ECE238: Topics Covered

This is tentative, serving currently as notes to myself as I sort out what we will cover and when --John

Prerequisites

• fluent with bases, especially base 2 and 16
• understand boolean logic
• ability to design digital gates to implement digital logic
• fluent with flow charts
• fluent in at least one computer programming language

CPU Architecture

basics

• stored program
• fetch-execute loop
• timing (instruction, processor)
  • T states
  • M cycles
• three bus architecture

processor types

• single/parallel
• CISC/RISC
• DSP
• microprocessor/microcontroller

computer languages

• high-level/low-level

Assembly Language

• registers
  • PC, SP, A
• flags
• addressing modes
  • direct
  • register addressing
  • immediate addressing
  • register indirect addressing
  • relative addressing
  • indexed addressing
• Instruction groups
  • LD group of instructions
  • Exchange group
  • The stack, POP and PUSH
  • Arithmetic
  • Jumps calls and returns
  • And or and xor
  • Bit set reset and test
  • Rotate and shift
  • General arithmetic and control
  • Block transfer and search
  • Input and Output instructions
• Interrupts

Gameboy Architecture

• Processor
• Memory architecture
• I/O and carts
• boot sequence
• modes: low power, stop, halt
• video
  • tiles
  • background
  • window
  • sprites
• sound
• interrupts
• timer
• I/O registers