TL;DR Introduction to Computer Architecture using MIPS ISA and introduces ideas/thoughts behind the micro-architecture that implements the ISA.
I have been the course responsible since 2021
Course’s webpage at Uppsala University

Introduction to Computer Architecture

Course Overview

This course provides an introduction to the fundamental principles of computer architecture, focusing on the design, operation, and performance of modern computer systems. Using the MIPS architecture as a foundation, students will explore how computers execute programs at the lowest level, how hardware components interact, and how performance can be optimized through various architectural techniques.

Course Content

The course covers the following key topics:

• Understanding the MIPS Instruction Set Architecture (ISA)
  • Assembly instructions and how they map to hardware execution
• Logic-level components
  • Logic design, processor datapath, and control logic
• Instruction-level components
  • Pipelining, hazards, branch prediction, caches, and parallelism
• System-level components
  • Virtual memory, input/output mechanisms

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

• Understand the core components of a computer system, including the processor, memory, and input/output devices.
• Analyze and reason about first-order performance metrics.
• Understand the hardware/software interface and its role in system design.
• Write and debug assembly language programs.

Teaching Methodology: Flipped Classroom

This course adopts a flipped classroom approach:

• Students watch video lectures at home to learn theoretical concepts.
• Classroom sessions focus on problem-solving exercises, discussions, and hands-on activities.

Benefits of the Flipped Classroom

• Encourages active learning and student engagement.
• Provides more opportunities for collaborative problem-solving.
• Enhances conceptual understanding through guided practice.

Prerequisites

• Basic understanding of digital logic and programming is recommended.

Assessment

• Homework assignments and quizzes
• Programming tasks in assembly language
• Final exam assessing theoretical and practical understanding