Computer structures comprises the twin topics of machine level programming on the one hand and the architectural organization of the machine on the other. The course emphasizes the interface between these two domains, as illustrated by the course text title – “The Hardware/Software Interface”. The notion of an Instruction Set Architecture is used as a unifying concept between these two domains. The course is based on the MIPS processor architecture. MIPS is a widely used real-world machine which is nevertheless logically structured and easier to understand than other architectures. The organization of popular alternative architectures such as Intel 80x86 may be discussed.
תאור/מטרות  הקורס:
This course provides a foundation in the basics of computer structures for students of Computer Science. Quantitative performance assessment is introduced early in the course as a basic tool for evaluating any digital organization.