Post-von Neumann Computer Architecture Course ID 15749 Description Computing has been dominated by von Neumann CPU architectures for seventy years. The von Neumann architecture is familiar and flexible, but it is also extremely inefficient, wasting upwards of 99% of energy. As computing is now energy-limited across all scales, from IoT to data center, von Neumann's inefficiency can no longer be tolerated. Recently, industry has adopted heterogeneous "accelerator" hardware to boost performance and efficiency. However, accelerators have limited programmability, sacrificing the main benefit of CPU architectures and putting future innovation at risk. This class will survey non-von Neumann general-purpose architectures, recent work on specialized hardware accelerators, and cutting-edge research on "programmable accelerators". Key Topics Computer architecture, energy efficiency Required Background Knowledge Introductory computer architecture Course Relevance Students with some background in computer architecture who care about computing. Course Goals Where energy goes in computer processors and what can be done about it without giving up on software. Learning Resources Research papers, textbooks, office hours. Assessment Structure 100-100-100-100-100 Extra Time Commitment n/a Course Link http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~15-749/
