Syllabus for COS-330
COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE
Computer Architecture covers the nature and limitations of computers. The CPU is covered in detail, including processor, control, and memory design. Data path design and the ALU – both fixed and floating-point arithmetic – are covered. The course also includes pipeline and super scalar processing. Finally the I/O system is studied in some detail.
After completing this course, the student will be able to:
CO1 Describe internal representation of numerical data, characters, strings, records, and arrays.
CO2 Explain the basic organization and major functional units of the von Neumann machine.
CO3 Demonstrate how fundamental high-level programming constructs are implemented at the machine-language level.
CO4 Comprehend basic concepts of interrupts and I/O operations.
CO5 Describe data access from various drives, such as magnetic disks, optical disks, magnetic tape, and RAID drives
CO6 Explain basic instruction level parallelism using pipelining and describe hazards that may occur.
CO7 Implement parallel processing beyond the classical von Neumann model.
CO8 Analyze alternative architectures such as SISD (Single Instruction, Single Data), SIMD (Single Instruction, Multiple Data), MISD (Multiple Instruction, Single Data), and MIMD (Multiple Instruction, Multiple Data), and VLIW (Very Long Instruction Word).
You will need the following materials to complete your coursework. Some course materials may be free, open source, or available from other providers. You can access free or open-source materials by clicking the links provided below or in the module details documents. To purchase course materials, please visit the University's textbook supplier.
ISBN-13: 978-1284045611
Several types of resources are available as downloads from the textbook's companion website.
You will need the access code found in the insert to your textbook to view and utilize the resources on this site. You may also call your Jones & Bartlett representative at 1-800-832-0034 for information about access codes.
Computer Architecture is a three-credit online course, consisting of six modules. Modules include learning objectives, study materials, and activities. Module titles are listed below.
For your formal work in the course, you are required to participate in six graded online discussion forums, complete six written assignments, and take two proctored online examinations—a midterm and a final. See below for more details.
Consult the Course Calendar for assignment due dates.
One or more of your course activities may utilize a tool designed to promote original work and evaluate your submissions for plagiarism. More information about this tool is available in About SafeAssign.
In addition to an ungraded "Introductions" forum, you are required to participate in six graded class discussions forums.
Communication with the mentor and among fellow students is a critical component of online learning. Participation in online discussions involves two distinct assignments: an initial response to a posted question (discussion thread) and subsequent comments on classmates' responses.
You will be evaluated both on the quality of your responses (i.e., your understanding of readings, concepts, and ideas as demonstrated by well-articulated, critical thinking) and quantity of your participation (i.e., the number of times you participate meaningfully in the assigned forums). Responses and comments should be properly proofread and edited, professional, and respectful.
Meaningful participation in online discussions is relevant to the content, adds value, and advances the discussion. Comments such as "I agree" and "ditto" are not considered value-adding participation. Therefore, when you agree or disagree with a classmate, the reading, or your mentor, state and support your agreement or disagreement.
Each module of this course includes a Review Forum. This provides you with the opportunity to work collaboratively with your classmates to review material. This assignment is carried out on the class Discussion Board. Directions for the assignment are found in the individual modules.
You are required to complete six written assignments. For the assignment topics and questions, see the individual Assignment Modules. Take the time to familiarize yourself with these modules and read through the written assignment questions before you begin each reading assignment.
Prepare your written assignments using whatever word processing program you have on your computer. Include your name at the top of the paper, as well as the course name and code and the semester and year in which you are enrolled.
Before submitting your first assignment, check with your mentor to determine whether your word processing software is compatible with your mentor's software. If so, you can submit your work as you prepared it. If not, save your assignment as a rich-text (.rtf) file, using the Save As command of your software program. Rich text retains basic formatting and can be read by any other word processing program.
You are required to take two closed-book, proctored online examinations: a midterm and a final. Each exam is two hours long. The midterm covers material in Modules 1 through 3.; the final covers all reading and assignments from Modules 4 through 6. The exams include multiple choice, short answer, matching, and essay items. Both exams require that you use the University's Online Proctor Service (OPS). Please refer to the "Examinations and Proctors" section of the Online Student Handbook (see General Information area of the course Web site) for further information about scheduling and taking online exams and for all exam policies and procedures.
Online exams are administered through the course Web site. Consult the Course Calendar for the official dates of exam weeks.
You are on your honor not to cheat during an exam. Cheating means:
If there is evidence that you have cheated or plagiarized in an exam, the exam will be declared invalid, and you will fail the course.
Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:
All activities will receive a numerical grade of 0–100. You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted. Your final grade in the course will be a letter grade. Letter grade equivalents for numerical grades are as follows:
A | = | 93–100 | C+ | = | 78–79 | |
A– | = | 90–92 | C | = | 73–77 | |
B+ | = | 88–89 | C– | = | 70–72 | |
B | = | 83–87 | D | = | 60–69 | |
B– | = | 80–82 | F | = | Below 60 |
To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of C or better (for an area of study course) or D or better (for a course not in your area of study), based on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exams, assignments, discussion postings, etc.).
To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:
Consider the following study tips for success:
To ensure success in all your academic endeavors and coursework at Thomas Edison State University, familiarize yourself with all administrative and academic policies including those related to academic integrity, course late submissions, course extensions, and grading policies.
For more, see:
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