1 / 19

Integrating Hardware Experiences into a Computer Architecture Core Course

Integrating Hardware Experiences into a Computer Architecture Core Course. Fred Martin Computer Science University of Massachusetts Lowell. Motivations. Simulation is important Simulation lets you build more complex designs in limited time, but simulation-only is not fun

dominy
Download Presentation

Integrating Hardware Experiences into a Computer Architecture Core Course

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Integrating Hardware Experiences into a Computer Architecture Core Course Fred Martin Computer Science University of Massachusetts Lowell

  2. Motivations • Simulation is important • Simulation lets you build more complex designs in limited time, but • simulation-only is not fun • interesting problems are at the edges • Understanding low-level provides basis for understanding higher abstractions

  3. More Motivations • I like hardware • Hardware is fun • Hardware plus software is really fun • Everyone should get to play with hardware at least once • I need students who can do hardware

  4. Context • UML-CS dept has history of doing hardware • UML has an ECE dept, but we’re separate • CS has 3-semester Logic Design, Org, Arch sequence • When I joined dept in 2002 there was no core hardware experience for majors

  5. Constraints • No dedicated lab space • Can not add lab units to course • Some money but not lots ($50/kit x 35 students) • Can’t extract lab-kit money from students

  6. Solution • Nearly all students have computers; let’s use them • Can also use our computer labs • Give them everything they need to build (and hopefully debug) logic + embedded CPU designs • Answer: A take-home lab kit!

  7. Custom “UML 305DEV” Board +5v supply serial out serial in 8 LED inputs 8 switch ins piezo logic probe gnd RS-232 to TTL level shifter Parts + Board: $25

  8. Rest of the Kit

  9. Course Design

  10. Digital Logic Lab • Build oscillator, counter/divider, view signals • Mystery chips: you are given one 14-pin and one 16-pin DIP. Figure out which member of the 74HCxx series it is! • A review of digital logic topics, but with more emphasis on understanding signals, including high impedance state.

  11. State Machine Lab • Implement state machine with register, logic equations, minimization • Actually implement with latch chips • Program a LEGO robot to follow a line with a 4-state, 1-sensor solution

  12. HC11 Boot Lab • Install and configure tools on your PC (Java source provided) • Get HC11 to load 3-line program and light an LED • Introduce addressing modes, memory map, bootloader • Relatively little wiring needed

  13. Why 68HC11? • Simple, 8-bit processor with standard von Neumann architecture • 16-bit external memory interface • Serial boot mode • Available in DIP package • I know it well

  14. HC11 Beep Lab • Generate particular tones on HC11 output pin; listen to them with piezo • Doubly-nested delay loops • Many levels of time: usec instruction clock, millisec half-wave delay, audio frequencies • Introduced scopes when later had a lab • Timing stuff is particularly valuable and new to students

  15. HC11 Address Decoding • Build combo logic to decode 4 bits of addr and allow HC11 to write to a latch • Test design by running provided code and seeing bit flash pattern on latch outputs • Also do paper design of RAM addressing • Advanced for most students: hard to debug, possible for wrong designs to work

  16. Rest of Course: CS/APP • Switched text to Bryant/O’Hallaron’s Computer Systems: A Programmer’s Perspective (2003) • ORG: by decompiling Linux executables—“Binary Bomb Lab” • ARCH: based on “Y86” pedagogical processor simulator • Cache treatment with “Perflab”—improve stride in 2D image processing app

  17. Discussion & Conclusions • Review/revisiting with a fresh perspective is good • Basic design (take-home kits + labs themselves) is sound • Labs are fairly modular and could be adopted by others • Later revs of class left out Logic Lab (made room for Perf Lab)

  18. More Discussion • Some students like it a lot; others are annoyed • I repeatedly refer back to HW labs in core arch material • Would love to do arch material with FPGA implementations • Best measure of success: students recruited to my research lab, and those graduated in HW-oriented industry jobs

  19. Final Pitch • Have successfully handed off course to dept colleague • I am happy to give away all course material for academic use, including: • PCB artwork for “305DEV” board • Parts lists • Java-based HC11 tools • Labs • Exams • Please contact me if you are interested! fredm@cs.uml.edu

More Related