Unit Outlines
Understand Computer Organisation And Architecture
AI Generated
Intermediate
40 hours
8 topics
Learning Objectives
5 objectives- Understand the fundamental concepts of computer organisation and architecture and distinguish between them.
- Explain digital logic principles and apply Boolean algebra to design digital circuits.
- Describe the structure and function of the CPU and its interaction with memory and I/O systems.
- Analyze the memory hierarchy and the role of different memory types in system performance.
- Evaluate instruction set architectures, pipelining, parallel processing, and performance benchmarking techniques.
Content Outline
PreviewUnit 282: Computer Organisation and Architecture
1. Introduction to Computer Organisation and Architecture
- Definition and distinction between computer organisation and computer architecture
- Importance of understanding these concepts in computing
- Overview of computer system components:
- Hardware
- Software
- Firmware
- Basic operation of a computer system
2. Digital Logic Fundamentals
- Boolean Algebra:
- Basic operations: AND, OR, NOT
- Laws and theorems
- Logic Gates:
- Types: AND, OR, NOT, NAND, NOR, XOR, XNOR
- Symbol and truth tables
- Truth Tables:
- Construction and interpretation
- Combinational and Sequential Circuits overview
- Application of digital logic in circuit design
3. CPU Structure and Function
- Components of the CPU:
- Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)
- Control Unit (CU)
- Registers
- Buses
- Functions of the CPU
- Instruction cycle stages:
- Fetch
- Decode
- Execute
- Store
- Interaction with memory and I/O devices
4. Memory Hierarchy
- Overview of memory hierarchy concept
- Types of memory:
- Cache Memory
- Main Memory (RAM)
- Read-Only Memory (ROM)
- Secondary Storage (brief overview)
- Characteristics of each memory type:
- Speed
- Size
- Volatility
- Cost
- Role of each level in data storage and access
- Cache memory organization and concepts (locality of reference)
5. Input and Output Systems
- Input devices and their functions
- Output devices and their functions
- I/O interfaces and controllers
- Modes of data transfer:
- Programmed I/O
- Interrupt-driven I/O
- Direct Memory Access (DMA)
- Data exchange between CPU and external devices
6. Instruction Set Architecture (ISA)
- Definition and importance of ISA
- Types of instructions:
- Data transfer
- Arithmetic and logic
- Control
- I/O instructions
- Addressing modes:
- Immediate
- Direct
- Indirect
- Register
- Indexed
- Instruction formats and encoding
- Impact of ISA on system design and performance
7. Pipelining and Parallel Processing
- Concept of pipelining:
- Pipeline stages
- Pipeline hazards (data, control, structural)
- Techniques to resolve hazards
- Introduction to parallel processing:
- Types: bit-level, instruction-level, data-level, task-level parallelism
- Advantages and challenges of parallel architectures
- Impact on system throughput and performance
8. Performance Evaluation and Benchmarking
- Importance of performance evaluation
- Performance metrics:
- Clock speed
- MIPS (Million Instructions Per Second)
- FLOPS (Floating Point Operations Per Second)
- Throughput and latency
- Benchmarking methods and common benchmarks
- Factors affecting performance:
- Hardware
- Software
- Workload
- Strategies to improve performance
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