and Clusters
Appendix A	Assemblers, Linkers and the SPIM Simulator
Appendix B	The Basics of Logic Design

View the class calendar on the website to see the order in which these
topics will be presented.

Attendance:
Students are responsible for their own attendance. The topics covered
in lecture will be listed on the course website. Lab attendance is not 
required but is strongly encouraged.

Academic Integrity Policy: 
Homeworks and labs may be worked on and discussed in groups. If the 
assignment is a group assignment, the group can turn in one assignment
for the entire group. If the assignment is an individual assignment, 
each student must turn in their own code; no direct copying is allowed. 
Refer to the Academic Integrity policy printed in the campus catalog 
and class schedule.

Computer Lab:
The computer lab in Sci 409 is available for use by students in this 
course outside of class time on a first come, first serve basis.

Grading:	Labs/Homework	25%
		Midterms (2)	50% (25% for each Midterm)
		Final		25%

Labs:
Lab assignments will be posted on the course website. The labs are due at 
noon on the day after the lab (Wednesday). Partial credit will be given for 
incomplete labs. Late labs will not be accepted. The lowest lab grade will 
not be counted towards the overall lab grade.

Homework:
Homework assignments and due dates will be posted on the course website. 
Late homework will be marked down 10% for every weekday it is late. Weekends 
(Sat. and Sun.) count as only one day late. Assignments more than three days 
late will not be accepted.

Labs/Homework Submission:
Assignments are submitted by emailing the instructor all files from the 
Computer Science department server. Do not use RunnerMail or any other 
email method. If you believe you submitted the assignment on time but the 
instructor has not received the email, contact the instructor.

Midterms: 
Midterm 1 will be Tuesday January 23, 2007. 
Midterm 2 will be Tuesday February 20, 2007. 
Makeup midterms will not be given, but the other midterm will be counted 
proportionally higher if you have a valid reason for missing a midterm. 

Final: 
Friday March 16, 2007 from 8:00am - 10:30am in Sci 414