Computer Organization (Estructura de Computadors, EC)

RISC-V course materials

The course currently uses the MIPS architecture (see the sections below). From the spring 2027 semester (2026/27, second semester), it will use RISC-V. New materials (in Catalan):

• Estructura de Computadors (RISC-V). Mirror: loi.ac.upc.edu/ec.

Slides

• See Joan Manuel Parcerisa's website.

MARS (MIPS Assembler and Runtime Simulator)

Installation

1. Download and save this Mars.jar version.
2. Download and save this startup.s version.
3. Install a Java Runtime Environment (JRE) version 1.6 or above.

Initial setting (only once)

1. Settings tab (top left) → Exception handler ... (2^nd from bottom):
   1. Browse → Select the startup.s file.
   2. Select the checkbox ✓ Include this exception handler file in all assemble operations.

Usage

1. Open a terminal (Linux: Ctrl+Alt+T, Microsoft Windows: Win+X → WinX).
2. Go to Mars.jar directory (e.g. cd <DIR_FULL_PATH>).
3. Run: java -jar Mars.jar.

Script

  #!/bin/bash
  
  cd ~/UPC/EC/mars
  java -jar Mars.jar

F1 help

• Instructions + MACROS + Directives

C programming

• Compiler: The GNU Compiler Collection (GCC), a free software compiler system capable of compiling several programming languages, including C and C++. Basic usage: gcc -o BINARY_FILE_NAME C_FILE_NAME.c.
• C code check: GCC accepts a large number of options. Some of them are predefined selections of other options. The most relevant selections to detect code inaccuracies (like use types consistently, etc.) are -Wall, -Wextra and -Wpedantic, by order of severity, although not entirely inclusive.
• Creation and management of binary programs and object files and assembly source code: GNU Binary Utilities (a.k.a. binutils).
• Resources:
  • Reference manuals:
    • cppreference.com, C Reference.
    • The GNU C Reference Manual.
  • Beginner:
    • Wikibooks: A Little C Primer.
    • Harris & Harris: C Programming.
  • Intermediate:
    • GNU C Language Manual.
    • The GNU C Library Reference Manual.
  • Advanced: Wikibooks: C Programming.
  • Pointers: Notes on Data Structures and Programming Techniques (CPSC 223, Spring 2022), 4.9 Pointers. Local copy 2024/10/15.

GNU bc

GNU bc is an arbitrary precision numeric processing language. It can be used as a base converter and for integer arithmetic.

• Special variables: obase = <OUTPUT_BASE_in_current_ibase>, ibase = <INPUT_BASE_in_current_ibase> (in most cases you want to set obase before ibase), and scale = <NUMBER> (set scale to zero for integer / and %).
• Invocation options: -l preloads a math library and sets scale to 20.

GNU/Linux

• Manual introductori.

Floating-Point

• IEEE 754 Converter.

References

• Docència AC: EC
• FIB GEI: EC