This document outlines the course objectives, policies, and schedule for EE5440 - Computer Architecture, a 3-credit course with prerequisites in Computer Organization. The course objectives cover processor design, instruction sets, addressing, control structures, memory hierarchies, pipelining, parallelism, and multiprocessor systems. Course policies require timely attendance of at least 75% of classes and adherence to assignment deadlines. Grading will be based 50% on a midterm and final exam, and 50% on assignments, presentations, quizzes, and attendance. The course will cover topics like basic computer structure, instruction set architecture, I/O systems, processor design, arithmetic, memory systems, caches, and virtual memory over 16 weekly classes

1. COURSE TITLE: EE5440 – COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE
Credit Hours: 3 (Theory) + 0 (Lab)
Pre-requisites: CS5221 – COMPUTER ORGANIZATION AND ASSEMBLY LANGUAGE
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
The design of computer systems and components. Processor design, instruction set design, and
addressing; control structures and microprogramming; memory management, caches, and memory
hierarchies; and interrupts and I/O structures. Pipelining of processor Issues and Hurdles, exception
handling, Parallelism, Multiprocessor Systems.
CLASS POLICY:
 A student must reach the class-room in time. Late comers may join the class but are not
entitled to be marked present.
 Attendance shall be marked at the start of the class and students failing to secure 75%
attendance will not be allowed to sit in final exam.
 The assignment submission deadline must be observed. In case of late submission, assignment
will not be considered.
 Those who are absent on the announcement date of assignment/test. Must get the
topic/chapter of test/assignment confirmed through their peers.
 Mobile phones must be switched-off in the class-rooms.
GRADING POLICY:
Internal Evaluation
Midterm Exam 20%
Attendance 10%
Assignment/Presentations 10%
Quizzes/Tests 10%
Total Internal Evaluation 50%
Final Term Examination
Final Term Exam 50%
Total Marks 100%
TEXT BOOKS:
 Computer Organization and Embedded Systems by C Hamacher …, 6th
Edition 2012
 Computer Organization and Architecture: Designing for Performance, by William Stallings 8th
Edition, Prentice Hall.
 Structured Computer Organization by Andrew S Tanenbaum 5th
Edition

2. COURSE DESCRIPTION:
WEEK NO TOPIC DESCRIPTION ASSESSMENT
1 Chapter 1 – Basic Structure of Computers
 Computer types
 Functional units
 Basic operational concepts
 Number representation and arithmetic
operations
 Character representation
 Performance
 Historical perspective
2 Chapter 2 – Instruction Set Architecture
 Memory locations and addresses
 Memory operations
 Instructions and instruction sequencing
 Addressing modes
Assignment – 1
3 Chapter 2 (continued)
 CISC instruction sets
 Characteristics of RISC
 RISC and CISC styles
 Encoding of machine instructions
Quiz – 1
4 Chapter 3 – Basic Input/Output
 External devices
 I/O modules (module function and I/O
module structure)
 Programmed I/O (overview, I/O commands,
and I/O instructions)
5 Chapter 3 (continued)
 Interrupts
 Interrupt-Driven I/O (interrupt processing
and design issues)
 Enabling and disabling interrupts
 Multiple interrupts
 Direct memory access
6 Chapter 4 – Input/Output Organization
 Bus structure
 Bus operation (synchronous & asynchronous
bus, and electrical consideration)
 Arbitration
 Interface circuits (parallel interface and
serial interface)
Assignment – 2
7 Chapter 4 (continued) Quiz – 2

3.  Interconnection standards (USB, FireWire,
PCI bus, SCSI bus, SATA, SAS, and PCI
express)
8 Chapter 5 – Basic Processing Unit
 Some fundamental concepts
 Instruction execution (load instructions,
arithmetic and logic instructions, and store
instructions)
 Hardware components (register files, ALU,
datapath, and instruction fetch section)
9 Midterm Exam
10 Chapter 5 (continued)
 Instruction fetch and execution steps
(branching and waiting for memory)
 Control signals
 Hardwired control
 CISC-Style processors
11 Chapter 6 – Arithmetic
 Addition and subtraction of signed numbers
 Design of fast adders
 Multiplication of unsigned numbers
 Multiplication of signed numbers
Assignment – 3
12 Chapter 6 (continued)
 Fast multiplication
 Integer division
 Floating-Point numbers and operations
 Decimal-to-Binary conversion
Quiz – 3
13 Chapter 7 – The Memory System
 Basic concepts
 Semiconductor RAM memories (internal
organization of memory chips, static
memories, DRAM, and SRAM)
 Read-only memories
14 Chapter 7 (continued)
 Direct memory access
 Memory hierarchy
 Cache memories
Assignment – 4
15 Chapter 7 (continued)
 Performance considerations
 Virtual memory
 Memory management requirements
 Secondary storage
Quiz – 4
16 Final Term Exam Whole Course