Capstone

Design and Analysis of a Simple Computer System

Objective:

Students will design, simulate, and analyze the architecture of a simplified computer system, applying concepts from Stephen D. Burd’s materials such as the CPU, memory hierarchy, I/O, and instruction set architecture (ISA).

Components:

1.
System Design:

.
CPU Design: Create a simple CPU model using a reduced instruction set computer (RISC) approach. Define basic instructions (e.g., load, store, add, subtract, branch).

.
Memory Hierarchy: Implement a basic memory model, including main and cache levels. Focus on cache size, block size, and hit/miss rates.

.
I/O Subsystem: Design a basic input/output mechanism. Discuss how devices are interfaced and controlled.

2.
Simulation:

. Use a tool like Logisim, Digital, or SimulIDE to simulate the designed system.

. Using the CPU’s instruction set, students should simulate a few simple programs (like addition, subtraction, and loops).

3.
Performance Analysis:

. Analyze how changes in cache size or block size affect system performance. Use simulation results to discuss trade-offs in system design.

. Discuss clock cycles per instruction (CPI) and total execution time for different program workloads.

4.
Research Component:

. Compare the project’s simple architecture to modern real-world processors. Highlight key differences in instruction sets, memory systems, and I/O handling.

Deliverables:

1.
System Architecture Report: Detailed report on the system’s design, including diagrams and explanations of components (CPU, memory, I/O).

2.
Simulation Code: Provide the simulation model and test programs.

3.
Performance Analysis: Analysis of system performance under different configurations (e.g., cache sizes) with graphs and explanations.

4.
Presentation: A short presentation summarizing the system design, simulation results, and performance findings.

Evaluation Criteria:

1.
Correctness of the CPU design and instruction set implementation.

2.
Completeness of the memory and I/O subsystems.

3.
Simulation Accuracy: Does the simulated system work as expected?

4.
Performance Analysis: Quality of the performance study and insights.

5.
Presentation and Report: Clarity, depth of explanation, and professionalism.