Course Objectives

The course objectives are as follows:

• Understand the role of performance in machine evaluation
• Give insight into the design of processors
• Teach the principles underlying design and development of computer systems for a variety of purposes
• Trace the influences of important computing developments on the architecture of computer systems
• Outline the architectural feature of modern computers
• Learn about, understand, and tell others about important aspects of modern computer architecture
• Work with others to achieve learning objectives.

Topics and Readings

We will cover most of Chapters 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. This will cover performance, single and multi-cycle datapaths, pipelining, memory hierarchy, peripherals, and multiprocessors & clusters.

Required Material and Textbook

Computer Organization and Design: The Hardware Software Interface

Third Edition David A Patterson and John Hennessy 1998, Morgan Kaufmann ISBN 1-55860-428-6

Important Dates

Beginning the thirty-first (31) instructional day of the semester through the last day of instruction before scheduled final examinations, students must petition to drop, add, and make changes of section, grading option, or credit. The petition form must be signed by the instructor of the course and the student's advisor and, in the case of drops only, by the dean of the student's major. A $10.00 processing fee is charged for each petition. Added courses and credits may result in additional fees. There are no refunds or reductions of fees for courses dropped, and the instructor assigns a grade of WP (withdrew/passing) if the student's course work has been passing or a WF (withdrew/failing) if the course work has been failing. These grades do not affect grade averages but they are recorded on students' transcripts.

Documented justification is required for dropping courses by petition. Some examples of documented circumstances that may merit approval are: registration errors, accident or illness, family emergency, change in work schedule, no assessment of performance in class until after this deadline, or other circumstances beyond the student's control. The opportunity to drop a course for the current term or alter grading option for such a course ends on the last day of instruction before scheduled final exams. Dropping a course taken in a previous term or altering grading option or audit status for such a course is not allowed. The only exceptions are for students who have received a grade of NF (never attended) or have ceased attendance before the sixteenth day of instruction and can provide to the Registrar's Office instructor verification of non-attendance.

The Computer Science Department follows this policy rigorously. There are five circumstances under which a late drop might be approved: registration errors, accident or illness, family emergency, change in work schedule, no assessment of performance in class after this deadline.

Grading Basis

Midterm Exam and Final Exam 60% Homework and Projects 40%

A grade of 90% or higher will ensure a minimum letter grade of A, 80% or higher a B, 70% or higher a C, and 60% or higher a D. These grade cutoff percentages may be lowered at the instructor’s sole discretion; however, they will not be raised. For students taking a P/NP option, a letter grade of C or higher is required for a P.

Prerequisites

The prerequisites for this course are one year of programming and one year of calculus. A student who takes this course without the prerequisites does so at his/her own risk. It is not the responsibility of the instructor to help a student gain the knowledge that he/she should have gotten by taking the prerequisites.

Incompletes

It is assumed that students have the responsibility for completing the requirements of the courses in which they are enrolled within the time framework of the semester. Incompletes may be given when, in the opinion of the instructor, there is a reasonable probability that students can complete the course without retaking it. The incomplete is not an option to be exercised at the discretion of students. In all cases it is given at the discretion of the instructor within the following guidelines:

1. A mark of incomplete may be assigned students when:

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They have been in attendance and doing passing work up to three weeks before the end of the semester, and

b.

For reasons beyond their control and which are acceptable to the instructor, they have been unable to complete the requirements of the course on time. Negligence and indifference are not acceptable reasons.

1. The instructor sets the conditions for the completion of the course work and notes these conditions on the final grade report.
2. When a student has met the conditions for making up the incomplete, the instructor will assign a grade based upon an evaluation of the total work done by the student in the course.
3. An incomplete which is not made up within one calendar year automatically will revert to the alternate grade which was assigned by the instructor at the time the incomplete was submitted.
4. An incomplete remains on the permanent record and is accompanied by the final grade, for example, IA, IB, IC, etc.
5. A written documented request for the incomplete is completed by the student to the instructor.

Additional Policies

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All assignments will be collected at the beginning of class on the due date. Late assignments will be penalized 20% per working day (handing homework in after the beginning of class on the same day will be considered one day late).

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I will not give exams early, and makeups will only be allowed under dire circumstances (e.g., severe illness or death in family). I must be informed in advance of the scheduled exam.

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Programming and homework assignments must be your own work. While you are encouraged to discuss general ideas with others in class, the work you hand in must be your own. If you are having difficulties, please see me. Duplication of work or plagiarism in any form is considered to be cheating, and will be dealt with in accordance with UM and Department guidelines. Plagiarism is the representing of another's work as one's own. It is a particularly intolerable offense in the academic community and is strictly forbidden. Students who plagiarize may fail the course and may be remanded to Academic Court for possible suspension or expulsion. (See Student Conduct Code section of this catalog.) Students must always be very careful to acknowledge any kind of borrowing that is included in their work. This means not only borrowed wording but also ideas. Acknowledgment of whatever is not one's own original work is the proper and honest use of sources. Failure to acknowledge whatever is not one's own original work is plagiarism.

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Profanity and/or obscenity will not be tolerated, either in class or on assignments.

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Students should notify the instructor of any disabilities at the beginning of the course.

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The policy on incompletes is as described in the University Catalog. Documentation must accompany requests for incompletes.