CSE 141 and 141L -- Introduction to Computer Architecture

Winter 1997, Instructor: Dean Tullsen

Homework Assignments

Lab Assignments

Lecture slides

Announcements:

Basic Course Information:

• Instructor: Dean Tullsen
• AP&M 4250
• tullsen@cs
• 534-6181
• office hours: M 3-4, F 10-11
• 141 TA: Chandra Krintz
• AP&M 3337A
• ckrintz@cs
• officehours: T 9-10, W 10-11
• 141L TA: Walter Korman
• AP&M 3337D, or basement (Mac lab or uAPE lab)
• wkorman@cs
• office/lab hours: TWTh 10-11
• Meeting times and place -- Lecture, lab, and discussion section schedules will be substituted for each other freely at the discretion of the instructor. Please plan on attending all class meetings, as you will not always know whether you are missing lecture, lab, or discussion section when you skip a scheduled meeting. However, this is the official schedule:
• Peterson Hall 104
• lecture: MW 4-5:20
• discussion: M 5:30-6:20
• lab: W 5:30-6:20
• Course textbook
• Patterson & Hennessy, "Computer Organization and Design -- The Hardware/Software Interface", Morgan Kaufmann
• Other recommended reading (these two books plus the textbook will be on reserve at the undergraduate library)
• Stallings, "Computer Organization and Architecture --Designing for Performance", 4th edition, Prentice Hall
• an alternate perspective
• Hennesy&Patterson,"ComputerArchitecture:AQuantitativeApproach",MorganKaufmann
• a more advanced treatment of many of the same topics in the textbook
• CPU Info Center
• everything you'd ever want to know about available commercial CPUs
• WWW Computer Architecture Home Page
• a comprehensive guide to research and general information on computer architecture available on the web.
• Assignments:
• Homeworks will be assigned on Monday and due Wednesday of the following week.
• Labs will be due two weeks after they are assigned.
• Once it is set up, the class mailing list will be used by me and the TAs for announcements, etc. All students will be held responsible for announcements and information that go out over the class mailing list. Make sure you are on it. If you are not getting email by the second week of class, send mail to ckrintz@cs.

Course Outline:

I. Instruction Set Architecture

II. Computer System Performance and Performance Metrics

III. Computer Arithmetic and Number Systems

IV. CPU Architecture

V. The Memory/Cache Hierarchy

VI. Pipelining

VII. Superscalars

VIII. Parallel Machines

IX. Input/Output

Grading Information:

• The grade for 141 will be based on homeworks, two midterms, and a final, as follows:
• homeworks: 20%
• midterm: 30%
• final: 50%
• subjective influences like class participation will have an impact in the margins -- it does pay to let the professor know who you are!
• The final will be inclusive of all course material.
• The grade for 141L will be based solely on 4-5 lab reports. I expect that most students will complete the lab assignments as specified; thus the quality of the lab reports will likely be the most important factor in determining grades.
• Late assignments are not encouraged. You will have two grace days during the quarter. I.e., you can turn one assignment in two days late, or two assignments in one day late. That is combined for both homeworks and labs. I recommend not spending those days frivously early in the quarter. After you have spent your grace days, there will be no late assignments accepted. No exceptions. We will make every effort to return assignments to you in a timely manner -- limiting your ability to turn things in late is, unfortunately, critical to that goal.
• You have the right of appeal for grading on all tests; however, an appeal (except for scoring errors) covers the entire test, and may result in an unfavorable judgment on another problem. You have one week from the time the midterms are returned to make appeals, including addition errors on your score. Check it over carefully when you get it.
• There is no appeal on homeworks, except for addition errors. No single problem will have a significant impact on your grade.

Integrity:

• Cheating WILL be taken seriously. It is not fair to honest students to take cheating lightly, nor is it fair to the cheater to let him/her go on thinking that is a reasonable alternative in life. Don't test me on this one.
• The following is not considered cheating:
• discussing homeworks in groups.
• The following is:
• discussing homework with someone who has already completed the problem, or looking at their completed writeup.
• Copying lab designs from someone who is not your partner, or lab report text from anyone.
• Receiving, providing, or soliciting assistance from another student during a test.
• Altering timing data produced by LogicWorks to make a non-working design appear to be working.
• Homework is not intended to be a grade-maker, but to prepare you for the tests, which are the grade-makers. Cheating on the homeworks is just stupid.

The Lab (141L)

• There will be 4-5 lab assignments. Each will require a written report. There will be no midterms or finals associated with the lab portion of the class. The final grade will be determined by the quality of the lab reports and the completeness and quality of the lab work (as demonstrated in the reports).
• Some but not all of the labs will require LogicWorks, which everyone should be familiar with.
• Labs can be done in groups of 1 to 3. All lab reports are to be done individually.
• Lab resources:
• LogicWorks is available in the AP&M Mac labs, 325, 337, and 2101.
• personal copies of LogicWorks are available in the bookstore.
• Suns will be available in the uAPE lab in the AP&M basement.

If you have comments or suggestions, email me at tullsen@cs.ucsd.edu