Computer Architecture

1. Data Pathways
   1. Buses
      1. Types of Buses
         1. System Bus
            1. Data Bus
               1. Bandwidth Considerations
               2. Protocols for Data Transfer
               3. Error Detection and Correction Mechanisms
            2. Address Bus
               1. Address Width and its Impact on Performance
               2. Address Decoding
            3. Control Bus
               1. Control Signals and Their Functions
               2. Timings and Synchronization
         2. Dedicated Buses
            1. Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI)
            2. Universal Serial Bus (USB)
            3. Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA)
         3. Multiplexed Buses
            1. Advantages and Drawbacks
            2. Implementation Techniques
         4. Daisy Chaining vs. Bus Arbitration
            1. Methods for Device Selection
            2. Contention Handling
      2. Bus Communication Protocols
         1. Serial vs. Parallel Communication
         2. Synchronous vs. Asynchronous Communication
         3. Handshaking Protocols
   2. Data Flow Architectures
      1. Unidirectional vs. Bidirectional Flow
         1. Pros and Cons of Each Approach
         2. Use Cases
      2. Scalar Processing
         1. Characteristics and Use Cases
         2. Performance Considerations
         3. Common Implementations
      3. Vector Processing
         1. Vector Processors vs. Scalar Processors
         2. Applications in Graphics and Scientific Computing
         3. Challenges in Data Alignment and Memory Access
      4. Matrix Processing
         1. Role in Machine Learning and AI
         2. Specialized Hardware Implementations
         3. Memory Bandwidth and Latency Challenges
      5. Pipelined Data Pathways
         1. Importance of Pipelining in Modern CPUs
         2. Stages of a Pipeline and Their Function
         3. Hazard Control Mechanisms
            1. Data Hazards
            2. Control Hazards
            3. Structural Hazards
      6. Superscalar Architectures
         1. Parallel Data Paths and Their Management
         2. Issue Rates and Throughput Optimization
      7. Data Pathway Optimization Techniques
         1. Cache Optimization for Data Transfer Efficiency
         2. Reducing Bottlenecks in Data Paths
         3. Prefetching Strategies
      8. Network-on-Chip (NoC)
         1. Importance in Multicore Processors
         2. Topologies and Routing Protocols
         3. Scalability and Power Considerations