Physics of computing as an introduction to computer engineering

This paper describes a new required course in the Georgia Tech computer engineering curriculum, ECE 3030, Physical Foundations of Computer Systems. Traditional introductory courses take a constructive approach to logic design and computer organization. 3030, in contrast, introduces the major physical concepts underlying computation. It shows how they determine basic properties of computers such as speed and energy consumption. It also explores design trade-offs by showing how changes that improve one type of property inevitably, due to physics, cause another useful property to degrade. The course emphasizes CMOS but many of its principles apply to other logic technologies as well. Students do not directly design logic or learn assembly language-for example, delay and energy consumption are studied for inverter chains. However, they have time in the course to study in detail the basic physical phenomena that underlie design choices in digital systems. Those principles help students absorb material in later classes such as VLSI design. 3030 introduces certain topics to students much earlier in the curriculum than is traditional. We believe that an early introduction to principles is important not just for students who become logic designers but for all computer engineers.