Understand computer hardware and system design
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Computer Architecture is available on both platforms
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248
Sub Topics
772
MCQs
400
MCOs
582
True/False
335
Fill Blanks
106
Rearrange
319
Matching
165
Comprehensions
279
Flashcard Decks
Curriculum
What You'll Learn
01 Introduction to Computer Architecture 4 topics
1 Historical Development of Computer Systems
- First Generation Computers (Vacuum Tubes)
- Second Generation Computers (Transistors)
- Third Generation Computers (Integrated Circuits)
- Fourth Generation Computers (VLSI)
- Fifth Generation Computing (AI and Parallel Processing)
2 Fundamental Concepts
- Von Neumann Architecture
- Harvard Architecture
- Modified Harvard Architecture
3 Performance Metrics and Evaluation
- Clock Speed and Frequency
- MIPS (Million Instructions Per Second)
- FLOPS (Floating Point Operations Per Second)
- Benchmarking Techniques
4 Levels of Abstraction
- Application Software
- System Software
- Instruction Set Architecture (ISA)
- Microarchitecture
- Logic Gates and Circuits
- Device Physics
02 Digital Logic Design 5 topics
1 Boolean Algebra and Logic Gates
- Basic Logic Operations (AND, OR, NOT)
- Universal Gates (NAND, NOR)
- Boolean Functions and Expressions
- Karnaugh Maps and Logic Simplification
2 Combinational Logic Circuits
- Multiplexers and Demultiplexers
- Encoders and Decoders
- Adders and Subtractors
- Comparators
3 Sequential Logic Circuits
- Latches and Flip-Flops
- Registers and Counters
- Finite State Machines
- Timing Diagrams
4 Hardware Description Languages
- VHDL
- Verilog
- SystemVerilog
5 FPGA and ASIC Design
- Design Flow
- Synthesis
- Place and Route
- Verification and Testing
03 Computer Arithmetic 5 topics
1 Number Systems and Representation
- Binary, Octal, and Hexadecimal
- Fixed-Point Representation
- Floating-Point Representation (IEEE 754)
- BCD (Binary-Coded Decimal)
2 Integer Arithmetic
- Addition and Subtraction Algorithms
- Multiplication Algorithms (Shift-and-Add, Booth's Algorithm)
- Division Algorithms (Restoring, Non-Restoring)
3 Floating-Point Arithmetic
- Addition and Subtraction
- Multiplication and Division
- Rounding Modes and Precision Issues
4 ALU Design
- Datapath Components
- Control Signals
- Performance Optimization
5 Special Arithmetic Operations
- Square Root and Transcendental Functions
- SIMD (Single Instruction, Multiple Data) Operations
- Saturating Arithmetic
- Decimal Arithmetic
04 Instruction Set Architecture (ISA) 5 topics
1 Instruction Set Design Principles
- CISC vs. RISC
- Orthogonality and Regularity
- Addressing Modes
2 Instruction Types
- Data Movement Instructions
- Arithmetic and Logical Instructions
- Control Flow Instructions
- System and Privileged Instructions
3 Common ISA Families
- x86 and x86-64 Architecture
- ARM Architecture
- MIPS Architecture
- RISC-V Architecture
4 Memory Addressing
- Immediate, Direct, Indirect Addressing
- Base+Offset, Indexed Addressing
- Pre/Post Increment/Decrement
5 Machine Language and Assembly Language
- Instruction Encoding
- Assembly Directives
- Macro Assemblers
05 CPU Organization and Design 5 topics
1 CPU Components and Datapath
- Register File
- ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit)
- Control Unit
- Program Counter and Instruction Register
2 Single-Cycle Processor Design
- Instruction Fetch
- Instruction Decode
- Execute
- Memory Access
- Write Back
3 Multi-Cycle Processor Design
- State Machine Controller
- Microoperations
- Timing and Synchronization
4 Pipelined Processor Design
- Pipeline Stages
- Pipeline Hazards (Structural, Data, Control)
- Hazard Resolution Techniques
- Pipeline Performance Analysis
5 Advanced CPU Features
- Superscalar Execution
- Out-of-Order Execution
- Register Renaming
- Branch Prediction
06 Memory System Architecture 5 topics
1 Memory Hierarchy
- Registers
- Cache Memory
- Main Memory (RAM)
- Secondary Storage
2 Cache Design and Organization
- Direct-Mapped Cache
- Set-Associative Cache
- Fully Associative Cache
- Cache Replacement Policies
3 Cache Coherence and Consistency
- Snooping Protocols
- Directory-Based Protocols
- MESI Protocol
- Memory Consistency Models
4 Virtual Memory
- Address Translation
- Page Tables and TLBs
- Page Replacement Algorithms
- Memory Protection
5 Memory Technologies
- SRAM and DRAM
- Flash Memory and SSDs
- Non-Volatile Memory (NVM)
- Emerging Memory Technologies
07 Input/Output Systems 5 topics
1 I/O Architectures
- Memory-Mapped I/O
- Isolated I/O
- DMA (Direct Memory Access)
2 I/O Performance and Metrics
- Bandwidth and Throughput
- Latency
- IOPS (Input/Output Operations Per Second)
3 I/O Interfaces and Buses
- Serial vs. Parallel Interfaces
- PCI and PCIe
- USB, SATA, NVMe
- Network Interfaces
4 I/O Controllers and Devices
- Storage Controllers
- Graphics Processing Units
- Network Interface Cards
- I/O Device Drivers
5 Interrupt Handling
- Interrupt Types and Sources
- Interrupt Service Routines
- Interrupt Controllers
- Polling vs. Interrupts
08 Parallel Processing and Multicore Architectures 5 topics
1 Parallelism Concepts
- Instruction-Level Parallelism (ILP)
- Thread-Level Parallelism (TLP)
- Data-Level Parallelism (DLP)
- Task-Level Parallelism
2 Multicore Processor Design
- Core Microarchitecture
- Shared vs. Private Caches
- Interconnection Networks
- Memory Controllers
3 Symmetric Multiprocessing (SMP)
- Cache Coherence in SMP
- Process and Thread Scheduling
- Load Balancing
- NUMA (Non-Uniform Memory Access)
4 Hardware Multithreading
- Fine-Grained Multithreading
- Coarse-Grained Multithreading
- Simultaneous Multithreading (SMT)
5 Parallel Programming Models
- Shared Memory Programming
- Message Passing
- Data Parallelism
- Task Parallelism
09 Specialized Processor Architectures 5 topics
1 Graphics Processing Units (GPUs)
- GPU Architecture
- SIMT (Single Instruction, Multiple Threads)
- Shader Processors
- Graphics Pipeline
2 Digital Signal Processors (DSPs)
- DSP Architecture
- Fixed-Point and Floating-Point DSPs
- MAC (Multiply-Accumulate) Units
- DSP Applications
3 Network Processors
- Packet Processing Pipeline
- Content-Addressable Memory
- Traffic Management
- Network Security Accelerators
4 Application-Specific Processors
- AI and Machine Learning Accelerators
- Cryptographic Accelerators
- Video and Audio Codecs
- Database Accelerators
5 FPGA and Reconfigurable Computing
- FPGA Architecture
- High-Level Synthesis
- Hardware-Software Co-design
- Dynamic Reconfiguration
10 System-on-Chip (SoC) Design 5 topics
1 SoC Components
- Processing Cores
- Memory Subsystems
- Peripheral Controllers
- Accelerators and Coprocessors
2 SoC Interconnects
- Bus Architectures
- Crossbar Switches
- Network-on-Chip (NoC)
- Point-to-Point Links
3 Power Management
- Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling (DVFS)
- Power Gating
- Thermal Management
- Energy-Efficient Design
4 SoC Verification
- Functional Verification
- Performance Verification
- Power Verification
- Formal Verification
5 SoC Design Methodologies
- IP Core Integration
- Platform-Based Design
- Design Space Exploration
- Hardware-Software Co-design
11 Computer Architecture Performance Analysis 5 topics
1 Performance Metrics
- Execution Time
- Throughput
- CPI (Cycles Per Instruction)
- IPC (Instructions Per Cycle)
2 Performance Evaluation Techniques
- Analytical Modeling
- Simulation
- Hardware Prototyping
- Performance Monitoring Counters
3 Benchmarking
- SPEC Benchmarks
- PARSEC Benchmarks
- TPC Benchmarks
- ML Benchmarks
4 Power and Energy Efficiency
- Power Consumption Metrics
- Energy-Delay Product
- Performance Per Watt
- Carbon Footprint
5 Cost and Reliability Analysis
- Area Efficiency
- Yield and Manufacturing Costs
- Reliability Metrics
- Failure Modes and Effects Analysis
12 Advanced Topics in Computer Architecture 5 topics
1 Quantum Computing
- Qubits and Quantum Gates
- Quantum Algorithms
- Quantum Error Correction
- Quantum Computer Architecture
2 Neuromorphic Computing
- Spiking Neural Networks
- Memristive Devices
- Neuromorphic Processors
- Brain-Inspired Computing
3 In-Memory Computing
- Processing-in-Memory (PIM)
- Near-Data Processing
- Computational Memory
- Memory-Centric Architectures
4 Edge Computing
- IoT Device Architecture
- Edge AI Processors
- Low-Power Design Techniques
- Secure Edge Computing
5 Future Architectures
- Post-Moore's Law Computing
- 3D Integration
- Photonic Computing
- DNA and Molecular Computing
13 Computer Architecture Case Studies 5 topics
1 Desktop and Server Processors
- Intel Core and Xeon Architecture
- AMD Zen Architecture
- IBM POWER Architecture
- ARM Neoverse
2 Mobile and Embedded Processors
- ARM Cortex Processors
- Apple Silicon
- Qualcomm Snapdragon
- RISC-V Implementations
3 High-Performance Computing Systems
- Supercomputer Architectures
- Exascale Computing
- Accelerated Computing Platforms
- Cluster Computing
4 Cloud Computing Infrastructure
- Data Center Processors
- SmartNICs and DPUs
- Warehouse-Scale Computer Architecture
- Virtualization Hardware Support
5 Historical and Influential Architectures
- IBM System/360
- DEC VAX
- MIPS R10000
- DEC Alpha
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