Comp 311, Computer Organization, explores the topic of how computers work, in terms of both software and hardware. It covers a wide range of topics including what a bit is, and why bits are the atoms in the universe of computation. We also discuss how information is represented and processed in hardware, and arrive to the conclusion that, to a computer, everything is data, including the instructions that underly software.

Comp 311 also covers the wide range of languages, and layers of translation, used for computation-- spanning from machine language to assembly language to high-level compiled and interpreted languages. We will also touch on the conventions that enable us to construct large programs, modular software systems, and even programs that manage the loading, execution, and creation of other programs.

We then delve deeper into computer hardware to discover what means to be digital. We explore how simple logic can be made to perform math and manipulate bits and how logic and state can be made to perform a series of operations. This will culminate in the virtual construction of a simple, yet fully functional computer.

In the last third of the class we will discuss issues of performance. What the measures of MIPS and CPI mean, and how they can be improved. We will discuss simple techniques for increasing the rates which computer execute instructions including pipelining and parallelism. We will then address techniques for improving the apparent memory bandwidth of a computer and finally how to simulate more memory that we can actually afford.

A syllabus for this offering of Comp 311 is available here.

Leonard McMillan

Office: SN316
Walk-in Office Hours: Wed noon-3pm (starting 08-27)
Office Hours by Reservation: Wed 9am-11am (sign up here)
Email: mcmillan@cs.unc.edu

• 6 problem sets (30%, 6% each with the lowest dropped)

• 2 In-class exams (40%, 20% each)

• Final (25%) 

• Class participation     (5%, Exercises and Class Participation)
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