OVERVIEW

The progress of computer technologies from 1960 to today has been oustanding. In 1960, a computer was as big as an entire room. Today, a computer is as small as a tablet or a smartphone. In this course, students will study the principles  of computer architecture, which played a crucial role in such evolution of computer system.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The teaching unit is a study of the evolution of computer architecture and the factors influencing the design of hardware and software elements of computer systems. The course covers the fundamentals of classical and modern processor design: performance and cost issues, instruction sets, pipelining, memory organization.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The design and implementation of a digital computer requires meeting well-defined objectives in terms of computing power, size, power consumption and cost: the digital computer embedded in a drone is different from the one used in a data centre. The teaching unit provides the tools to understand and analyse the design and implementation choices that lead to achieving these different objectives, while also offering the opportunity to apply the acquired knowledge through a series of practical exercises distributed throughout the semester. In this way, students continue the learning path on digital electronic systems and their design started in the first year, focusing in particular on aspects related to programmable microprocessor-based systems.

By the end of the unit, students will be able to:

• describe the architecture of a digital computer and its levels of representation, from the physical device to the architectural level;
• analyse the impact of design choices on the computing power, size, power consumption and cost of a digital system;
• apply the rules of binary arithmetic to the representation of integer and real numbers in digital systems;
• analyse the organisation of the datapath and control unit of a processor, including in the presence of pipelining;
• describe the hierarchical organisation of memory in a computing system;
• use a hardware description language (VHDL) to design and simulate digital systems.

TEACHING METHODS

The learning path develops along two complementary strands. In the lectures, which students are encouraged to attend, the course content is presented and illustrated, also through case studies based on commercial architectures. A series of practical exercises, distributed throughout the semester, proposes design and simulation exercises for digital systems using professional tools, fostering active student participation and the concrete application of theoretical concepts, particularly with regard to the use of VHDL.

Students with valid certifications for Specific Learning Disorders (SLDs), disabilities or other educational needs are invited to contact the teacher and the School's contact person for disability at the beginning of teaching to agree on possible teaching arrangements that, while respecting the teaching objectives, take into account individual learning patterns. Contacts of the teacher and the School's disability contact person can be found at the following link Comitato di Ateneo per l’inclusione delle studentesse e degli studenti con disabilità o con DSA | UniGe | Università di Genova

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Topics will include: introduction to computer architecture design; analysis of the major design issues: computational performance, power consumption, cost, size; computer arithmetic; instruction set design; processor: datapath and control unit; pipeline and parallelism; memory organization.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Lecture notes

David Patterson, John Hennessy, "Computer Organization and Design", Morgan Kaufmann

David Harris, Sarah Harris, "Digital Design and Computer Architecture", Morgan Kaufmann

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

https://corsi.unige.it/en/corsi/9273/studenti-orario

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The examination consists of a written test, including multiple-choice and open-ended questions, with a maximum score of 30/30.

During the semester, two ongoing assessments are scheduled, organised as practical exercises. Passing each ongoing assessment allows students to accumulate bonus points, up to a maximum of 4, to be added to the written test score. This option is available only for the first two attempts at the written test; from the third attempt onwards, the final grade corresponds solely to the result of the written test.

Students with valid certifications for Specific Learning Disorders (SLDs), disabilities, or other educational needs are invited to contact the teacher and the DITEN contact person for disability to agree on the possible use of specific modalities and supports that will be determined on a case-by-case basis, according to the University regulation for the inclusion and right to study of students with disabilities or specific learning disorders. 

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The learning outcomes achieved by the student are assessed in two stages.

During the semester, through two ongoing assessments organised as practical exercises. Students are assessed on their ability to correctly apply the conceptual tools introduced during lectures. Specifically, the first ongoing assessment evaluates the skills acquired by mid-semester regarding the architectural aspects of the digital computer, while the second evaluates the skills acquired by the end of the semester regarding the use of VHDL for the design and simulation of a digital electronic system.

At the end of the semester, through the written examination, which includes multiple-choice and open-ended questions. The aim is to assess the understanding of the theoretical and conceptual aspects covered during the semester and the ability to describe and analyse the architecture of a digital computer. The validation of competences is structured progressively:

• a set of basic questions verifies the acquisition of fundamental knowledge, the minimum requirement for passing the examination (18-22);
• a set of reference questions verifies the average expected level of knowledge and skills (23-28);
• a set of selected questions highlights the acquisition of advanced content, developed independently by the student (29-30 with honours).

FURTHER INFORMATION

Ask the professor for other information not included in the teaching schedule