~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From the course catalog: 211: Computer Orgainization and Architecture (4 credits) Study of both traditional and alternative computer architectures. Introduction to digital logic, microcode, Von Neumann architectures, data representations, fetch/execute model, RISC/CISC, instruction formats and addressing, machine and assembly language, memory architecture and algorithms, I/O architecture, and elements of distributed systems. Includes formal laboratory work. Prerequisites: Computer Science 201. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From the instructor: In brief: how does the computer actually work inside? Some questions that I get excited about are: - How can we get hardware (electricity, really) to perform abstract tasks such as adding and remembering numbers? - How can we bridge the gap between the abstract conceptual nature of software and the physical reality of the hardware, such that software instructions actually get carried out by the machine? This term we also have some very fun toys to play with... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~