Advanced Computer Organization

Examines advanced topics in Computer Science such as I/O methods, virtual memory, disk management and operating systems.

Course Learning Outcomes

• Determine the location of a given address when memory is subdivided into chips and banks
• Evaluate a postfix expression
• Explain the operation of, and speedup provided by, a computer pipeline
• Describe the operation of common cache mapping schemes: Direct, Associative, and Set Associative
• Determine the Effective Access Time for a machine with cache memory
• Explain the process for mapping a virtual address space to physical memory
• Describe the advantages and disadvantages of virtual memory.
• Use Amdahl’s law to predict the speedup when upgrading a component of computer system
• Describe the different I/O control methods
• Evaluate storage systems for performance and reliability
• Compare future computer architectures and storage systems such as Quantum Computing and Neural Networks
• Explore Instruction Set Architecture (ISA) design options
• Describe the low-level operation and architecture of a typical CPU, including components, data pathways, and control signals

Topics Covered in this Course

• Introduction to a Simple (hypothetical) Computer
• Closer look at Instruction Set Architectures
• The Memory Hierarchy and Cache Memory
• Virtual Memory
• Input/Ouput and Storage Systems
• Low-level CPU architecture
• Instruction Set Architecture Design
• Postfix Expressions
• Physical Memory Layout
• The Memory Hierarchy
• Cache Memory
• Virtual Memory
• Input/Output Control Methods
• Storage Systems (Magnetic and Optical)
• RAID
• Upcoming and Future Architecture and Storage