CSC252 - Computer Organization / Spring 2025
Updates
- New Lecture is up: 28 - Cache Associativity [slides] [Supplementary Materials]
- New Lecture is up: 19 - Pipelining Part 2 [slides] [Supplementary Materials]
Instructor
Welcome to the fascinating world of computer architecture!
In this course, you’ll dive into the essentials of how computers are organized and how they function. We’ll start by exploring the basic building blocks of machine organization and uncover the key hardware concepts that make modern computing possible.
You’ll get an insider’s look at the inner workings of the CPU, learning how it processes instructions and manages data. We’ll break down machine operations and instructions to help you understand exactly how computers perform tasks at a fundamental level.
In parallel, you’ll also get hands-on experience with assembly language programming. We’ll introduce you to the basics of writing and analyzing assembly code, giving you the tools to connect high-level programming with your computer hardware. Through projects and assignments, you’ll develop important skills in system-level programming and gain a greater appreciation for the technology we use every day.
By the end of this course, you’ll understand computer architecture and feel confident writing assembly language code. Get ready to embark on an exciting journey into the heart of computing!
Register to our Discord server to read important announcements, participate, and ask questions.
Struggling?
Advising (and Campus Health) have provided lists of contacts to help you if you (or your friend) need counseling or help.
- List of University Mental Health Services
- From Campus Health:crisis_resources_jan_2021.pdf
- From the computer science department Advising team: crisis_contacts.pdf
About these class materials
Slides, assignments, readings, and projects are based on previous iterations of this course. These materials are heavily derived from ones developed by Russell Lewis and other UArizona CS faculty.
Selling class notes and/or other course materials to other students or a third party for resale is not permitted without the instructor’s express written consent. Violations of this and other course rules are subject to the Code of Academic Integrity and may result in course sanctions. Additionally, students who use D2L or UA e-mail to sell or buy these copyrighted materials are subject to Code of Conduct Violations for misuse of student e-mail addresses. This conduct may also constitute copyright infringement.