Computer Architecture I

HEORY
Introduction
The reference architecture. The execution cycle of an instruction. History of the computer. How to code the information. Binary representation of digital numbers.

Combinatorial logic and algebra
Operations on binary numbers. The fundamental operations: addition and subtraction. Binary representation of floating point numbers. Combinatorial logic. Boole algebra: variables and operators. Circuital implementation (logical gates). From circuit to function. Universal gates. From functions to circuits. The truth tables. From truth tables to circuits: the first canonic form. Implementation of logical functions in PLAs or ROMs. Noticible combinatorial circuits. Exercises.

Arithmetic-logical units
Adder. The carry problem. Hardware multipliers. Design of an ALU with two stages. Adder on 32 bits. Support to the comparison operations. Carry ahead. Introduction to firmware. Firmware circuits for multiplication and division. Arithmetics and adders for floating point numbers.

Sequential logic
Temporization of boolean circuits. Sequential circuits. Transition tables. Eccitation tables. The latch SC and the latch D. Registers and the Register file. Temporization problems. The flip-flops. Finite state machines. From specifications to the project. The state transition graph and the state transition table. Coding the STT. Synthesis of the circuit of a finite state machine. Examples.

Introduction to CPU
A simple CPU and its control unit. Instruction format. Introduction on assembly language and machine code.

LABORATORY
The laboratory is focused on developing, analysing and testing combinatorial and sequential circuits, through VHDL, a hardware description language.
The laboratory program is the following:
- Introduction to VHDL
- Synthesis of logic gates
- Synthesis of complex combinatorial structures
- Synthesis of sequential structures
- Synthesis of registers, counters and finite state machines and their timing

Theory part:
· introduction to topics, objectives, and course organization;
· logical representation and processing of information: binary encodings for natural numbers, integers, and real numbers, logic functions, and Boolean algebra;
· physical representation and processing of information: logic gates and truth tables;
· synthesis of logic functions with combinational circuits, implementation of the Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU);
· information storage: elements of sequential logic (flip-flops, latches, clock synchronization);
· synthesis of sequential circuits, Finite State Machines (FSM);
· design of a single-cycle CPU and an overview of the multi-cycle case.

The laboratory is intended as an introduction to the VHDL language (VHSIC Hardware Description Language). The program focuses on the description, simulation, and functional verification of logic circuits, covering the coding of fundamental digital structures. From the basics of combinational logic to sequential circuits (registers and counters) and the design of Finite State Machines (FSM), the laboratory provides the essential tools to translate functional specifications into working hardware implementations.
The laboratory program includes:
· introduction to VHDL;
· synthesis of logic gates;
· synthesis of complex combinational structures;
· synthesis of sequential structures;
· synthesis of registers, counters, Finite State Machines, and their timing.