Using EDUCache Simulator for the Computer Architecture and Organization Course

Abstract

The computer architecture and organization course is essential in all computer science and engineering programs, and the most selected and liked elective course for related engineering disciplines. However, the attractiveness brings a new challenge, it requires a lot of effort by the instructor, to explain rather complicated concepts to beginners or to those who study related disciplines. The usage of visual simulators can improve both the teaching and learning processes. The overall goal is twofold: 1)~to enable a visual environment to explain the basic concepts and 2)~to increase the student's willingness and ability to learn the material.

A lot of visual simulators have been used for the computer architecture and organization course. However, due to the lack of visual simulators for simulation of the cache memory concepts, we have developed a new visual simulator EDUCache simulator. In this paper we present that it can be effectively and efficiently used as a supporting tool in the learning process of modern multi-layer, multi-cache and multi-core multi-processors.

EDUCache's features enable an environment for performance evaluation and engineering of software systems, i.e. the students will also understand the importance of computer architecture building parts and hopefully, will increase their curiosity for hardware courses in general.