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Learn how to design modern computers to improve the speed, performance and energy efficiency of your programs.
5,211 already enrolled!
In order to be competitive in the computer science field, it’s imperative to understand the basic building blocks of a modern computer and how they directly impact the speed and efficiency of a program. Whether you work with embedded systems, mobile computer-based systems, or cloud systems, performance and energy efficiency are key drivers of usability and competitiveness of computerized products.
In this course, you will learn how to design modern multicore-based computers, and how the design choices you make affect performance and energy consumption. You will explore design principles governing modern microprocessors, such as pipelining and cache memories, as well as methods for determining the impact of your design on execution time and energy efficiency.
These skills can make a difference for practicing engineers for the purpose of building highly competitive products. Take, for instance, a smartphone with limited battery capacity. By adding value to end users through new or improved functionality, this can lead to significantly shorter operation time between battery charges, thus utilizing the already limited resources of a smartphone far more efficiently.
With this skillset, you can become an expert in computer system performance and energy efficiency - knowledge that is in high demand when designing computerized embedded products. With trends towards IoT (Internet of Things), autonomous systems and mobile computers, such a skillset will be critical in a career in systems engineering.
This course is derived from a Chalmers senior undergraduate course in computer system design.
This course addresses students/professionals with a general understanding of programming computers, but with no prior knowledge of how a computer works.
Week 1: Execution model of computer systems
Week 2: Performance and energy models of computers
Week 3: Pipelining principles
Week 4: Cache memory hierarchy principles
Who can take this course?
Unfortunately, learners residing in one or more of the following countries or regions will not be able to register for this course: Iran, Cuba and the Crimea region of Ukraine. While edX has sought licenses from the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to offer our courses to learners in these countries and regions, the licenses we have received are not broad enough to allow us to offer this course in all locations. edX truly regrets that U.S. sanctions prevent us from offering all of our courses to everyone, no matter where they live.
Who can take this course?
Unfortunately, learners residing in one or more of the following countries or regions will not be able to register for this course: Iran, Cuba and the Crimea region of Ukraine. While edX has sought licenses from the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to offer our courses to learners in these countries and regions, the licenses we have received are not broad enough to allow us to offer this course in all locations. edX truly regrets that U.S. sanctions prevent us from offering all of our courses to everyone, no matter where they live.
