Unit 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