Computer Architecture - Spring 2026

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Overview

Welcome to ECE/CS 472/572 - Computer Architecture. My name is Lizhong Chen, and it is my pleasure to be your instructor this term.

This course develops a broad working understanding of modern computer architecture, from processor datapaths to performance trade-offs across memory and parallel systems.

Instructor: Prof. Lizhong Chen (chenliz@oregonstate.edu)

Meeting Time: Tue/Thu 12:00–1:50 PM · Weniger Hall 153

Dates: 03/31/2026–06/07/2026

Prerequisite: ECE 375 - Computer Organization and Assembly Language Programming

Email subject rule: All course emails should begin with [CA-S26]

Course Objectives:

• Have a clear and broad vision of the computer architecture field
• Understand how CPU works, which is essential for both software and hardware majors
• Prepare for advanced courses, research, and jobs

Specific Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs):

• Use various metrics to calculate the performance of a computer system
• Identify the addressing mode of instructions
• Determine which hardware blocks and control lines are used for specific instructions
• Analyze clock periods, performance, and instruction throughput of single-cycle, multi-cycle, and pipelined implementations of a simple instruction set
• Detect pipeline hazards and identify possible solutions to those hazards
• Show how cache design parameters affect cache hit rate
• Map a virtual address into a physical address
• Demonstrate how parallel programming and multi-core architectures can benefit or degrade system performance, depending on software applications
• Explore processor performance-cost trade-offs

Tentative Schedule

Week	Format	Topics / Notes
Week 1	In-person	Introduction, Motivation
	In-person	Background catch-up (1.6, 2.5-2.7)
Week 2	In-person	Single-cycle processor (4.1-4.3)
	Recording	Single-cycle processor (4.4); HW #1 assigned
Week 3	In-person	Pipeline principles, hazards, exceptions (4.5-4.9)
	In-person	Pipeline principles, hazards, exceptions (4.5-4.9); HW #1 Due
Week 4	Recording	Pipeline, parallelism; HW #2 assigned
	Reading	Details in "Reading Materials and Instructions" (no lecture)
Week 5	Canvas Module	Review; HW #2 Due
	In-person	Midterm #1 (in class)
Week 6	In-person	Midterm analysis & regrading; Project assigned
	In-person	Memory hierarchy (5.1-5.3); project information
Week 7	Recording	Cache basics (5.1-5.3); HW #3 assigned
	In-person	Cache in-depth (5.4)
Week 8	Recording	Virtual memory (5.7-5.8); HW #3 Due; HW #4 assigned
	Flexible	Project group discussion (no lecture)
Week 9	Canvas Module	Review; HW #4 Due
	In-person	Midterm #2 (in class); Extra Credits assigned
Week 10	TBA	Special topics; Extra Credits Due (6/3); Project Due (6/7)

Midterms:

• Midterm #1: Thursday, April 30, 2026, in class
• Midterm #2: Thursday, May 28, 2026, in class

Materials

• Required textbook: David Patterson and John Hennessy, Computer Organization and Design, 5th Edition, Morgan Kaufmann, 2013, ISBN 9780124077263
• Lecture slides currently listed:
  1. Introduction.pdf
  2. Background.pdf
  3. Single-cycle processor.pdf

Assignments

• Homework: There will be 4 homework assignments. Each homework assignment must be completed individually. Discussion is allowed only on the Canvas Discussion board so all students can see the discussion.
• Project: There is a light-load project.
• Late penalty: 20% penalty per day for both homework and the project.

Staff & Hours

• Instructor: Prof. Lizhong Chen - generally available for about 30 minutes right after lectures
• TA: Kazi Ahmed Asif Fuad (0.40 GTA) - fuadk@oregonstate.edu
• TA: Anthony Kung (0.20 GTA) - kungc@oregonstate.edu

Office Hours

• Monday: 2:00-3:30 PM - Asif @ KEC Atrium
• Monday: 4:30-6:00 PM - Anthony @ KEC Atrium
• Wednesday: 3:30-5:00 PM - Anthony @ KEC Atrium
• Friday: 3:30-5:00 PM - Asif @ KEC Atrium

Grading & Policies

Grade breakdown:

• Homework: 20%
• Midterm #1: 30%
• Midterm #2: 30%
• Project: 10%
• Class participation: 10%

Letter grade distribution:

• = 93 guarantees A

• = 83 guarantees B

• Otherwise, approximately 30-40% A and A-, 50% B+, B and B-, and 10-20% below B- or drop
• Grades may be curved up but will not be curved down
• Extra credit may be offered
• Students missing any project or midterm at the end of the term automatically receive an F

Discussion Policies

• When discussing homework, you may discuss strategies and ask for clarification, but posts cannot reveal answers
• The Canvas discussion board is primarily monitored by the TAs
• If you need immediate instructor attention, send a direct email
• Be constructive, civil, and respectful in your posts

Academic Integrity

There is zero tolerance for academic dishonesty in this course. Any suspected violation will be investigated thoroughly. See the OSU Code of Student Conduct: beav.es/codeofconduct.

Please pay special attention to Chegg, Course Hero, and similar sites. TAs are instructed to actively and regularly check those sites. As a general guideline, do not post homework problems or class materials that you do not own the copyright to, including books, slides, and solutions. Per university policy, there is no statute of limitation on checking for cheating, and reports can be made after the term if cheating is suspected or your materials are found on study websites.

Disability Accommodations

Accommodations are determined and approved by Disability Access Services (DAS). If you believe you are eligible but have not obtained approval, contact DAS at 541-737-4098 or ds.oregonstate.edu.

Student Bill of Rights

OSU has twelve established student rights, including due process in disciplinary proceedings, equal opportunity to learn, and grading in accordance with the syllabus: asosu.oregonstate.edu/advocacy/rights

Academic Calendar

All students are subject to registration and refund deadlines in the OSU Academic Calendar: registrar.oregonstate.edu/osu-academic-calendar

Reach Out for Success

If you encounter difficulties and need assistance, reach out to an instructor or academic advisor. Learn about wellness and academic-success resources at oregonstate.edu/ReachOut. If you are in immediate crisis, text OREGON to 741-741 or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Other policies

• "Ask explicit questions, get detailed, explicit answers. Ask vague questions, get vague answers."
• "Extra credit opportunities might be held during lectures without prior announcement."
• "Do not expect a private tutorial if you skip lectures."
• "It is also the absentee's responsibility to get all missing notes or materials."
• "If you ask a question ... check the book, search online, ask peers, ask me."