Computer Architecture & Organization Course Outline - University of Sargodha

Course Title: Computer Architecture & Organization

Course Code: CS-4240

Course Structure: Lectures: 3/Labs: 0

Credit Hours: 3

Prerequisites: CS-3210 (Computer Organization and Assembly Language)

Course Objectives:

This course is concerned with the structure and behavior of the various functional modules of the
computer; and how they interact to provide the processing needs of the user.

Course Syllabus:

Introduction to a Simple Computer, Architectures: Intel & MIPs Architecture, Instruction Set
Architecture, Micro-architecture, Advanced Micro-architecture, Memory, Input/Output and

Storage System, Alternative Architectures, Embedded Systems, Performance Measurement and

Analysis, Storage Systems and Interfaces.

Course Outline:

1.     Introduction to a Simple Computer: CPU Basics and Organization, The Bus, Clock, The
Input/Output Subsystem, Memory Organization and Addressing, Interrupts, MARIE,
Instruction Processing, Hardware vs Micro-programmed Control, Real-World Examples
of Computer . [TB2: Ch. 4]

2.      Architectures: Intel & MIPs Architecture [TB1: Ch. 6]

3.      Instruction Set Architecture: Instruction Format, Instruction Types, Addressing,
Instruction Pipelining, ISAs - Intel, MIPS, Java Virtual Machine [TB2: Ch. 5]

4.      Micro-architecture: Single-Cycle Processor, Multicycle Processor, Pipeline Processors,
DDL Representation, Exceptions. [TB1: 7]

5.      Advanced Micro-architecture: Deep Pipelines, Branch Prediction, Superscalar Processor,
Out-of-Order Processor, Register Renaming, Single Instruction Multiple Data,
Multithreading, Homogeneous Multiprocessing, Heterogeneous Multiprocessor. [TB1: 7]

6.      Memory: Types of Memory, The Memory Hierarchy, Cache Memory, Virtual Memory,
Memory Management [TB1: 8]

7.      Input/Output and Storage System: I/O and Performance, Amdahl's Law, I/O
architectures, Data Transmission Modes, Magnetic Disk Technology, Optical Disk
Technology, Magnatic Tape, RAID, Future of Data Storage. [TB2: Ch. 7]

8.      Alternative Architectures: RISC Machines, Flynn's Taxonomy, Parallel and
Multiprocessor Architecture, Alternative Parallel Processing Approaches, Quantum
Computing. [TB2: Ch. 9]

9.      Embedded Systems: Embedded Hardware & Embedded Software. [TB2: Ch. 10]

Textbook(s):

•         Digital Design and Computer Architecture & Organization by David Harris and Sarah
Harris, Morgan Kaufmann; 2^ndEdition (August 7, 2012). ISBN-10: 0123944244

•         Essentials of Computer Organization and Architecture by Linda Null and Julia Lobur,
Jones & Bartlett Learning; 3^rdEdition (December 17, 2010)

Reference Material:

•          Computer Architecture & Organization: A Quantitative Approach (Fifth Edition) by
John L. Hennessy and David A. Patterson, Morgan Kaufmann; 5^thEdition (September 30,
2011). ISBN-10: 012383872X

•         Digital Design and Computer Architecture & Organization by D. M. Harris and S. L.
Harris and Morgan Kaufmann, Morgan Kaufmann; 1^stEdition (March 16, 2007). ISBN-
10: 0123704979

Note: This content is obtained from official documents of University of Sargodha and applied on BS Computer Science for Main Campus, Sub Campuses, and Affiliated Colleges.