CISH-4030

Structured Computer Architecture

Introduction to computer architecture; the structure and function of a computer system consisting of processors, memory, I/O modules, and its internal interconnections. Primary focus on the attributes of a system visible to an assembly level programmer. Topics include: digital logic, VLSI components, instruction sets, addressing schemes, memory hierarchy, cache and virtual memories, integer and floating point arithmetic, control structures, buses, RISC vs. CISC, multiprocessor and vector processing (pipelining) organizations. Examples are drawn from contemporary (e.g., Intel Pentium, PowerPC) microcomputers.

3 credit hours