资 源 简 介
Why publish yet another book on digital design and computer architecture?There are dozens of good books in print on digital design. Thereare also several good books about computer architecture, especially theclassic texts of Patterson and Hennessy. This book is unique in its treatmentin that it presents digital logic design from the perspecTIve of computerarchitecture, starTIng at the beginning with 1’s and 0’s, and leadingstudents through the design of a MIPS microprocessor.We have used several ediTIons of Patterson and Hennessy’sComputer OrganizaTIon and Design (COD) for many years at HarveyMudd College. We particularly like their coverage of the MIPS architectureand microarchitecture because MIPS is a commercially successfulmicroprocessor architecture, yet it is simple enough to clearly explainand build in an introductory class. Because our class has no prerequisites,the first half of the semester is dedicated to digital design, which isnot covered by COD. Other universities have indicated a need for abook that combines digital design and computer architecture. We haveundertaken to prepare such a book.We believe that building a microprocessor is a special rite of passagefor engineering and computer science students. The inner workings of aprocessor seem almost magical to the uninitiated, yet prove to bestraightforward when carefully explained. Digital design in itself is apowerful and exciting subject. Assembly language programming unveilsthe inner language spoken by the processor. Microarchitecture is the linkthat brings it all together.This book is suitable for a rapid-paced, single-semester introductionto digital design and computer architecture or for a two-quarter ortwo-semester sequence giving more time to digest the material andexperiment in the lab. The only prerequisite is basic familiarity with ahigh-level programming language such as C, C++, or Java. The materialis usually taught at the sophomore- or junior-year level, but mayalso be accessible to bright freshmen who have some programmingexperience.
