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Computer Architecture
CMPS 321 - Winter 2009
Dr. Melissa Danforth

Office: Sci III 338, 654-3180 
Office Hours: MWF 3:30pm - 5:15pm or by appointment
Email: melissa@cs.csubak.edu or mdanforth@csub.edu
Course web site: http://www.cs.csubak.edu/~mdanfor/ under Teaching menu

Course meets MWF 9:30am - 10:50am and Tu 9:30am - 12:15am in Sci III 315

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

Textbook:
Computer Organization and Design, 3rd edition (revised printing). David A.
Patterson and John L. Hennessy. Publisher: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, 2007.
ISBN: 0-12-370606-8.

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 calendar on the course 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 walk-in computer lab in Sci III 324 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. 
You may turn in either an electronic file or hardcopy for the assignments. 
Electronic submissions must be in text, OpenOffice (ODT) or PDF format. 
DOC files will not be accepted. 

Late Policy for Homework:
If there is no late policy posted on the homework assignment, then the
homework may be turned in up to three days late. Saturday and Sunday
combined count as only one day late (e.g. if the assignment is due Friday
and you turn it in Sunday, it will be marked as one day late). If there
is a late policy posted on the assignment, then that policy will apply
for that particular assignment. Late homework will be marked down 10%
for each day it is late.

Labs/Homework Submission:
Assignments are submitted by emailing the instructor all assignment code
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 given on Tuesday February 3, 2009.
Midterm 2 will be given on Tuesday February 24, 2009.
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 20, 2009 from 8:00am to 10:30am.