CS 465 (Fall 2010) Computer Systems Architecture

**Class Information**
Instructor:	Huzefa Rangwala [1], Room #4423 Engineering Building, rangwala@cs.gmu.edu [2]
Class Time & Location:	AB L008, MW 3:00 pm - 4:15pm
Text Book:	Computer Organization and Design by Patterson and Henessey, Fourth Edition, 2010. Book's companion website [3]
Teaching Assistant:	Kavin Arasu (karasu@gmu.edu [4]), Engineering Building # 4457
Office Hours:	Instructor: M 4:45-6:45 pm
	TA: Tue-Thu: 1-2 pm or by email appointment, #4457

Please note the syllabus is subject to change to enrich the student's learning experience :). Feel free to email rangwala@cs.gmu.edu [2] for questions, concerns, or even say hi

**About the Course**
Course Description
This course provides an introduction to the fundamental concepts in computer architecture. Topics include: Basic system components, Performance measurements, Instructions and their representation, Number representation, Implementation of Arithmetic operations, Processor organization, Pipelining, The memory hierarchy
Course Prerequisites
(Computer Systems Programming (CS 367) with a grade of C or better. Students not satisfying the prerequisites will be dropped from the class.
Course Format
Lectures will be given by the instructor. Besides material from the textbook, topics not discussed in the book may also be covered. Grading will be based on homework assignments and exams. Homework assignments will require some programming. Exams and homework assignments must be done on an individual basis. Any deviation from this policy will be considered a violation of the GMU Honor Code.
Course Outcomes
As an outcome of taking this class, a student will be able to Be able to explain the organization of the classical von Neumann machine and its major functional components Be able to compare performance of simple system configurations and understand the performance implications of architectural choices Be able to show how instructions are represented at both the machine level and in the context of a symbolic assembler; be able to understand small MIPS programs and write MIPS assembly program segments Be able to use different formats to represent numerical data and convert numerical data from one format to another Be able to explain how an instruction is executed and the concept of datapaths and control Be able to explain basic instruction level parallelism using pipelining and the major hazards that may occur Be able to explain the effect of memory latency on running time; be able to describe the use of memory hierarchy to reduce the effective memory latency, in particular, the role of cache and virtual memory; be able to understand the principles of memory management Be able to explain the basic I/O implementation and data transfers

Detailed Class Schedule with Topics Covered and Assignment due dates
will be made available here [5]

**Assignments/Exams Grading**
HW 0	0%
HW 1	10%
HW 2	15%
HW 3	15%
HW 4	10%
Mid-Term	20%
Final Exam	25%
Class Participation	5%
Surprise Quizzes (Extra)	5%

**Grade Distribution**
Grade	Score Range
A+	>97
A	92-97
A-	88-92
B+	84-88
B	80-84
B-	76-80
C+	72-76
C	68-72
C-	64-68
F	< 64

**Policies:**
Attendance
Attendance is not compulsory but highly recommended for doing well in the class. This class has lots of active learning exercises, and they will be a lot of fun. Extra credit i.e., surprise quizzes require classroom attendance.
Email Communication:
The best form of communication to the TA and instructor is via email. Please ensure you put "[CS 465]" in the subject header for a timely and quick response.
Assignment Solutions and Exam Solutions
Exam and HW solutions cannot be made available online to prevent future classes from plagiarism. Copies will be made available on the day the graded assignments are returned.
Assignment Submission
Please ensure that the assignments are submitted on-time, before class begins (hard-copy and soft-copy). No late submissions.
Make-Up Exams & Incompletes
Make up exams and incompletes will not be given for this class.
Late to Class
Please arrive to class on-time. Coming late to class is disruptive to your fellow class mates.
Academic Honesty and GMU Honor Code
Please visit the University's Academic Honesty Page [6] and GMU Honor Code [7].
Disability Statement
If you have a documented learning disability or other condition that may affect academic performance you should: 1) make sure this documentation is on file with the Office of Disability Services (SUB I, Rm. 222; 993-2474; www.gmu.edu/student/drc [8]) to determine the accommodations you need; and 2) talk with me to discuss your accommodation needs.