CSCE 614, Spring 2020
Computer Architecture
Professor:
Daniel A. Jiménez,
djimenez@tamu.edu
Office:
HRBB 509D
Office Hours:
By appointment.
Class Times:
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3:55pm to 5:10pm in HRBB 126
Textbook:
Computer Architecture: A Quantitative Approach, Sixth Edition
by John L. Hennessy and David A. Patterson
Prerequisites:
- CSCE/ECEN 350: Computer Architecture and Design
- An undergraduate education in
computer science or computer engineering including Java, C, and/or C++
programming.
Course Description:
From the Graduate Catalog:
614. Computer Architecture. (3-0). Credit 3.
Reviews of von Neumann architecture and its limitations;
parallel computer structures and concurrent computation; pipeline computers and vectorization methods; array processors, multiprocessor architectures and programming; dataflow computers. Prerequisite: CSCE 350/ECEN 350
From the professor:
This is a graduate level computer architecture class.
We'll learn about computer architecture with an emphasis on microprocessor
microarchitecture. We'll see how software and hardware cooperate to
run programs, and we'll think a lot about improving computer systems.
Course Requirements:
-
Homework Assignments:
(5% of grade).
We'll have several homework assignments, some requiring programming.
-
Midterm exam:
(25% of grade). There will be approximately one midterm exam.
-
Second Exam:
(35% of grade). There will be a comprehensive second exam.
-
Project:
(25% of grade). There will be a involving C++ programming and
writing. The project will be organized as competitions so that the best
performing project(s) as determined by specific criteria will win.
- Class Participation
(10% of grade). Students are expected to contribute to the class discussion
by asking questions or offering information.
(This list of requirements is tentative and may be modified during the first or second week of class based on class size and other factors.)
Grading
Letter grades will be assigned as follows: A is ≥ 90%; B is ≥ 80%; C is ≥ 70%; D is ≥ 60%; F is < 60%.
Policy on Assignments and Tests
Late assignments are not accepted. If you have not completed an assignment
by the time it is due, turn in what you have for partial credit. Make-up
tests are generally not given except for university sanctioned reasons,
such as religious holidays, documented illnesses, or other grave situations.
You must inform the professor before missing the test.
Academic Dishonesty
Unless a programming project or problem set is specifically assigned as a
group project, students are not allowed to work together on assignments.
You may discuss general ideas related to the assignment, but you may not
e.g. share program code or read each others writeups. Instances of such
collaboration will be dealt with harshly, but the real cost comes when
a student doesn't know how to answer questions on a test about issues
involved in doing an assignment. In writing assignments, you may not copy
or paraphrase work in whole or in part from other sources without giving
proper attribution and making it clear which passages of text are from
other sources. Failure to do so is considered plagiarism.
Academic Integrity Statement
"An Aggie does not lie, cheat, or steal or tolerate those who do."
Upon accepting admission to Texas A&M University, a student immediately
assumes a commitment to uphold the Honor Code, to accept responsibility for
learning and to follow the philosophy and rules of the Honor System. Students
will be required to state their commitment on examinations, research papers,
and other academic work. Ignorance of the rules does not exclude any member of
the Texas A&M University community from the requirements or the processes of
the Honor System. For additional information please visit:
http://www.tamu.edu/aggiehonor.
On all course work, assignments, and examinations at Texas A&M University, the
following Honor Pledge shall be preprinted and signed by the student: "On my
honor, as an Aggie, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid on this
academic work."