The note will review
fundamental structures in modern microprocessor and computer system architecture
design. Topics covered includes: CPU Performance and Metrics, Instruction
Set Architecture, Implementation and Pipelining, Exceptions, Multi-cycle Ops,
Dynamic Scheduling, Dynamic Branch Prediction, Multiple Issue and
Speculation,Static Scheduling, Loop Unrolling, and Software Pipelining, Caches,
Main Memory, Virtual Memory, Multiprocessors, Multithreading and I/O.
Written
by Prabhas Chongstitvatana from Chulalongkorn University, this highly
informative PDF gives comprehensive detail about the principles of computer
architecture. It starts by introducing some core concepts and works up through
coverage of Instruction Set Architecture by elaborating on the very basic
workings of computer systems. It also addresses computer arithmetic, along with
the design of control units that is essential in explaining how the CPU manages
its operations. It covers processor design, from a simple model of a CPU to its
advances like pipelining and instruction-level parallelism; then it goes further
to touch on vector machines, memory system design, magnetic disk technology, and
finally concludes with considerations toward future architectures. This PDF is a
broad resource for foundational and advanced understandings of computer
architecture.
Author(s): Prabhas Chongstitvatana, Chulalongkorn
University
This
is a comprehensive 118-page detailed note on advanced topics in computer
architecture. This starts with the principles of processor performance and the
basics of RISC and CISC architecture classification. The document investigates
the basics of pipelining and its hazards, and some advanced architectures like
superscalar and super-pipelined systems. Very Long Instruction Word (VLIW)
architectures and basic multiprocessor designs are also emphasized. This note
explains Flynn's classification, array processors, vector processors,
associative processors, and systolic architectures. Hierarchical memory
technology is discussed followed by various computing models that work on these
computing devices, such as data flow computers and cloud computing. The two
sections in this resource will be useful to those who want to address current
developments and architectures in computer systems.
Class
notes by Virgil Bistriceanu give more of a general view of computer architecture
by focusing on the main ideas and principles of design. The concepts for
instruction set design and addressing modes will be treated in detail since this
forms the core of the understanding of the manner in which the processor
interprets the instructions. The notes also outline the different CPU
implementation strategies and the operation of interrupts. Perhaps more than
anything else, the memory hierarchy and virtual memory are subjects to which
much explanation is devoted, enlightening on how modern computers manage and
optimize memory use. This full suite of notes is definitely helpful when one
wants good grounding in the basic understanding of computer architecture.
These
lecture notes by Dr. R. M. Siegfried on computer architecture and organization
begin right from the very basics of number systems and arithmetic. The notes go
on to describe Boolean algebra in detail, Karnaugh mapping related to the
simplification of logic functions, and introduce the Quine-McCluskey method for
Boolean expression minimization. The sections on combinational circuits and
synchronous sequential logic are more detailed aspects for insight into the
design of digital circuits. It also discusses Registers and counters, Register
transfer and micro-operations, and Computer organization and design. The paper
then delves deeper into microprogrammed control, Floating-point data handling,
and more advanced topics like Pipelining and Vector processing. These notes in
hand will be very useful to learners in the realm of computer systems both
theoretically and practically.
The
lecture notes of Seoul National University encompass most of the computer
architecture concepts, and this is completed with a comprehensive study of the
MIPS instruction set architecture and datapath basics. There are single-cycle
and multi-cycle implementations, inclusive of pipelined datapath and control
mechanisms. This paper covers handling data and control hazards, exception
management, and advanced pipelining techniques. The document also covers memory
hierarchy, virtual memory, and various I/O systems. This will also cover
multiprocessors and arithmetic circuits, giving more light to how those
components in a computer interrelate. Notes are thus quite important for general
and crucial explanations of both the primitive and advanced parts of computer
architecture and implementation.
These
lecture notes, written by David A. Wood and T. A. Ramkumar Ravikumar, summarize
the basics necessary to understand computer architecture. This course material
gives an exhaustive introduction to designing a single-processor computer by
covering processor datapath, control units, and memory systems. It covers all
aspects of performance metrics, instruction execution, arithmetic operations,
and control mechanisms. Further, it covers pipelining, caching, and virtual
memory management. They also discuss the multiprocessor systems and
consideration in their design. The comprehensive guide is targeted at students
and professionals who want to understand a broad view of computer architecture
and practical applications.
Author(s): David A. Wood and T. A.
Ramkumar Ravikumar