Advanced Computer Architecture

CDA 5155, Spring 2016
MW 11am-12:15pm
LOV 103

Course Information

Course Objectives:

A student who has completed this course with a passing grade should be able to:
  1. Calculate architecture performance measures.
  2. Determine the hits and misses in various memory hierarchy levels
    3. for a sequence of references given a specified configuration.
  3. For various memory hierarchy optimizations, list the likely impact on miss rate, miss penalty, and hit time for cache performance.
  4. Detect dependences and hazards for a sequence of assembly instructions.
  5. Apply basic assembly code transformations by hand to increase instruction-level parallelism.
  6. Determine the cycle when each instruction will go through each stage of an out-of-order pipeline.
  7. Determine for a sequence of instruction address references whether or not each instruction will hit in a branch target buffer and the prediction that will be made in a branch prediction buffer for specified configurations.
  8. Transform an assembly loop to exploit vector instructions.
  9. Identify the advantages and disadvantages of architectures that support data and thread-level parallelism.
  10. Describe the benefits and challenges of warehouse-scale computing.

Course Resources:

The class home page is at http://www.cs.fsu.edu/~yuw/SP16-CDA5155/index.html. The homepage will include the syllabus, schedule, slides, and assignments.
  1. Syllabus, Schedule, and Slides:
  2. Assignments: Throughout the course, you will be assigned several quizzes, two programming projects, and four homework assignments. These assignments are to be accomplished individually by each student.

Course Policies:

Grading:

There will be two exams and various assignments. Class attendance and active participation of discussions are required and will count for 5% of your grade. Please keep all graded material to provide evidence of grades. The final exam will be comprehensive covering all materials of the course.

Attendance and Punctuality:

You are responsible for all material presented in class. Exams and due dates will be scheduled in advance. A grade of zero will be recorded for missed exams and late assignments unless prior arrangements are made or the absence is excused. Assignments turned in after the due date, but by the beginning of the next scheduled class will be penalized 10% per day, two days maximum. Excused absences include documented illness, deaths in the family and other documented crises, call to active military duty or jury duty, religious holy days, and official University activities. These absences will be accommodated in a way that does not arbitrarily penalize students who have a valid excuse. Consideration will also be given to students whose dependent children experience serious illness.

Cheating:

Students are encouraged to discuss programs in general and to help one another find bugs in existing programs. Copying another student's code or writing code for someone else is cheating. Keep listings to provide evidence of creative development.

Academic Honor Policy:

The Florida State University Academic Honor Policy outlines the University's expectations for the integrity of students' academic work, the procedures for resolving alleged violations of those expectations, and the rights and responsibilities of students and faculty members throughout the process. Students are responsible for reading the Academic Honor Policy and for living up to their pledge to "... be honest and truthful and ... [to] strive for personal and institutional integrity at Florida State University." Florida State University Academic Honor Policy can be found at http://fda.fsu.edu/Academics/Academic-Honor-Policy.

Americans with Disabilities Act:

Students with disabilities needing academic accommodation should: (1) register with and provide documentation to the Student Disability Resource Center; and (2) bring a letter to the instructor indicating the need for accommodation and what type. This should be done during the first week of class. This syllabus and other class materials are available in alternative format upon request. For more information about services available to FSU students with disabilities, please contact the Student Disability Resource Center via the address below:,

The Student Disability Resource Center,
97 South Woodward Avenue,
108 Student Services Building,
Florida State University,
Tallahassee, FL 32306-4167
(850) 644-9566 (voice)
(850) 644-8504 (TDD)
sdrc@admin.fsu.edu
http://www.disabilitycenter.fsu.edu/

Office Hours

Syllabus Change Policy

Except for changes that substantially affect implementation of the evaluation (grading) statement, this syllabus is a guide for the course and is subject to minor changes without advance notice.
Last Updated: Dec 19, 2015