Welcome to the wiki for Digital Design and Computer Architecture for Spring 2020

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The class provides a first introduction to the design of digital circuits and computer architecture. It covers technical foundations of how a computing platform is designed from the bottom up. It introduces various execution paradigms, hardware description languages, and principles in digital design and computer architecture. The focus is on fundamental techniques employed in the design of modern microprocessors and their hardware/software interface.

This class provides a first approach to Computer Architecture. The students learn the design of digital circuits in order to:

• understand the basics,
  
• understand the principles (of design),
  
• understand the precedents (in computer architecture).
  

Based on such understanding, the students are expected to:

• learn how a modern computer works underneath, from the bottom up,
  
• evaluate tradeoffs of different designs and ideas,
  
• implement a principled design (a simple microprocessor),
  
• learn to systematically debug increasingly complex systems,
  
• hopefully be prepared to develop novel, out-of-the-box designs.

The focus is on basics, principles, precedents, and how to use them to create/implement good designs.

Course description page

Thursday, 13:15-15:00, in HG F7 (Overflow room: HG F5)
Friday, 13:15-15:00, in HG F7 (Overflow room: HG F5)

Prerequisites: None.

• Mailing List: digitaltechnik@lists.inf.ethz.ch (sent to instructor and TAs)
• Office Hours:
  • Read this announcement.
  • Until March 31: Monday from 1:30pm to 2:30pm (CAB H 31.2), Tuesday from 5pm to 6pm (CAB H 31.2), Wednesday from 10am to 11am (CAB H 31.2)
  • Between April 1 and May 31: Monday from 1:30pm to 2:30pm (CAB G 15.2), Tuesday from 5pm to 6pm (CAB D 78), Wednesday from 10am to 11am (CAB G 15.2)