Computer Hardware Organization

Digital logic

• Logic expressions
  • Transformation
    • minimization
    • normal forms

Digital systems

• Electronic circuits
  • logic gates
  • Combinational Circuits
    • Multiplexers
    • Decoders
    • Encoders
    • PLA
    • switching
  • Feedback Circuits
    • counters
    • adders
    • flip-flops
    • registers

• • Design Considerations
    • layout
    • placement
    • routing
    • VLSI
    • concurrency
    • constraints
    • delay
    • race conditions
    • fanout
    • heat
    • speed
  • Integrated circuits

• Hardware Language
  • Register transfer notation
    • functional considerations
  • Hardware description languages (e.g. VHDL)

Logic Design

• General
• Design Styles
  • Cellular arrays and automata
  • Combinational logic
  • Logic arrays
  • Memory control and access
  • Memory used as logic
  • Parallel circuits
  • Sequential circuits
• Reliability, Testing and Fault-Tolerance
  • Built-in tests
  • Error-checking
  • Redundant design
  • Test generation
  • Testability
• Design Aids
  • Automatic synthesis
  • Hardware description languages
  • Optimization
  • Simulation
  • Switching theory
  • Verification
• Miscellaneous

Integrated Circuits

• General
• Types and Desgin Styles
  • Advanced technologies
  • Algoritms implemented in hardware
  • Gate arrays
  • Input/output circuits
  • Memory technologies
  • Microprocessors and microcomputers
  • Standard cells
  • VLSI
• Design Aids
  • Graphics
  • Layout
  • Placement and routing
  • Simulation
  • Verification
• Reliability and Testing
  • Built-in tests
  • Error-checking
  • Redundant design
  • Test generation
  • Testability
• Miscellaneous

Performance and Reliability

• General
• Reliability, Testing and Fault-Tolerance
• Performance Analysis and Design
• Miscellaneous

Machine level representation of data

• Storage units
  • Bits
  • Bytes
  • Words
• Information Representation
  • Size
    • Range
    • Precision
    • Accuracy
  • Binary data
    • Encrypted
    • Compressed
    • Compiled code
  • Numeric
    • Integer
      • Twos complement
      • Sign magnitude
      • Ones complement
    • Non Integer
      • Fixed point
      • Floating point * IEEE standard
  • Character
    • standards
      • ASCII
      • UNICODE
      • EBCDIC
    • formats
      • font
      • color
      • size
      • style
  • Graphical
    • vector
    • raster
    • pixels
  • Multimedia
    • sound
    • video
    • image
      • standards
        • jpg
        • tiff
        • gif
  • Complex data
    • Record (struc)
    • String
    • Array
    • Multiple precision
  • Pointer (aka address)
  • Programs
    • Instruction
      • Format
      • Addressing modes
      • Instruction types
        • data manipulation
        • control
          • sequential
          • loop
          • decision (if)
          • subroutine call
          • parallel
          • interrupt
        • input/output

• Encoding standards
  • Compression
  • Integrity
    • Error correcting/dectecting codes
      • parity
      • Hamming code
    • Fault handling

Machine Organization

• Design Structure
  • vonNeumann
  • Processor Count
    • Single Processor
    • Multi Processor
      • Multi Core Processsor
  • Embedded system
  • Special Purpose processors
    • Graphics processor
    • Games processor
    • Other special purpose processors
  • Register-Transfer-Level Implementation
    • General
    • Design
      • Arithmetic and logic units
      • Control design
      • Data-path design
      • Memory Design
      • Styles (e.g. parallel, pipeline, special-purpose)
    • Design Aids
      • Automatic synthesis
      • Hardware design languages
      • Optimization
      • Simulation
      • Verification
    • Reliability, Testing and Fault-Tolerance
      • Built-in tests
      • Error-checking
      • Redundant design
      • Test generation
      • Testability
    • Miscellaneous

• Central Processing Unit
  • Processor system design
    • clock
    • control
    • data bus
    • address bus
      • Address decoding
    • Memory interfacing
    • Interfaces
      • parallel
      • serial
    • Timers
    • System firmware
    • Instruction Set Architecture
      • Complex Instruction Set Computer (CISC)
      • Reduced Instrucion Set Computer (RISC)
      • Very Large Instruction Word (VLIW)
      • Short vector instruction sets
    • Compiler requirements
    • Multimedia application connections
      • Streaming extensions
    • Security requirements
  • Performance
    • Pipeline
      • Hazards * Structural * Data * Data Control
    • Superscalar architecture
    • Multithreading
    • Scalability
    • Metrics
      • clock rate
      • MIPS
      • Cycles per instruction
      • benchmarks
      • strengths & weaknesses
      • averaging
      • arithmetic
      • geometric
      • harmonic
    • Amdahl's law
    • Moore's law
  • Control Unit
    • Design Considerations
      • Microprogramming
      • Hard wiring
    • Operation
      • Machine Cycle
        • Fetch Instruction
        • Decode
        • Fetch operands
        • Execute
        • Write result
  • Arithmetic - Logic Unit
    • Design Considerations
      • Performance
    • Functional Units
      • Adders
        • Half Adders
        • Full Adders
        • Fast Adders
      • Multipliers
      • Logic Unit (aka Boolean Unit)
      • Floating Point Unit
        • Algorithms
        • Implemenation
        • Standards
• Data path
  • Bus
    • Single
    • Multiple
    • Protocols * Arbitration

• Storage
  • Latency
  • Bandwidth
  • Cycle time
  • Organization
    • Interleaving
  • Registers
    • • Accumulator
      • Program Counter
      • Instruction Register
      • Stack Pointer
      • Memory Buffer Register
      • Memory Address Register
      • Interrupt bits (register)
      • Processor Status Word
      • General Purpose Registers
  • Cache
    • Characteristics
      • Address mapping
      • Block size / line size
      • Replacement policy
      • Store policy
      • write-back policies
      • write through policies
      • Performance
        • Branch prediction
        • Prefetching
        • Speculative execution
    • Levels
      • L0
      • L1
      • L2
  • RAM
    • DIMM
    • DRAM
    • SDRAM

• • ROM
    • EPROM
    • EEPROM

• • External Storage
    • Connection
      • Directly connected
      • Off line
      • Networked
      • RAID architectures
    • Magnetic
      • Tape
      • Disk
        • RAID
        • SMART Technology
    • Optical
      • CD-ROM
      • DVD
    • Flash drive
    • Electronic
      • Smart cards
      • Mobile phones
      • MP3 players
    • Network Storage
    • Other External Storage

• Input - Output and Data Communications
  • Performance
    • fault detection
  • Interface / Communication
    • Handshaking
    • Buffering
      • Double buffering
    • Programmed
    • Interrupt driven
      • Interrupt structures
      • Interrupt controlers
      • vectored interrupt structures
      • prioritized interrupts
      • overhead
      • reentrant code
    • Direct Memory Access
    • Device Drivers
      • Analog to Digital Converters
      • Digital to Analog Converters
  • Secondary Storage
  • Input Devices
    • Keyboard
    • Mouse
    • Voice Input device
    • Data gathering devices
      • Temperature Probe
      • Geographical Positioning System
      • Biometric
      • Other sensors
    • SMART card reader
    • Graphic tablet
    • Camera
  • Output Devices
    • Printer
    • Monitor/Display
    • Speaker
    • Alarm
    • Control devices
    • Other output devices
  • Data communications

• • Interconnections (Subsystems)
    • Asynchronous/synchronous operation
    • Fiber optics
    • Interfaces
    • Parallel I/O
    • Topology (e.g. bus, point-to-point)
    • Radio

to top