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Special Topic
COSC474-23S2 Special topic: Computer Architecture and ParallelismDescription: An advanced course for computer science and software engineering students on computer architecture, concurrency and parallelism (principally at a system level – bit, instruction and thread level). Topics covered include: CPU design, problems in parallelism, structures to improve performance (superscalar and cache design), VHDL/Verilog (programming), and examples of specialised designs (such as GPUs).Pre-requisites: ENCE260 Computer Systems
1. Critique system-level designs of computer architecture (including superscalar, RISC, CISC, VLIW and cache designs) [WA1, WA2]2. Implement architectural designs in a hardware description language [WA3, WA4, WA5]3. Analyse problems in parallelism and concurrency (mutual-exclusion, race-conditions, idempotence, locks, Tomasulo’s algorithm and Peterson’s algorithm) [WA2]4. Demonstrate research skills, through literature search and review, in the space of computer architecture [WA10]5. Propose experiments to advance a concept in computer architecture [WA12]
This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attributes specified below:
Employable, innovative and enterprising
Students will develop key skills and attributes sought by employers that can be used in a range of applications.
Subject to the approval of the Head of Department
Students must attend one activity from each section.
Please note that the course activity times advertised here are currently in draft form, to be finalised at the end of January for S1 and whole year courses, and at the end of June for S2 courses.Please hold off enquiries about these times until those finalisation dates.Time Commitment: 150 hours• 24hr Lecture hours (2x1hr/week – 12 weeks)• 10hr Laboratory – formal help sessions on VHDL and Verilog programming (5x2hr/week – 5 weeks)• 30hr Self directed learning (lecture prep)• 70hr Project work• 16hr Test and Examinations (including prep time)
Andrew Bainbridge-Smith
Lecturer: Andrew Bainbridge-Smith, Senior Lecturer Above the BarLecturer: Professor Dali Wang, Erskine Fellow from Christopher Newport University, Virginia, USA
Approximate Agenda:1. General computer architecture - Introduction, gate design to simple computing units, VHDL/Verilog2. Memory organisation - Memory hierarchy, cache design3. Concurrency and parallelism - bit, instruction and thread parallelism; mutual-exclusion; race-conditions; idempotence; locks; Tomasulo’s algorithm and Peterson’s algorithm4. Specialised architectural designs - Superscalar, multithreading5. Unconventional designs - systolic-arrays, number systems and arithmetic, hardware NNs6. GPUs - concepts and uses7. Quantum computing* - concepts and uses – This topic is yet to be confirmedProject:An individual project where the student is required to undertake a scholarly review of an approved topic in computer architecture. The student will be required to produce a written report including:• an explanation of the topic aimed at peers in the course (Learning Outcome 1)• a literature review on the topic, preferably including a meta-review and a number of recent publications in the area (Learning Outcome 4)• an implementation (or salient part thereof) in VHDL/Verilog of the topic – outline of the design in the report, with actual code as a supplementary submission (Learning Outcome 2)• to conduct some basic performance measurements of their implementation and to report on these (Learning Outcome 5)The project work is supported by a weekly 2 hour workshop session where both VHDL and Verilog programming is introduced to students. Students are only required to develop and implement their design ideas in one of the languages for their project, but are expected to develop understanding in both.Mid-Semester Test & Final Exam:These tests, aimed as assessing Learning Outcomes 1-3, will be designed to ensure students have adequate breadth of understanding and knowledge of the entire course.
The Computer Science department's grading policy states that in order to pass a course you must meet two requirements:1. You must achieve an average grade of at least 50% over all assessment items.2. You must achieve an average mark of at least 45% on invigilated assessment items.If you satisfy both these criteria, your grade will be determined by the following University-wide scale for converting marks to grades: an average mark of 50% is sufficient for a C- grade, an average mark of 55% earns a C grade, 60% earns a C+ grade and so forth. However if you do not satisfy both the passing criteria you will be given either a D or E grade depending on marks. Marks are sometimes scaled to achieve consistency between courses from year to year.Students may apply for special consideration if their performance in an assessment is affected by extenuating circumstances beyond their control.Applications for special consideration should be submitted via the Special Considerations website within five days of the assessment.Where an extension may be granted for an assessment, this will be decided by direct application to the Department and an application to the Examinations Office may not be required. Special consideration is not available for items worth less than 10% of the course.Students prevented by extenuating circumstances from completing the course after the final date for withdrawing, may apply for special consideration for late discontinuation of the course. Applications must be submitted to the Examinations Office within five days of the end of the main examination period for the semester.
Please click HERE for the CSSE Department's policy for the academic remedy of applications for a special consideration for final exams.
Domestic fee $1,176.00
International Postgraduate fees
* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.
For further information see Computer Science and Software Engineering .