Computers Architecture

There are no prerequisites for this course.

Classes will take place in a computer room. Classes are theoretical-practical.

Students will receive the UC materials in advance, so they can make contact with these elements before class, favoring the flipped classroom methodology and student involvement with the topics.

Students are encouraged to participate in classes and, to this end, challenges are launched for student participation using Mentimeter in at least one class a week.

The research work – which focuses on one of several proposed areas – will be delivered in the first class and presupposes the preparation of a pitch and a final presentation, which allows students to investigate the topic throughout the semester.
The teaching and assessment methodology aims to prepare students for their future working life: intervening, arguing, researching, teamwork, managing conflicts, preparing presentations, and presenting work.

Goals

The objectives of this Curricular Unit are the following:

– Explore the computer hardware component, unraveling the mystery of the “black box” of internal components and knowing the elementary concepts of architecture and organization, function, and structure.
– Know the synthetic historical retrospective to recent processors and components. Know the current development of components and I/O devices.
– Know aspects of performance balance, techniques for processing optimization, and performance measures and Benchmarks.
– Know aspects related to the processor and connections to other components, cache memory (and performance optimization techniques at that level), other internal memories, and external memories.
– Know the evolution of memories.
– Understand the operation of the operating system in terms of its relationship with machine architecture, data representation, and memory addressing mechanisms.
– Mastering a low-level programming language (Little Man Computer) and exploring parallelism with a high-level language.
– Develop a critical spirit regarding proposed solutions in low-level programming.

Skills

At the end of the semester, students are expected to develop the following skills:
1) manipulating components, understanding the compatibility and upgrade possibilities of internal components in machines, and making choices regarding the choice of comparison benchmarks
2) be able to indicate the best choices regarding data in high-level programming by understanding a low-level programming language
3) develop and prove their skills in the area of researching sources on a specific topic, communication (presenting their work to colleagues) and critical thinking (peer review);
4) develop teamwork skills;
5) develop skills in reviewing the work carried out by other teams.

Justification of the teaching and assessment objectives and methods:

The Computer Architecture curricular unit intends to explore aspects related to the Computer hardware component, unraveling the mystery of the “black box” regarding the internal components of a computational machine. Thus, students will have theoretical-practical classes on various topics and carry out research work on one of the topics proposed by the teacher, where it is expected that various skills will be applied and improved.

With regard to classes, the study of the curricular unit begins with elementary concepts about architecture and organization, function and structure of a computational machine. A synthetic historical look back is performed to the latest processors and components.

The approach to the internal components of a computational system also aims to develop basic skills in terms of handling these components, understanding compatibility, and updating possibilities. The study of the internal components begins with the processor’s approach and its interconnections to the various components.

Teaching methods are applied that make it possible to understand how the various UCs relate to Computer Architecture, thus allowing a more concrete assimilation of the different topics and that students perceive the coherence of the curricular plan of the Degree in Management Informatics, right from the 1st semester.

Finally, it is understood that the continuous evaluation proposal is the one that best corresponds to the best assimilation of the themes, with the proposal of carrying out 3 evaluation tests, in addition to the research work already mentioned.

Students are encouraged, throughout the semester and as the cornerstone of their knowledge in low-level hardware and software, to learn about current developments in components and I/O devices, as well as to participate in various initiatives carried out by partners of the School such as the ISACA Lisbon Chapter – Conference and X-Sessions and within the scope of activities carried out by the ISACA Student Group of ISCAC.

PART 1 – Overview

– 1. Introduction to the study of Computer Architecture: Computers and Systems

– 2. Introduction to the study of Systems and Systems Architecture (Englander 4th and 5th editions)

PART 2 – Data

– 3. Numbering systems

– 4. Data Formats

– 5. Representation of numerical data

PART 3 – Computer Architecture and Hardware Operation
– 6. The Little Man Computer (LMC)

– 7. CPU and Memory

– 8. CPU and Memory: design, improvement, and Implementation

– 9. Input / Output (I / O)

– 10. Peripherals

– 11. Current Computer Systems

NAO

Reference book:

Irv Englander, The Architecture of Computer Hardware and Systems Software – An Information Technology Approach, 6.th edition, John Willey & Sons, 2021

Aditional references:

William Stallings, Computer Organization and Architecture, 10th edition, Prentice-Hall Intern., janeiro 2015
Delgado, José, Ribeiro, Carlos, Arquitetura de Computadores, 5.ª edição, FCA Editores, 2014

Advanced references : 
Null, Linda e Lobur, Júlia, Essentials of Computer Organization and Architecture, 3. rd edition, December, 2010
Nicholas Carter, Computer Architecture, Bookman, 2002, Coleção Schaum
Goodman & Miller, A Programmer’s View of Computer Architecture, Saunders College Publishing, 2011