Computer Systems Organization

CSCI 463-1

Spring 2025


Last updated Tue. 4/8/2025

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Course information


Reference material


Outline of Blackboard files

Future material is provided for your convenience. Details may change until the week we get to each section.

Chapter 1: Introduction
Section Topic                                                                            
1d Early history of the modern computer


Chapter 3: Boolean algebra and digital logic
Section Topic                                                                            
3a Boolean algebra
3b Boolean identities
3c Logic gates
  HW1 due Thu., Jan. 30, 11:59 PM
3d Combinatorial logic: the adder
1f Von Neumann architecture
3e Combinatorial logic: decoder, mux, shifter, ALU
  HW2 due Thu., Feb. 6, 11:59 PM
3f Sequential logic: flipflops
3g Sequential logic: register, memory
3h Sequential logic: binary counter
  HW3 due Tue., Feb. 18, 11:59 PM
  Exam 1 Thu. Feb. 27


Chapter 2: Data representation - Integers and fixed point
Section Topic                                                                            
2d Review: Decimal-to-binary conversion
(subtraction and division methods)
2e1 Review: Binary-to-decimal conversion
(addition and multiplication methods)
2e2 Review: Binary and hex
2f Binary fractions
2g Two's complement
2h Overflow
2i Binary math
  HW4 due Fri., Mar. 7, 11:59 PM


Chapter 4: Overview of computer architecture
Section Topic                                                                            
4a1 Datapath and bus
4b Instructions and RTL
(using MARIE as example)
4c1 Execution cycle
4e Indirect addressing
  HW5 due Wed., Mar. 26, 11:59 PM
4f Decoding: hardwired
4g Decoding: microprogrammed
  HW6 due Wed., Apr. 2, 11:59 PM
  Exam 2 Tue., Apr. 15


Chapter 5: Instruction set architecture
Section Topic                                                                            
5a ISA overview
5c ISA types
4a2 Cycle and memory math
5d Pipelining
5e RISC vs. CISC
5f Supercomputers
  HW7 due Fri., Apr. 11, 11:59 PM


Chapter 2: Data representation - Characters
Section Topic                                                                            
5b Endianness
2p ASCII encoding
2q Unicode
2r UTF
  HW8 due Tue., Apr. 22, 11:59 PM


Chapter 2: Data representation - Floating point
Section Topic                                                                            
2j Floating point concepts
2m Floating point range
2n Floating point error analysis


Chapter 7: I/O and files
Section Topic                                                                            
4c2 Interrupts
4c3 I/O
7a Directories


Chapter 6: Memory and cache memory
Section Topic                                                                            
6a Memory overview
6d Cache
  HW9 due Tue., Apr. 29, 11:59 PM


Chapter 8: Software
Section Topic                                                                            
8a Assemblers
8b Linkers
8c Compilers
  Final exam, Thu. May 8, noon-1:50 PM



Work area



Data Representation: Floating point