Operational concepts in computer architecture course,
in this course we will learn about the operational concepts in computer architecture. This course provides a comprehensive understanding of how computer systems execute instructions and manage data. We will explore the Instruction Set Architecture (ISA), which defines the commands a CPU can execute, and delve into CPU design and functionality. The course covers the design of data paths and control paths, essential for executing instructions efficiently. We will study microarchitecture and pipelining, techniques that improve CPU performance by overlapping instruction execution stages. Memory hierarchy and cache design are crucial topics, explaining how data is stored and accessed quickly. Instruction fetch and decode processes will be examined, alongside the operations of the Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU) and control unit. Register Transfer Level (RTL) operations, load and store mechanisms, and branch prediction strategies will also be covered. We will discuss parallel processing, concurrency, superscalar, and out-of-order execution, highlighting advanced performance optimization techniques. Additionally, the course addresses multiprocessing, multithreading, input/output operations, peripheral management, interrupt handling, exception processing, power management, and energy efficiency.
