Cornell University
School of Electrical and Computer Engineering
ECE 4750 / CS 4420 / ECE 5740
Computer Architecture
Fall 2026
Prof. José F. Martínez
Lectures: Mon/Wed @ 2:55–4:10 p.m. • Gates G01
Section: Fri @2:30–3:20 p.m. • Phillips 101
home | syllabus | schedule | handouts
Schedule is subject to change, but is currently the intended schedule for Fall 2026.
| Mon | Aug 24 | Lecture | Course Overview (lecture notes are on handouts page) |
| Wed | Aug 26 | Lecture | Topic 1: Processor Concepts |
| Fri | Aug 28 | Section | RTL Design with Verilog |
| Mon | Aug 31 | No Lecture (Prof. Martínez @ ACM AI Leadership Summit) | |
| Wed | Sep 2 | Lecture | Topic 2: Processor Microarchitecture (single cycle processor) |
| Thu | Sep 3 | Due | Lab 1: Incremental Milestone – Due at 6 p.m. |
| Fri | Sep 4 | Section | RTL Testing with Python |
| Mon | Sep 7 | Labor Day: No Lecture | |
| Wed | Sep 9 | Lecture | — Topic 2: Continued (FSM processor) |
| Thu | Sep 10 | Due | Lab 1: Iterative Integer Multiplier – Due at 6 p.m. |
| Fri | Sep 11 | Lecture | — Topic 2: Continued (pipelined processor) |
| Mon | Sep 14 | Lecture | — Topic 2: Continued |
| Wed | Sep 16 | Lecture | — Topic 2: Continued |
| Fri | Sep 18 | Section | Pipelining Diagram Common Mistakes |
| Mon | Sep 21 | Lecture | — Topic 2: Continued |
| Wed | Sep 23 | Lecture | — Topic 2: Continued |
| Thu | Sep 24 | Due | Lab 2: Incremental Milestone – Due at 6 p.m. |
| Fri | Sep 25 | Section | Bug Hunt? |
| Mon | Sep 28 | Lecture | Topic 3: Memory Concepts |
| Wed | Sep 30 | Lecture | — Topic 3: Continued |
| Thu | Oct 1 | Due | Lab 2: Pipelined Processor – Due at 6 p.m. |
| Fri | Oct 2 | No Section | |
| Mon | Oct 5 | Lecture | — Topic 3: Continued |
| Wed | Oct 7 | No Lecture (Prof. Martínez @ ACE Research Center annual review) | |
| Fri | Oct 9 | Lec / Sec | Topic 4: Memory Microarchitecture and Lab 3 Head Start |
| Mon | Oct 12 | Fall Break – No Lecture | |
| Wed | Oct 14 | Lecture | — Topic 4: Continued |
| Thu | Oct 15 | Due | Lab 3: Incremental Milestone – Due at 6 p.m. |
| Fri | Oct 16 | Section | Problem-Based Learning |
| Mon | Oct 19 | Lecture | — Topic 4: Continued |
| Tue | Oct 20 | Exam | Prelim #1 @ 7:30–9pm, Phillips Hall, 101 |
| Wed | Oct 21 | Lecture | — Topic 4: Continued (Virtual Memory) |
| Fri | Oct 23 | Section | Memory Random Testing & Queues |
| Mon | Oct 26 | Lecture | Topic 5: Integrating Processors, Memories, and Networks |
| Wed | Oct 28 | Lecture | Topic 6: Advanced Processors – Superscalar Execution |
| Thu | Oct 29 | Due | Lab 3: Blocking Cache – Due at 6 p.m. |
| Fri | Oct 30 | Section | Lab 4 Headstart |
| Mon | Nov 2 | No Lecture (Prof. Martínez @ MICRO 2026) | |
| Wed | Nov 4 | No Lecture (Prof. Martínez @ MICRO 2026) | |
| Fri | Nov 6 | Section | Prelim 1 Redux |
| Mon | Nov 9 | Lecture | Topic 7: Advanced Processors – Out-of-Order Execution |
| Wed | Nov 11 | No Lecture (Prof. Martínez @ Oak Ridge National Lab) | |
| Thu | Nov 12 | Due | Lab 4: Incremental Milestone – Due at 6 p.m. |
| Fri | Nov 13 | Lecture | — Topic 7: Continued |
| Mon | Nov 16 | Lecture | — Topic 7: Continued |
| Wed | Nov 18 | Lecture | Topic 8: Advanced Processors – Register Renaming |
| Thu | Nov 19 | Due | Lab 4: Milestone 2 (working lab 4) – Due at 6 p.m. |
| Fri | Nov 20 | Lecture | — Topic 8: Continued |
| Mon | Nov 23 | Lecture | Topic 9: Advanced Processors – Memory Disambiguation |
| Tue | Nov 24 | Exam | Prelim #2 @ 7:30–9pm in Uris Hall G01 |
| Wed | Nov 25 | Thanksgiving Break – No Lecture | |
| Fri | Nov 27 | Thanksgiving Break – No Section | |
| Mon | Nov 30 | Lecture | Topic 10: Advanced Processors – Branch Prediction |
| Wed | Dec 2 | Lecture | Topic 11: Advanced Processors – Speculative Execution |
| Fri | Dec 4 | Section | Prelim 2 Redux |
| Mon | Dec 7 | Lecture | Topic 12: Sidechannels, Meltdown, and Spectre, Oh My! |
| Mon | Dec 7 | Due | Lab 4: Final Design (optimized) – Due at 6 p.m. |
| TBD | TBD | Exam | Final @ TBD in location TBD |