Aperture: arquitetura de computadores tornada visual

Abstract

Digital Circuits (DC) and Computer Architecture and Organization (CAO) are common curricular components in undergraduate courses in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, and other related courses. However, due to the intrinsic physical characteristics of the content studied in these subjects, it is difficult to visualize these objects of study in the classroom, as if we were looking at the gears of a watch with a magnifying glass. This situation can make the teaching of these concepts an abstract process, at best using diagrams or static figures. With the intention of mitigating these problems, this paper presents the Aperture Project, a didactic material with an emphasis on interaction and visualization of the objects of study. The material implements circuits that present concepts from DC to CAO, presenting each concept in an organized way, gradually increasing the degree of complexity of the circuits until reaching the implementation of a five-stage MIPS datapath with detection and treatment of conflicts in the microarchitecture. From this work, we hope to collaborate with the teaching and research process in DC and CAO, bringing material with a strong emphasis on visualization and interactivity with the intention of complementing traditional teaching methods.