COURSE SYLLABUS

2024-2025

Computer Design and Prototyping

CE 437
Fall 2024

CE437 Syllabus
Contents
Contents ............................................................................................................................... 2
1 General Course Information ........................................................................................... 3
2 Course Description ........................................................................................................ 4
3 Course Objectives.......................................................................................................... 4
4 Learning Outcomes........................................................................................................ 4
5 Student Evaluation ......................................................................................................... 5
6 Overall Course Grading Scale........................................................................................ 5
7 Turnitin ........................................................................................................................... 6
8 Responsible use of AI .................................................................................................... 6
9 Use of textbook and other course material ..................................................................... 6
10 APA Style....................................................................................................................... 6
11 Lab Reports ................................................................................................................... 6
12 Attendance Policy .......................................................................................................... 7
13 Makeup of assessments or Late submissions ................................................................ 7
14 Academic Honesty and Integrity Assurance ................................................................... 7
15 Copyrights...................................................................................................................... 8
16 Disruption of the Learning Process ................................................................................ 8
17 The need to study! ......................................................................................................... 9
18 Teaching Methodology ................................................................................................... 9
19 The Project and team-based work ................................................................................. 9
20 Activities and participation .............................................................................................. 9
21 Assignments / Graded Class Activities / Quizzes / Other assessments .......................... 9
22 Surveys ........................................................................................................................ 10
23 Specific Notes .............................................................................................................. 10
Appendix A ......................................................................................................................... 13
A.1 Computer Engineering Program Student Outcomes – ABET:.................................... 13
A.2 Course contribution to the global goals ..................................................................... 13
 American University of the Middle East (AUM)

COURSE SYLLABUS

1 General Course Information

Title and Code of the course: Computer Design and Prototyping (CE 437)
Number of credits: 4 credits
Prerequisites: CE337, CE362
Contact Hours: check the schedule for the (3 hrs) Lecture, the Lab schedule and the Office Hours
of your class and lab instructor.
Instructors’ names: Dr. Omar Alirr, Dr. Tarek Khalifa, Dr. Yehia Kotb, Dr. Hossam Omar
Lab Instructors’ names: Dr. Maha Zayoud, Ms. Sara Mahmoud, Ms. Asli Gizem Baysal
Email: { Omar.Alirr, tarek.khalifa, Yehia.Kotb, Hossam.Omar Sara.Mahmoud, Maha.Zayoud,
Asli.Baysal } @aum.edu.kw

Textbook/material required: Computer Organization and Design: The Hardware-Software

Interface, 5th Edition, J. L. Hennessy and D. A. Patterson, Morgan Kaufmann Publisher, 2014,
ISBN No. 0124077269.
Course Meeting Times:

Instructor’s Section Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

Name
F1 8-9.15 8-9.15
F3 09:30 - 10:45 09:30 - 10:45
Dr. Omar Alirr
M2 03:00 - 04:15 03:00 - 04:15
M3 09:30 - 10:45 09:30 - 10:45
F8 12:30 - 01:45 12:30 - 01:45
Dr. Tarek Khalifa M1 11:30 - 12:45 11:30 - 12:45
M4 10:00 - 11:15 10:00 - 11:15
F5 05:00 - 06:15 05:00 - 06:15
Dr. Yehia Kotb F7 06:30 - 07:45 06:30 - 07:45
M5 01:00 - 02:15 01:00 - 02:15
F2 11:00 - 12:15 11:00 - 12:15
Dr. Hossam Omar
F4 12:30 - 01:45 12:30 - 01:45

Lab Meeting Times:

Lab Instructor’s
Section Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday
Name
F1 08:00 - 10:30
F2 03:30 - 06:00
Ms. Sara
F3 10:30 - 01:00
Mahmoud
F4 11:30 - 02:00
F5 02:30 - 05:00
 Dr. Maha
F7 11:00 - 01:30
Zayoud
F8 10:30 - 01:00
M1 03:30 - 06:00
Ms. Asli Gizem M2 05:00 - 07:30
Baysal M3 03:30 - 06:00
M4 12:30 - 03:00
M5 03:00 - 05:30

Office Hours: In Office on the following days/times:

Instructor’s Name Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

Dr. Omar Alirr 11:00-01:00 11:00-01:00 11:00-01:00

Dr. Tarek Khalifa 8:00 – 10:00 10:00 – 12:00 8:00 – 11:00
Dr. Yehia Kotb
Dr. Hossam Omar 9:00 – 11:00 8:00 – 10:00 8:00-9:30 8:00-9:30
Dr. Maha Zayoud 2:00- 3:00 8:30-10:30 10:30 -12:30 9:30 -11:00
10:30-12:30 8:00-9:30 , 10:00-12:30 ,
Ms. Sara Mahmoud
1:00-3:30 1:00-2:00
Ms. Asli Gizem 10:00-11:00 10:30-11:30 4:00-5:00 10:30-11:30
Baysal

2 Course Description
An introduction to computer organization and design, including instruction set selection, arithmetic logic
unit design, datapath design, control strategies, pipelining, memory hierarchy, and I/O interface design.

3 Course Objectives
Computer design is the science and art of selecting and interconnecting hardware components to build
a computer that meets functional, performance, and cost goals. In this course, students will learn to
design a uniprocessor computer system, including processor datapath, processor control, memory
systems, and I/O. The course provides a thorough and detailed treatment of basic computer arithmetic
algorithms, multi-cycle implementations of modern computer instruction sets, pipelined CPU designs,
design of cache hierarchy and virtual memory, and fundamentals of computer system I/O. The course
also includes evaluation and analysis of processor and memory performance.

Through the combination of homework assignments and laboratory experiments, students will learn
how to:
i. Implement an instruction set with a multiple cycle non-pipelined architecture
ii. Optimize and pipeline the CPU design
iii. Prototype variations of the CPU design using field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and
measure their relative performance

4 Learning Outcomes
A student who successfully fulfills the course requirements will have demonstrated:
i. an understanding of basic computer arithmetic algorithms. [1,2]
 ii. an ability to understand and implement multi-cycle implementations of a computer
instruction set. [1,2]
iii. an ability to understand and design a pipelined CPU, and cache hierarchy including virtual
memory. [1,2]
iv. an understanding of the fundamentals of computer system I/O. [1,2]
v. an ability to analyze and evaluate CPU and memory hierarchy performance. [1,6]
vi. experience with the design, simulation, and documentation of a multi-cycle CPU, and a
pipelined CPU with a cache hierarchy using modern CAD tools. [1,2,3,6,7]

ABET SOs used:

1. An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science,
and mathematics.
2. An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public
health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
3. An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
6. An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering
judgment to draw conclusions.
7. An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

5 Student Evaluation
Assessment type Number of assessment Weight
Attendance 5%
Graded Lab 1 [5%] *
Graded Lab 2 [5%]
Assignments Graded Lab 3 [5%] 30%
Graded Lab 4 [5%]
Project [10%]
Graded Class Activity GCA 1 [10%]
20%
(GCA) GCA 2 [10%]
Moodle Quiz Moodle Quiz (5%) 5%
Midterm 20%
Final exam 20%
Total 100%
✓ Students may be asked to work in groups to complete certain assignments. Depending on the needs
of the course, the faculty may arrange the groups and inform students on Moodle in advance.

Notes:
✓ Students have the full responsibility of:
o submitting the required documents within the deadline
o verifying that the correct files are submitted
o verifying that the submitted files are not corrupted
✓ Softcopies are required to be uploaded into Turnitin when applicable.

6 Overall Course Grading Scale

Please refer to the Student Handbook for more information on the Letter Grading System.
7 Turnitin
Turnitin is a web-based solution that lets AUM faculty and AUM students check written work for
improper citation or misappropriated content. If any technical problem is encountered, students
should contact IT at AUM.

8 Responsible use of AI
AI-powered content-generating tools are still under development. Students must be aware that using
AI-based tools in their academic work may hinder their creativity, critical thinking, and the attainment
of other learning objectives. However, responsible use of these tools offers significant advantages. To
uphold academic integrity while using AI responsibly, students should:

✓ Follow specific course guidelines regarding AI use. Make sure to understand and adhere to
any rules set by your instructor about using AI in your assignments. Failing to comply with the
course AI guidelines will be considered as a breach of academic integrity (refer to the section
Academic Honesty and Integrity Assurance).
✓ Understand and articulate the content generated by AI. Ensure that you can explain and
elaborate on any AI-generated content you include in your work.
✓ Verify and cite AI-generated information appropriately. Since AI-generated content can
potentially contain biases or inaccuracies, always check the facts provided by AI tools and give
proper credit to the original sources.
✓ Include a disclaimer detailing AI use in your submissions. Whether you use AI for creating
images, generating text, or other functions, be transparent about it in your work.

AI systems can gather and process information from user interactions. It is advisable not to share
personal or sensitive information.

9 Use of textbook and other course material

It is the responsibility of the student to refer to the textbook and other course material. The use of the
textbook is mandatory.

10 APA Style
AUM adopts the APA writing style for all its academic programs. AUM students are required to use
this style in their assignments. The following website can be of value for students: APA Formatting
and Referencing Guidelines for AUM Students . Students are also encouraged to visit the AUM
Writing Lab to receive help and guidance on all APA-related questions.

11 Lab Reports
It is expected of students to follow and abide with lab procedures and guidelines. The lab report format
must be strictly followed by the student.
12 Attendance Policy
Our educational philosophy is based on two criteria; developing a professional graduate who
understands and respects discipline and a graduate who masters the course material given during the
class session. Missing more than the maximum allowed sessions within a course means the student
cannot fully acquire the amount of information needed to pass the course. Hence, the student is
declared “Dismissed”.

Regular quality attendance is a clear indication of the student’s commitment, dedication, and respect
towards the course and the class. Students must regularly attend every class they register for. In case
of absence, the student is responsible for making up missing class work. Much of the learning will take
place during the class session, so it is important that students be there. The skills which are central to
the course are best developed through practice. Most of the classes follow a discussion rather than a
lecture format. Each student is expected to participate and may be called upon at any time to provide
an analysis of the topic or case for discussion, or a critique of others' comments. Also, missing a class
may well mean missing an assessment. Students’ active participation in class discussions will
contribute to making the class sessions enjoyable and enhance the learning. In the context of class
discussions, students have the opportunity to develop their analytical, listening, and communication
skills.
For more details, please check the attendance policy of AUM.

13 Makeup of assessments or Late submissions

Makeup: Missed assessments, assignments, or activities conducted during class time or exam weeks
are subject to the Makeup rules described in the AUM Attendance policy. Makeups (if approved) will
be administered as per the policy and may be scheduled on days and times different than regular class
time, including Saturdays. Please check the makeup rules for important deadlines.

Late submission: Assessments that has a submission deadline are subject to the below Late Submission
policy:

After the submission deadline, students have a maximum 2-days grace period for late submissions with
the following penalty (excluding Fridays):

➢ first day, within 24h from the deadline, 40% deduction

➢ second day, within 48h from the deadline, 60% deduction
Failing to submit within two days after notification means that the assessment will be awarded 0.
Note: Submission of wrong or corrupted files fall under the late submission policy.

14 Academic Honesty and Integrity Assurance

Honesty when completing assignments is an indication that the course material has been properly
understood. Lack of academic integrity (e.g. plagiarism, copying another person’s work, submitting
work done by a third party, using unauthorized aids on examinations, cheating, facilitating acts of
academic dishonesty by others) will not be tolerated. Therefore, if students include ideas, sentences,
or other material that are not theirs in their work, they must properly reference the source(s). Students
are encouraged to consult with the instructor if they have any questions on the issues of academic
integrity or technical formatting of the references. Students are also encouraged to contact the AUM
Writing Lab to receive help and guidance on all APA-related questions.

Upon suspicion and doubt of the authenticity of the work submitted, the Instructor has the right to
ask the student to verify her/his work. This can be done through, but not limited to, repeating the
work, oral examination or discussion, alternative or similar on spot class assignment, quiz, or any
other action deemed necessary. If the student fails to prove the authenticity of the work, then the
instructor will apply the academic misconduct rules as mentioned in the AUM Student Handbook
which may include awarding the work a zero grade.

Students are expected and encouraged to be honest and maintain the highest standards of academic
integrity in their academic work and assignments at the university. Any act of academic dishonesty
may result in severe consequences for violations range from zero grades given for the assignments,
failing the course, and suspension from the University. Students will refrain from any academic
dishonesty or misconduct including, but not limited to:

• Plagiarism: the presentation of someone else’s ideas, words, or artistic, scientific, or technical
work as one’s own creation. Also, paraphrasing, summarizing, direct quotations, are
considered as plagiarism, if the original source is not properly cited.
• Cheating: is an act of lying, deception, trickery, imposture, or imposition. Cheating
characteristically is employed to create an unfair advantage, usually in one’s own interest, and
often at the expense of others. The person who is sending or receiving assistance is considered
cheating.
• Assisting in cheating
• Substituting for another student in the taking of an examination
• Substituting examination booklets/papers
• Submitting the same work for more than one course
• Submitting papers and other work written by others
• Receiving or providing unauthorized help or assistance in any academic work or assignment
• Intentional violation of program and degree requirements and regulations as established by
the University
• Dishonest reporting of computational, statistical, experimental, and research results, or the
like
• Using any format of smart or electronic devices as a tool of cheating

For a detailed description of academic misconduct please refer to the AUM Student Handbook.

15 Copyrights
Students are expected to adhere to copyright practices, refer to the undergraduate AUM Student
Handbook.

16 Disruption of the Learning Process

Any disruption of the learning process by the student will be investigated with the student affairs
department, if needed. The AUM non-academic misconduct policy will be strictly applied.
 Refer to the Disruption of the Learning Process guidelines which will be strictly applied as in the
AUM Student Handbook

17 The need to study!

AUM students need to be well prepared for the rigorous curriculum at AUM and its applications. This
means students need to invest a great deal of effort, managing their time effectively, in order to
address the requirements of all the courses they are taking in a semester.

18 Teaching Methodology
Students are encouraged to participate in class and work in teams. Both individual and team efforts
are evaluated and rewarded. The students are also encouraged to develop their critical thinking and
communication skills. There will be several teaching methods employed in the course which will include
all or some of the following: interactive lectures; group work; case studies and discussions; lab sessions;
debates; assignments; multimedia; individual and team activities; field visits; guest lecturers; project,
problem, and research-based tasks; and/or analysis and reflection on scholarly textbooks and papers.
Some of the learning outcomes will be achieved through assignments, projects, and activities.

19 The Project and team-based work

The project component of the course, if included in the syllabus, is essential to passing this course. The
project provides the students with the opportunity to achieve the course objectives and learning
outcomes. The project should allow the students to investigate, apply, research, and practice real-life
situations. It is expected that each student fully and actively participates in the project as an effective
team member. A project document will be distributed later in the semester with details about the
project.

For all group-related work, the entire team is responsible for the project outcome and the
deliverables, except for the specific parts of the project that may be graded individually depending on
the project’s requirements as outlined in the project document.

20 Activities and participation

Activities and other engagement opportunities constitute a major learning tool of this course. They are
designed to draw out the creative talent and abilities of students, adding value to the content and
learning outcomes of the course. Students are encouraged to be creative, innovative, and critical when
addressing the deliverables of these learning tools. These tools require passion, critical thinking, and a
challenging spirit in order to achieve a creative and outstanding outcome. Engagement is ongoing; it
will mainly revolve around subjects and topics presented on the same day of the lecture. Active
participation is encouraged; it may include answering questions, contributing to discussions, debating
issues, and even presenting part of the lecture as requested.

21 Assignments / Graded Class Activities / Quizzes / Other assessments

Assignments / Graded Class Activities / Quizzes outlined in the calendar are designed to assess learning
(i.e. students’ knowledge of specific topics and concepts), and encourage students to keep up with the
course and show their knowledge of specific topics and concepts.

Specific requirements will be highlighted by the instructor prior to the assessment date.
Assessments may be scheduled on different days and time than the regular class meeting times,
including on Saturdays (Ex. Midterm Exam or Final Exam)

22 Surveys
Any survey to be conducted by the student in relation to the course needs first to be approved through
the course instructor.

23 Specific Notes
 Course Weekly Calendar

REFERENCE LEARNING
DATE CLASS TOPIC & DESCRIPTION IN THE /ABET ASSIGNMENT/TASK
TEXTBOOK OUTCOMES

Lecture: COURSE INTRODUCTION

Lab: Introduction & Syllabus Review +

WEEK ONE Mips-32bits processor (components) v/1,2,3
General Overview Ch.1
(22 SEP - 26-SEP)
22 SEP - CLASSES / DROP-ADD PERIOD BEGIN.
26 SEP - CLASSES / DROP-ADD PERIOD END.
DEADLINE FOR COMPLETING 'I' GRADES

Lecture: Processor Performance

WEEK TWO v/1,2,3
Lab: Quartus Installation Steps + Verilog Ch.1
(29 SEP - 03 OCT)
Review

WEEK THREE Lecture: Processor Performance

Ch.1 v/1,2,3
(06 OCT - 10 OCT) Lab: Instruction Memory (IF stage)

Lecture: Processor Instructions

WEEK FOUR GCA 1 (10%)
Lab: Program Counter + PC adder (IF Ch.2 ii/1,2
(13 OCT - 17 OCT) LAB 1 (5%)
stage)

WEEK FIVE Lecture: Processor Instructions

Ch.2 ii/1,2
(20 OCT - 24 OCT) Lab: Instruction register (IF stage).

WEEK SIX Lecture: Arithmetic for Computers i,iii,vi/1,2,3

Ch.3 Quiz (5%)
(27 OCT - 31 OCT) Lab: Register File (ID stage). ,6,7

Lecture: Arithmetic for Computers

WEEK SEVEN LAB 2 (5%)
Lab: ALU + ALU Control Unit (EX stage).
(03 NOV - 07 NOV)
09 NOV - MIDTERM EXAMS BEGIN.
WEEK EIGHT MIDTERM EXAMS WEEK
(10 NOV - 14 NOV) 16 NOV - MIDTERM EXAMS END.

WEEK NINE Lecture: The processor: datapath ii,iii,vi/1,2,

Ch.4
(17 NOV - 21 NOV) 3,6,7
Lab: Branch Unit + Shift Unit (EX stage).
 Lecture: The processor: Pipelining
WEEK TEN ii,iii,vi/1,2,
Lab: Data Memory (MEM stage) + WB Ch.4 LAB 3 (5%)
(24 NOV - 28 DEC) 3,6,7
stage.

Lecture: The processor: Pipelining and

WEEK ELEVEN Hazards ii,iii,vi/1,2,
Ch.4 GCA 2 (10%)
(01 DEC - 05 DEC) 3,6,7
Lab: Control Unit/ Fully connected
single cycle MIPS 32

Lecture: The processor: Pipelining and

WEEK TWELVE Hazards ii,iii,vi/1,2, LAB 4 (5%)
Ch.4
(08 DEC - 12 DEC) 3,6,7
Lab: Pipelining Registers: IF/ID + ID/EX
12 DEC – LAST DAY FOR COURSE WITHDRAWAL

Lecture: Memory Hierarchy v,vi/1,2,3,

WEEK THIRTEEN
Ch.5 PD )10%)
(15 DEC - 19 DEC) Lab: Pipelining Registers: EX/MEM & 6,7
MEM/WB.
WEEK FOURTEEN
22 DEC – WINTER BREAK BEGINS.
(22 DEC - 26 DEC)

WEEK FIFTEEN 01 JAN – NEW YEAR’S DAY

(29 DEC - 02 JAN) 02 JAN – WINTER BREAK ENDS.

WEEK SIXTEEN Lecture: Memory Hierarchy (cont.) v,vi/1,2,3,

Ch.5
(05 JAN - 09 JAN) Lab: Fully connected pipelined MIPS 32 6,7

WEEK SEVENTEEN Revision For Final Assessment

(12 JAN - 16 JAN) 18 JAN - FINAL EXAMS BEGIN.
WEEK EIGHTEEN
25 JAN - FINAL EXAMS END.
(19 JAN - 23 JAN)

WEEK NINETEEN 27 JAN - `ISRAA & MI'RAJ*

(26 JAN – 30 JAN) 29 JAN - FINAL GRADE ANNOUNCED.

Note: The instructor has the right to amend the content of this syllabus with prior notice given to students.
The most updated syllabus is on Moodle.
Appendix A

A.1 Computer Engineering Program Student Outcomes – ABET:

1. an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying
principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
2. an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with
consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social,
environmental, and economic factors
3. an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
4. an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and
make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global,
economic, environmental, and societal contexts
5. an ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership,
create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet
objectives
6. an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data,
and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
7. an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning
strategies.

A.2 Course contribution to the global goals

AUM is committed to encouraging sustainable practices and supporting the 17 Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs), also known as global goals. For more information about the global goals,
please refer to Sustainability at AUM.

This course particularly focuses on the following SDG(s): Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure.