Intro. Computer Architecture and Operating Systems (50:198:231)

Spring  2009                                                      

Jean-Camille Birget
birget@camden.rutgers.edu
http://clam.rutgers.edu/~birget
(856) 225-6653
Office: Business and Science Bldg. 320
Class web page:  http://clam.rutgers.edu/~birget/cs231/cs231.html

===============================================================
NEWS: 
- The J.S. Warford's systems course (2009) webpage:     http://www.cslab.pepperdine.edu/warford/cosc330/index.html  .
- There is an errata sheet for the textbook at   ftp://ftp.pepperdine.edu/pub/compsci/computer-systems/errata-3rdEd-1stPrnt-content.txt .  
- The pdf file containing the Appendix:    Figures.pdf
- Homework 6 (due 27 April):   hw6.pdf
- Homework 7 (due 2 May at the beginning of class):   hw7.pdf
- Extra lecture. -- To make up for the lost lecture in March, two (identical) lectures will be held:   Wedn. 29 April, 2:50-4:10pm, in BSB 412;   Thursday 30 April, 12:00-1:20, in BSB 412.

==========================================================================
==========================================================================
OLD NEWS: 
- Homework 1 (due 9 Feb.):   hw1.pdf
- Homework 2 (due 16 Feb.):   hw2.pdf
- Homework 3 (due 25 Feb. - postponed to 2 March):   hw3.pdf
- Homework 4 (due 25 Mar.):   hw4.pdf
- Homework 5 (due 6 April):   hw5.pdf

===============================================================

Class Times:  Mondays and Wednesdays,  1:20 - 2:40 PM,  in  BSB 134.

Office hours:    Mondays and Wednesdays  3:00 - 4:00  PM, or by appointment

Course work:   1. Homeworks  worth 20% of the grade.   2.   Two in-class exams, worth   10% and 35% of the grade respectively.  3. A final, worth  35%  of the grade.

Exam dates:
Exam 1:  (10%)  Monday 9 March (in class)
Exam 2:  (35%)  Monday 13 April (in class)
Exam 3 (Final):  (35%)    Monday 11 May, 2:00-4:00PM.

Course Summary.  1. Computer hardware (binary representation of information, elementary digital logic and circuits);  2. computer organization (machine-level organization, CPU, memory, control, fetch-decode-execute cycle, instruction sets, addressing modes, subroutine calls and returns, control and microprogramming);  3. assembly language (programming, assembler, loading and linking);  4. brief overview of operating systems concepts (I/O and interrupts, virtual memory, resource management, high-level programming, compilers and interpreters).

Textbook (required):
J. Stanley Warford, ``Computer Systems'', 3rd edition (2005),  Jones & Bartlett Publishers (ISBN: 0-7637-3239-7 ;   ISBN-13:  9 78763 732394)

Other books (for reference only, not required):
- David Patterson, John Hennessy,  ``Computer Organization and Design: The Hardware/Software Interface'', 4th ed., Morgan Kaufmann (2009).
- William Stallings,  ``Computer Organization and Architecture'', 7th ed., Prentice Hall (2006).
- Andrew Tanenbaum,  ``Structured Computer Organization'', 5th ed., Prentice Hall (2006).

Pre-requisite:   50:198:111. 

Grading policy:  Homework assignments are expected to be done individually. Discussions about the ideas of an assignment and about general information with fellow students is encouraged; but the actual writing should be done completely independently. Copying (or jointly writing) large portions of an assignment is considered cheating. Moreover, many exam questions will be very similar to homework problems; the homework is intended in part to prepare you for the exams. Homework assignment due dates are firm.
Grading scale:  [0 F [60 D [70 C [75 C+ [80 B [85 B+ [90 A  100].
Class attendance is required.
The grade ``incomplete'' IN  is given only when justified according to University policy.