Class Computer Architecture

This curricular unit (CU) introduces fundamental concepts of logic circuits combinatorial and sequential. The students learn how to build a sequential machine and later how to build a full microprocessor. How an operation can be interpreted by a microprocessor is one of the major goals of this CU.

Lectures

1. Digital Circuits MSI: Logic Gates, registers, counters, memories, multiplexers and decoders. Simulation.
2. Generic basic microprocessor architecture (CPU).
   1. Components: ALU, registers and Buses.
   2. Instructions and Microinstructions.
   3. Data and program memories.
   4. Data information path in a CPU: Fetch Operations and Execution.
3. Study of a low cost commercial microcontroller.
4. Development programming environment, simulation, and test.

Practical classes:

1. Typical digital components.
2. Basic internal components simulation of a generic CPU architecture.
3. Simple project with a budget commercial microcontroller

To be defined

• Mano, M. Morris, Kime, Charles R. - Logic and Computer Design Fundamentals. Prentice Hall, 1997.
• Delgado, José e Ribeiro, Carlos - Arquitectura de Computadores. Lisboa: FCA, 2008
• Arroz, Guilherme, Monteiro, José e Oliveira, Arlindo - Arquitectura de Computadores: dos Sistemas Digitais aos Microprocessadores. 3a Edição. Lisboa, Portugal: IST Press, 2014.