Course Catalog 2006-2007

TKT-3526 PROCESSOR DESIGN, 5 cr
Processor Design

Courses persons responsible
Jari Nurmi

Lecturers
Tapani Ahonen

Objectives
Deepen the knowledge and skills on processor operation principles and performance analysis. Learn in practice the processor design methodologies.

Content
Content Core content Complementary knowledge Specialist knowledge
1. Terminology brush-up  Deeper knowledge of phenomena behind the terminology, techno-economic basics of processor hardware implementation    
2. Basic principles and phases in processor design. Design of arithmetic, control and memory subsystems.  Application-specific processor specification and design  Design tools available 
3. Instruction set design based on requirements, instruction encoding and its impacts on area, power consumption and performance  Variable length instructions, use of operation modes  Instruction memory compression 
4. Requirements set by embedded systems. Processor cores, DSP processors.  Basics of parallel computing from implementation point of view  Co-processors, hardware accelerators 
5. Benchmark programs, their content and interpretation  Critical assessment of benchmarks    

Requirements for completing the course
Exam and design project.

Evaluation criteria for the course

  • Used assessment scale is numeric (1-5)

    • Study material
    Type Name Auhor ISBN URL Edition, availability... Exam material Language
    Other online content Study material in the web Jari Nurmi       Yes  English 
    Book Processor Design: System-on-Chip Computing for ASICs and FPGAs Jari Nurmi 978-1402055294   Springer, 2007 No  English 

    Prerequisites
    Code Course Credits M/R
    TKT-3206 TKT-3206 Computer Architecture I 5 Mandatory
    TKT-3406 TKT-3406 Computer Architecture II 5 Recommendable
    TKT-3516 TKT-3516 Signal Processors 5 Recommendable

    Prequisite relations (Sign up to TUT Intranet required)

    Remarks

    The course is to a large extent based on distance learning material and project work. The book is partially used as course material, but it is also a good reference for additional reading to deepen the knowledge on processor design.

  • The course is suitable for postgraduate studies.

    • Distance learning

  • ITC utilized during the course

    • - In information distribution via homepage, newsgroups or mailing lists, e.g. current issues, timetables
    - In compiling teaching material, particularly for online use or other electronic media

  • Estimate as a percentage of the implementation of the course

    • - Contact teaching: 20 %
    - Distance learning: 40 %
    - Proportion of a student's independent study: 40 %

  • Description of the course implementation from ICT point of view

    • Compulsory exam and design project.

    Scaling
    Methods of instructionHours
    Lectures 20
    Assignments 62
    Information and communication technology 40

    Other scaledHours
    Preparation for exam 8
    Exam/midterm exam 3
    Total sum 133

    Principles and starting points related to the instruction and learning of the course

  • The main contents is available as web-based material. Live meetings are used to schedule the course, and a design project will show the adoption of the principles and methodology in practice.

    • Course homepage

    Last modified 26.04.2007
    Modified byJari Nurmi