School of Computer Sciences

CST131 – Computer Organisation

Academic Session 2018/2019, Semester 1

Assignment 1
Complete the following tasks.

1. Discuss the following statements in the context of: basic computer functions and top level
of computer structure. Figures can be used in the discussion.

“Farid is using his computer to produce a report on the analysis of company’s last year
profit. To complete the assignment, he must generate a graph in a spreadsheet software
after entering the values. Once the report is completed, he needs to submit the hardcopy
of the report to his supervisor.”
[8 Marks]

2. Although processor and memory speeds are increasing exponentially, the exponent for
processor speed is greater than that of memory speed. State four (4) solutions to address
the difference in processor and memory speeds.
[4 marks]

3. Consider the execution of a program that results in the execution of 2 million instructions
on a 500-MHz single processor. The program consists of four major types of instructions.
The instruction mix and the CPI for each instruction type are given in Table 1 based on the
result of a program trace experiment.

Table 1
Instruction Type CPI Instruction Mix
Arithmetic and logic 1 60%
Load/store with cache hit 2 18%
Branch 4 12%
Memory reference with cache miss 8 10%
 (a) Calculate the CPI and MIPS
[4 Marks]

Assume that the program can be executed in four parallel threads with roughly equal
number of instructions executed in each thread. A 4-core processor system having the
same performance as the above single processor is used to execute the program.
Coordination and synchronization between the parts adds an extra 20000 instruction
execution to each thread. Assume the same instruction mix as in Table 1 for each thread,
but increase the CPI for memory reference with cache miss to 15 cycles due to contention
for memory.

(b) Calculate the CPI and MIPS

[4 Marks]

(c) Calculate the speedup factor

[12 Marks]

4. Based on the following logic circuit in Figure 1, answer the following questions.

Figure 1

(a) Obtain the output expression X(A,B,C).

[4 Marks]

(b) Simplify the output expression X(A,B,C).

[4 marks]

(c) Construct the truth table for output expression X(A,B,C).

[4 Marks]
5. Given Boolean expression F(A, B, C) = (A ̅ + B + C̅)(A
̅ + C̅)
(a) Draw the logic circuit to implement F(A,B,C) using NAND gates ONLY
[8 Marks]

(b) Find the standard POS expression of F(A,B,C)

[4 Marks]

(c) Simplify the POS expression using K-MAP

[4 Marks]

(d) Draw the simplified logic circuit of F(A,B,C)

[2 marks]

3
Submission Requirements
• Submit in groups of 3-4 students (maximum).
• Submission deadline: 14 November 2018, 1630hrs
• Submission must be made in both hardcopy and softcopy (submitted via eLearn@USM).
• Plagiarism (using other people’s ideas and text without proper acknowledgment and using
them as your own) is a serious academic offence. The consequences for plagiarism are
severe.