Logo for CPE380

The (new for Fall 2021) course logo is a wafer full of processor dies, the stuff computer hardware guts are made from. When you look at the course number above it by itself, it looks a little fuzzy, but readable as "CbE 380" -- which is close, but wrong. That's how a lot of people coming into CPE 380 understand computer systems: slightly worng. Ahem... wrong. However, by looking into the hardware, the true meaning is revealed. It's clear as black and white, but you can also see a lot of shades of gray -- the subtle things that might otherwise lead to bad surprises. Ok, it's corny, but it's true.

Another way to think about CPE 380 is... ever crack some device open just to see how it works?

The above is a photo of what you see when you try to break open a modern processor chip and look inside. Doesn't really show you much, does it? That's because, as is normal, the chip is mounted upside down. What's inside is so complex that you wouldn't be able to figure out much from seeing it anyway. In fact, humans don't live long enough for any one person to understand every last detail of the literally billions of transistors that make-up a modern, high-end, processor. Don't worry. CPE380 (aka, CS380) will help you to understand how it all works in ways that will allow you to specify, design, and more effectively use these complex systems... without needing to know what each transistor does.


EE380 Computer Organization and Design.