| ECE 706 Advanced Parallel Computer Architecture |
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Advanced topics in parallel computer architecture. Hardware mechanisms for scalable cache coherence, synchronization, and speculation. Scalable systems and interconnection networks. Design or research project required. 3 credit hours |
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Prerequisite |
ECE 506
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| Course Objectives | The student will be able to explain and discuss hardware and software mechanisms for parallel computing, including: coherence optimizations, synchronization mechanisms, speculation and prediction, and specialized architectures. The student will learn how parallel systems are simulated, and how architectural features are implemented and evaluated.
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| Course Requirements | EXAMINATIONS (30%): There are two exams, each worth 15% of the final grade. There is no cumulative final – the second exam may be given during the scheduled final exam period, but it will cover only the second part of the course, and will not be longer than a regular exam. PROJECTS (60%): There are three project assignments. The first two are assigned projects, to be completed individually. The third is a student-selected project, which may be completed either individually or in pairs. The projects are worth 10%, 10%, and 40% of the grade, respectively. QUIZZES (10%): There are in-class quizzes, roughly one per week, based on the reading assignments. SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS: All projects can be performed using NCSU computing resources, such as the Virtual Computing Laboratory. Remote students need to be able to login and use those resources. The Simics simulation environment will be used for the class. NCSU has a site license for Simics, and it can be run on Linux or Solaris systems.
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| Textbook | There is no required textbook. All course materials will come from conference and journal papers, or handouts.
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| Computer and Internet Requirements | NCSU has recommended minimum specifications for computers used for classes. Depending on your computer needs, we recommend your computer meet or exceed the following minimum specifications below. PCs must have an Intel-compatible 1 GHz processor, 512 MB RAM, 60 GB hard drive with 1 GB free space available, 256 Color Display, CD-ROM drive, 1024x768 (min.) video adapter, sound card, and speakers. The operating system should be Windows XP Pro. Real One Player Basic (available free online) and high speed Internet connection such as cable, DSL, T1 or LAN will be required for EOL courses. MAC users must have a G4 processor with firewire and USB factory built-in, 512 MB RAM, 60 GB with 1GB free space available, 256 Color Display, CD-ROM drive, 1024x768 (min) video adapter, sound card, and speakers. The operating system must be MacOS 10.4 (minimum) along with the above RealOne and Internet specifications above. For more detailed information on computer specifications and recommendations, please refer to our website at: http://engineeringonline.ncsu.edu/currentstudents/computeraccess.htm
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| Instructor | Dr. Greg T Byrd, Associate Professor |