ARCHITETTURA DEGLI ELABORATORI E LABORATORIO M - Z

Academic Year 2021/2022 - 1° Year - Curriculum Elaborazione Dati e Applicazioni and Curriculum Sistemi e Applicazioni
Teaching Staff Credit Value: 9
Scientific field: INF/01 - Informatics
Taught classes: 36 hours
Exercise: 24 hours
Laboratories: 12 hours
Term / Semester:

Learning Objectives

  • Computer Architectures

    Knowledge and understanding: To acquire knowledge and understanding of fundamental concepts of computer systems architecture and of methodological principles that drive its development, in the historical perspective of their evolution.

    Applying knowledge and understanding: To acquire problem solving capabilities in computer system design, by trying to solve on-purpose proposed problems, and abilities to make use of, to design and to implement software tools, such as simulators and interpreters, for abstract machines at the lowest levels of computer system organization.

    Making judgements: To be able to compare and evaluate the quality of solutions to design problems for computer systems.

    Communication skills: To acquire communication skills and proper language to communicate, even with nonexpert people, about problems relating to functioning, design, implementation, and evaluation of computer systems.

    Learning skills: To develop the ability to adapt one's own knowledge to the rapid evolution of the discipline and to keep up-to-date through specialized sources in the field.

  • LABORATORIO
    • Knowledge and understanding: To acquire knowledge and understanding of fundamental concepts of computer systems architecture and of methodological principles that drive its development, in the historical perspective of their evolution.

      Applying knowledge and understanding: To acquire problem solving capabilities in computer system design, by trying to solve on-purpose proposed problems, and abilities to make use of, to design and to implement software tools, such as simulators and interpreters, for abstract machines at the lowest levels of computer system organization.

      Making judgements: To be able to compare and evaluate the quality of solutions to design problems for computer systems.

      Communication skills: To acquire communication skills and proper language to communicate, even with nonexpert people, about problems relating to functioning, design, implementation, and evaluation of computer systems.

      Learning skills: To develop the ability to adapt one's own knowledge to the rapid evolution of the discipline and to keep up-to-date through specialized sources in the field.


Course Structure

  • Computer Architectures

    Classroom lectures and lab tutorials with exercises

    Should teaching be carried out in mixed mode or remotely, it may be necessary to introduce changes with respect to previous statements, in line with the programme planned and outlined in the syllabus.

  • LABORATORIO

    Classroom lectures and lab tutorials with exercises


Detailed Course Content

  • Computer Architectures
    1. Computing machines: historical background
    2. Computing machines: functional units, architectures
    3. Algebraic structures, Boole algebra
    4. Logic gates, sequential circuits, flip-flops
    5. RISC and CISC architectures, addressing modes
    6. Type and format of instructions, examples of real assembly languages
    7. I/O operations, interrupt control and service
    8. Supporting software, assembly languages and C language, operating systems
    9. Basic structure of a processor, microarchitectures RISC and CISC
    10. High-performance processors, prediction techniques, superscalar processors
    11. Main memory devides, DMA, hierarchy of memories, cache
    12. Efficient circuits for binary arithmetic
  • LABORATORIO
    1. Exercises on binary system and binary data representation
    2. Exercises on analysis and synthesis of logical functions
    3. Exercises on sequential circuits
    4. 4 bits ALU
    5. Exercises in assembly (scalar product and minimum search)
    6. Exercises in assembly (subroutine call)
    7. Exercises on RISC and CISC microarchitectures
    8. Exercises on pipelining
    9. Exercises on I/O interfaces
    10. Exercises on arithmetic circuits

    Should teaching be carried out in mixed mode or remotely, it may be necessary to introduce changes with respect to previous statements, in line with the programme planned and outlined in the syllabus.

    Learning assessment may also be carried out on line, should the conditions require it.


Textbook Information

  • Computer Architectures

    C. Hamacher, Z. Vranesic, S. Zaky & N. Manjikian : Introduzione all'architettura dei calcolatori. Third italian edition, McGraw-Hill Education (Italy), 2013

  • LABORATORIO
    1. C. Hamacher, Z. Vranesic, S. Zaky & N. Manjikian : Introduzione all'architettura dei calcolatori. Third italian edition, McGraw-Hill Education (Italy), 2013
    2. Supplementary notes provided by the teacher during lecture development.