Course Topics
• Binary arithmetic (two’s complement, IEEE 754 floating point format, issues with floating-point computations) • General computer architecture (Von Neumann architecture; CPUs; bus; memory; peripherals) • Instruction set architecture (CISC vs RISC architecture; instructions: data-movement, controlflow, arithmetic/logic; common ISAs: introduction to x86, ARM, RISC-V; assembly programming). • CPU architecture (control unit, registers, ALU; fetch-decode-execute cycle; pipelining; superscalar architecture; branch prediction; out-of-order execution; caches). • Memory and buses (static vs dynamic memory; serial/parallel buses; synchronous/asynchronous buses; bus arbitration strategies; example of buses: PCI, PCIExpress, USB). • Other topics (multi-processor and multi-core architectures; introduction to GPUs)

Teaching format
Frontal lectures, exercises, and laboratories

Educational objectives
The course aims at providing students with the fundamental notions of the organization and architecture of modern computer systems. The students will first acquire basic knowledge about the design and implementation of sequential logical circuits, to then proceed to learn how modern CPUs are organized and2/2 structured. Students will learn how to interface to the CPU at the lowest level possible by means of Assembly programming. Modern and common architectures are introduced, such as x86, ARM, and RISC-V. An architectural understanding of how the CPU interacts with the main memory and peripherals through the system bus is provided

Additional educational objectives and learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding The student knows how sequential digital circuits are structured and designed. They know how modern CPU architectures are structured and organized and how to write Assembly programs for at least one common architecture. Applying knowledge and understanding The student is able to use the knowledge acquired to create sequential circuits, to write Assembly programs, and to understand how the tradeoffs in the CPU architecture design affect the performance of their programs. Communication skills The student is able to present the competencies acquired with vocabulary appropriate to the topic. Learning skills The student is able to use the tools and reasoning techniques acquired to extend his/her knowledge.

Assessment
Written exam and lab project. Assessment mode for attending and non-attending student is the same. NOTE: Project work and classroom contributions are valid for 1 academic year and cannot be carried over beyond that time-frame.

Evaluation criteria
The evaluation criteria will be: For the written exam: clarity of understanding, acquired skills, problem solving capabilities. For the lab project: functional correctness of the project w.r.t. the specifications, quality of implementation