Computer Architecture
	            CMSC 411-05 	Mark E Woodcock  (woodcock@cs.umbc.edu)
		    Fall 2025		410-455-3554
		    TR 1730-1845	ITE 216
		    SON 108		OH: TW 1330-1430
			     
	  Tuesday                     Thursday
August
25 	                              Boring introduction(1)	
September
 1      Semantics  (2.1-5)            Addressing (2.10)
 8	Performance Eval (1.6)        Perf Benchmarks
15 	ALU (3.2)   HW1-A             Multiplication (3.3)
22      Division (3.4)  HW1-D         Flt Pt Ops (3.5)
29      Single-Cycle                  Multi-Cycle
October
 6      Micro-Programming HW2-A       Pipelining (4.5)
13      Datapath (4.6)  HW2-D         Review
20      MIDTERM                       Slack
27      Pipeline Hzrd (4.7) HW3-A     Return
November
 3      Parallel (4.10)  HW3-D        Dynamic Sched
10      Memory Hierarchy (5.2)        Caching (5.3-5)
17      Virtual Memory (5.7) HW4-A    More VM (5.8)
24      Bus       HW4-D               TG
December
 1      I/O    Project Due            Multi-Processors (6.3-6)
 8      Review                        FINAL
15      


READINGS
(N) - Chapter number in the Patterson/Hennessy Book.
also:  check the main page for more resources

EXAMS
Exams will be comprehensive and closed-book.  The midterm will be held during regular
class time (21 Oct).  The final exam will be held in the usual room on Thursday, 11 Dec, 1800-2000.

HOMEWORK 
There will be several homeworks and a project during the semester.  Homeworks
will be weighted according to their difficulty and importance.  You may discuss assignments with
others, but you are only permitted to hand-in individual effort (e.g. solutions, programs).  
Late homeworks will be discounted 5% for one day, 25% for two days and 50% for three days.  After that, 100%.

GRADES	
Course grades will generally be determined using the following components and weights:
	Midterm		25 
        Homework        20
        Project         15
	Final Exam	40 
While a normal (boring) Bell Curve is expected, the instructor reserves the 
right to construct one, to consider class participation, relative improvement,
to give all A's or flunk the whole class (where appropriate).

CONTACTING THE INSTRUCTOR/Office Hours
My email, office phone and location are listed above.  Ask a question or come by and chat.
Folks who schedule ahead will be given priority, but walk-ins are just fine.		   

TA--Omkar Kulkarni (omkark1@umbc.edu)
Office:  https://calendly.com/omkark1/test3?month=2025-09 (ITE 344)
Schedule times in these Hours: W 3-4 & R 1330-1500

UPDATES
Keep track of revisions to this syllabus at 
http://www.cs.umbc.edu/~woodcock/cmsc411/syl25_05.html