We're still actively developing this site. If you encounter any issues, please report them! - Report an issue

INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE

COMPSCI/ECE 552
Course Description

The design of computer systems and components. Processor design, instruction set design, and addressing; control structures and microprogramming; memory management, caches, and memory hierarchies; and interrupts and I/O structures.E C E 551or knowledge of Verilog is recommended.

Prerequisties

(COMPSCI/ECE 352 and COMPSCI/ECE 354 ) or graduate/professional standing

Satisfies
Credits

3

Offered

Fall, Spring

Grade Point Average
3.47

5.98% from Historical

Completion Rate
98.21%

2.15% from Historical

A Rate
42.86%

15.11% from Historical

Class Size
112

71.7% from Historical

2025 Fall Grade Distribution

Instructors (2025 Fall)

Sorted by ratings from Rate My Professors

Similar Courses

INTRODUCTION TO MICROPROCESSOR SYSTEMS

ECE 353

Introduction to architecture, operation, and application of microprocessors; microprocessor programming; address decoding; system timing; parallel, serial, and analog I/O; interrupts and direct memory access; interfacing to static and dynamic RAM; microcontrollers.

MACHINE ORGANIZATION AND PROGRAMMING

COMPSCI/ECE 354

An introduction to fundamental structures of computer systems and the C programming language with a focus on the low-level interrelationships and impacts on performance. Topics include the virtual address space and virtual memory, the heap and dynamic memory management, the memory hierarchy and caching, assembly language and the stack, communication and interrupts/signals, compiling and assemblers/linkers.

DIGITAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY

ECE 554

Practical aspects of computer system design. Design, construction, and testing of significant digital subsystems. Design, construction, and programming of pipelined digital computers.

ADVANCED COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE I

COMPSCI/ECE 752

Processor design, computer arithmetic, pipelining, multi-operation processors, vector processors, control units, precise interrupts, main memory, cache memories, instruction set design, stack machines, busses and I/O, protection and security. Students are strongly encouraged to have knowledge of computer architecture (e.g.,E C E/​COMP SCI  552).

INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER ENGINEERING

COMPSCI/ECE 252

Logic components built with transistors, rudimentary Boolean algebra, basic combinational logic design, basic synchronous sequential logic design, basic computer organization and design, introductory machine- and assembly-language programming.