Final Exam Topics

1. Basics
2. Single cycle implementation.

3. Multicycle implementation.

   • Understand the datapath and control. Be able to answer questions like 5.15, 5.17 - 5.21, 5.23 on page 429.

   • Understand finite state machines and how to design control using them. Related questions include 5.22 and 5.26. For 5.26 you are responsible for knowing how to implement the instruction, not for the performance comparision.

   • You and not responsible for microcode implementations.

   • Understand and be able to modify and extend the FSM and circuits for exceptions. For example, question 5.29 on page 431.

4. Control implementation (chap 5 and appendix C).
   • Using finite state machines to design control.

   • Using state sequencers to design control

5. Pipelineing (Chapter 6).
   • DataPath and Control
     • Pipeline datapath (section 6.2): stages and special hardware. Be able to do questions like 6.7 on page 530.

   • Pipelined control (section 6.3): understand how control signals are created and stored.

     • Be able to look at a pipeline and identify instructions (as in questions 6.9 and 6.10 on page 531).

     • If a new instruction is added (as in the chapter 5 questions), be able to describe the changes in the pipleline control.

     • Be able to trace instructions through the pipeline as in question 6.11.

   • Data Hazards. Forwarding and Stalls.
     • Understand how and why hazards exist. Good questions related to this are 6.18, 6.19 and 6.23 on page 533 and 534.

     • Be able to explain how forwarding works. Questions 6.12, 6.13 on page 532.

     • Be able to construct the forwarding unit. Questiosn 6.16, 6.17 on page 533.

     • Understand how both arithmetic and load/store hazards can be solved with forwarding. Question 6.20.

     • Understand how branches are predicted including both the 1-bit and 2-bit schemes. Be able to implement and extend branch prediction.

     • Understand the techniques for reducing the delay of branches. Be able to implement and extend.

   • Branch Hazards.

6. Understand how branch hazards occur, how to detect them, and what actions to take if a branch hazard does occur. Questions covering these concepts include 6.26 and 6.27.