69731 - Computer Architecture (CL.B)

Learning outcomes

Providing the student with the concepts necessary for understanding computer architectures and assembly programming.

Course contents

• Introduction and history of computers
• Information coding
• Architecture of a computer and its peripherals
• The ISA level and the assembly language
• Boole's algebra
• The level of digital logic
• Examples of real computer architecturs
• Parallel architectures

Readings/Bibliography

ARCHITETTURA DEI CALCOLATORI, by Andrew Tanenbaum and Todd Austin, Sesta Edizione (2013), Pearson Italia

Teaching methods

• Lectures
• Tutorials
• Laboratory

Assessment methods

To take the exam, it is necessary to register on AlmaEsami (before the registration deadline) and successfully submit all assignments at least one week before the exam session you intend to take. The assignments allow you to take the exam, but their evaluation does not contribute to the final grade.
The exam consists of:

• a practical written test, with exercises to solve similar to those completed during the in-class tutorials, for which numerous examples with their solutions are available on the Virtuale platform;
• a theoretical written test, with open-ended questions on the entire course syllabus.

Attendance of lessons (including laboratory sessions) is not mandatory and does not contribute to the final grade.
The first test is assigned a score between 0 and 30. If this score is below 18, the second test is not corrected and the exam is failed. Otherwise, the final grade is calculated as the sum of this score with the result obtained in the second test, which can vary from -4 to +4, and can therefore decrease or increase the score of the first test. However, if the second test receives a severely insufficient evaluation (for example, with most answers left blank or completely wrong), the exam is failed, regardless of the resulting score. If the overall score is above 30, "30 e lode" is awarded.

Acquisition of Partial Credits (from another degree program)
Up to three credits: It is sufficient to submit the assignments to confirm the previous grade.
Up to six credits: It is sufficient to submit the assignments and take first written test. The final grade will be calculated as the average of the previous grade and the grade from the first test.
Please contact the laboratory professor for more operational details.

Teaching tools

Teacher's slides

Office hours

See the website of Raffaele Cappelli

See the website of Matteo Ferrara