Computer Systems Design for Energy Efficiency from edX

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.

What's inside

Learning objectives

Design concepts in modern multicore-based computers including processors and memory hierarchies
How energy efficient and fast a program will execute

How to use simple models to analyze energy efficiency and performance
How taught design concepts are used in modern multicore-based computer systems

Design concepts in modern multicore-based computers including processors and memory hierarchies
How energy efficient and fast a program will execute
How to use simple models to analyze energy efficiency and performance
How taught design concepts are used in modern multicore-based computer systems

Syllabus

Week 1: Execution model of computer systems

The transformation hierarchy

Instruction set architecture

Execution stages

Control, data paths, and a model of a computer

Execution of a program

Put it all together

Week 2: Performance and energy models of computers

Basic performance model of an executing program

Energy and power consumption in computer systems

Basic energy model of an executing program

How performance and energy can be improved

Reporting performance and energy

Week 3: Pipelining principles

The principle of the conveyor belt – pipelining

Instruction level parallelism and its relation to pipelining

A pipelined model of a computer

Pipeline hazards (structural, data and control)

Simple techniques to avoid hazards

Week 4: Cache memory hierarchy principles

Memory system basics

The memory locality principle

Basic notion of cache memory and a direct mapped cache

Set-associative caches

Multi-level caches

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Supports practicing engineers by sharpening skills to build better, more efficient products

Strengthens a foundation for engineering professionals to boost performance and energy efficiency

Provides modern concepts of multicore system design, empowering learners to comprehend the factors that impact application performance

Reinforces basic understanding of execution models and computer system architecture, forming a solid foundation for advanced concepts

Enables modeling and analysis for efficient design of embedded systems, mobile devices, and cloud solutions

Lays a foundation for understanding emerging technologies like IoT and self-driving systems

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Computer Systems Design for Energy Efficiency with these activities:

Read 'Computer Architecture: A Quantitative Approach' by Hennessy and Patterson

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Gain a deeper understanding of computer architecture principles by reading this comprehensive and authoritative textbook.

View Computer Architecture: A Quantitative Approach... on Amazon

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Obtain a copy of the book.
Read each chapter thoroughly, taking notes and highlighting key concepts.
Complete the practice problems and exercises provided in the book.
Discuss the content with peers or instructors to enhance your comprehension.

Engage in peer discussion forums on computer architecture

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Enhance your understanding by actively participating in online or in-person discussion forums where you can exchange ideas and ask questions related to the course material.

Browse courses on Computer Architecture

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Identify and join relevant discussion forums.
Participate in discussions by asking questions, sharing insights, and responding to others.
Read and engage with the contributions of your peers.
Be respectful and constructive in your interactions.

Follow online tutorials on multicore-based computers

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Supplement your learning by exploring online tutorials that provide in-depth explanations and examples of multicore-based computer concepts.

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Identify and select reputable online tutorials.
Follow the tutorials step-by-step.
Experiment with the examples and exercises provided.
Take notes or summarize the key concepts covered.

Five other activities

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Attend a workshop on Computer Architecture

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Enhance your understanding of the principles and design of modern multicore-based computers by attending a workshop.

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Identify a relevant workshop on computer architecture.
Register and attend the workshop.
Take notes and actively participate in discussions.
Follow up by reading additional materials or attending other related events.

Solve exercises and practice problems on performance and energy models

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Sharpen your analytical skills and deepen your understanding by practicing problem-solving exercises that require you to analyze performance and energy models.

Browse courses on Computer Architecture

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Find practice problems and exercises online or in textbooks.
Attempt to solve the problems on your own.
Check your solutions against provided answers or consult with instructors or peers.
Identify areas where you need further clarification or practice.

Create a presentation on Pipelining and Caches

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Solidify your understanding by creating a presentation that explains the principles and impact of pipelining and cache memory in computer systems.

Browse courses on Pipelining

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Research and gather information on pipelining and cache memory.
Organize your content into a logical structure.
Create slides with clear and concise explanations, diagrams, and examples.
Practice delivering your presentation.
Share your presentation with peers or instructors for feedback.

Develop a software simulation of a pipelined processor

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Apply your knowledge by creating a software simulation that demonstrates the operation of a pipelined processor, enabling you to visualize and analyze the concepts in action.

Browse courses on Pipelining

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Design the architecture of your simulated processor and its pipeline stages.
Implement the simulation using a programming language.
Test and debug your simulation to ensure it accurately models pipelining.
Analyze the simulation results to observe the impact of pipelining on performance.
Write a report summarizing your findings and insights.

Contribute to an open-source project related to computer architecture simulation

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Apply your knowledge by contributing to an open-source project that involves computer architecture simulation, gaining practical experience in this field.

Browse courses on Computer Architecture

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Identify an open-source project that aligns with your interests and skills.
Familiarize yourself with the project's codebase and documentation.
Identify a specific area where you can contribute, such as adding a new feature or improving existing code.
Write and test your code contributions.
Submit your contributions to the project's repository and engage in code reviews.

Career center

Learners who complete Computer Systems Design for Energy Efficiency will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Computer Architect

Computer Architects design and develop the architecture of computer systems. This course can help Computer Architects understand the principles of computer system design and performance analysis, which can help them make informed decisions about the design of computer systems. Additionally, the course can help Computer Architects understand the trade-offs between different design choices.

See salaries and explore the career path for Computer Architect

Computer Systems Analyst

Computer Systems Analysts design, implement and maintain computer systems. They analyze user needs and develop solutions to meet those needs. The knowledge and skills acquired in this course can directly translate to success in this role. An understanding of system design and performance analysis are key to working in this role.

See salaries and explore the career path for Computer Systems Analyst

Embedded Systems Engineer

Embedded Systems Engineers design and develop embedded systems, which are computer systems that are designed to be part of a larger system. This course can help Embedded Systems Engineers understand the principles of computer system design and performance analysis, which can help them make informed decisions about the design of embedded systems. Additionally, the course can help Embedded Systems Engineers understand the trade-offs between different design choices.

See salaries and explore the career path for Embedded Systems Engineer

Performance Analyst

Performance Analysts analyze the performance of computer systems and identify ways to improve it. This course can help Performance Analysts understand the principles of computer system design and performance analysis, which can help them make informed decisions about how to improve the performance of computer systems. Additionally, the course can help Performance Analysts understand the trade-offs between different design choices.

See salaries and explore the career path for Performance Analyst

Computer Hardware Engineer

Computer Hardware Engineers research, design, develop, and test computer hardware components. The knowledge of computer system design provided by this course is essential to success in this role. Understanding the principles of pipelining and cache memory hierarchy is also crucial.

See salaries and explore the career path for Computer Hardware Engineer

Software Engineer

Software Engineers apply the principles of computer science to design, develop, maintain, test, and evaluate computer software. This course can help Software Engineers understand computer system design and performance analysis, which can help them write more efficient and effective code. Additionally, the course can help Software Engineers make informed decisions about hardware and software trade-offs.

See salaries and explore the career path for Software Engineer

Systems Engineer

Systems Engineers design, develop, and maintain complex systems. This course can help Systems Engineers understand the principles of computer system design and performance analysis, which can help them make informed decisions about the design of complex systems. Additionally, the course can help Systems Engineers understand the trade-offs between different design choices.

See salaries and explore the career path for Systems Engineer

Robotics Engineer

Robotics Engineers design and develop robots. This course can help Robotics Engineers understand the principles of computer system design and performance analysis, which can help them make informed decisions about the design of robots. Additionally, the course can help Robotics Engineers understand the trade-offs between different design choices.

See salaries and explore the career path for Robotics Engineer

Machine Learning Engineer

Machine Learning Engineers design and develop machine learning models. This course can help Machine Learning Engineers understand the principles of computer system design and performance analysis, which can help them make informed decisions about the design of machine learning models. Additionally, the course can help Machine Learning Engineers understand the trade-offs between different design choices.

See salaries and explore the career path for Machine Learning Engineer

Data Scientist

Data Scientists use data to solve problems and make predictions. This course can help Data Scientists understand the principles of computer system design and performance analysis, which can help them make informed decisions about how to use data to solve problems. Additionally, the course can help Data Scientists understand the trade-offs between different design choices.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Scientist

Artificial Intelligence Engineer

Artificial Intelligence Engineers design and develop artificial intelligence systems. This course can help Artificial Intelligence Engineers understand the principles of computer system design and performance analysis, which can help them make informed decisions about the design of artificial intelligence systems. Additionally, the course can help Artificial Intelligence Engineers understand the trade-offs between different design choices.

See salaries and explore the career path for Artificial Intelligence Engineer

Operations Research Analyst

Operations Research Analysts use mathematical and analytical techniques to solve problems and make decisions. This course may be useful to Operations Research Analysts who are interested in designing and developing computer systems. The course can help Operations Research Analysts understand the principles of computer system design and performance analysis, which can help them make informed decisions about the design of computer systems.

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Electrical Engineer

Electrical Engineers design and develop electrical systems. This course may be useful to Electrical Engineers who are interested in designing and developing computer systems. The course can help Electrical Engineers understand the principles of computer system design and performance analysis, which can help them make informed decisions about the design of computer systems.

See salaries and explore the career path for Electrical Engineer

Mechanical Engineer

Mechanical Engineers design and develop mechanical systems. This course may be useful to Mechanical Engineers who are interested in designing and developing computer systems. The course can help Mechanical Engineers understand the principles of computer system design and performance analysis, which can help them make informed decisions about the design of computer systems.

See salaries and explore the career path for Mechanical Engineer

Industrial Engineer

Industrial Engineers design and develop industrial systems. This course may be useful to Industrial Engineers who are interested in designing and developing computer systems. The course can help Industrial Engineers understand the principles of computer system design and performance analysis, which can help them make informed decisions about the design of computer systems.

See salaries and explore the career path for Industrial Engineer