Course Syllabus

Catalog Description: Introduction to computer organization, how major components in a computer system function together in executing a program, and assembly language programming.

Instructor: Justin Goins
Email: justin.goins@oregonstate.edu
When corresponding via email, please include ECE375 in the subject line.

Lecture times: 8:30am-9:50am Wednesday/Friday
Lecture Location: https://oregonstate.zoom.us/j/91986804284?pwd=c2oyTG1BSSttbVZzaWNoZ0Rrek9wdz09
Zoom passcode: ece375

Office Hours & Lab location: https://oregonstate.zoom.us/j/95180680261?pwd=eVdLQmY1eFd4bmV2cjk5cng3VUxMZz09
Zoom passcode: ece375
TA Office Hours: See the Lab Website
Instructor Office Hours: Monday 2:30pm-3:30pm/Friday 10am-11am

Prerequisites

Enforced prerequisites: ECE 271

You are expected to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

  • Structured programming language (e.g. C, Pascal) expertise
  • Basic building blocks of digital design
  • Fundamentals of Boolean algebra

Course content

  • Introduction to the digital computer system architecture and overview of digital logic circuits
  • Digital components and data representation
  • Basic computer organization and design
  • Microprocessor organization and programming, including I/O, interrupts, and instruction sets
  • Register transfer and micro-operations
  • Central processing unit

Student Learning Objectives

  1. Identify major components & their interactions in computer architecture
  2. Program in assembly language
  3. Implement algorithms for computer arithmetic
  4. Compare different instruction set architectures
  5. Design input/output for embedded processors

General Information

  • All written work in this class is to be submitted as a .pdf document. All assembly code should be contained in .asm files.
  • Remember to use your TAs because they are the ones who execute, read, and grade the assignments.
  • Normally I ask that cell phones and other mobile devices should be silenced and away during lecture. Due to the "remote delivery" format of this class, I realize that students don't always have a silent area in which to work. However, please try to be courteous to the instructor and other students in the Zoom classroom. If you are not intending to speak, keep your microphone muted to reduce background noise.

Attendance Policy

  • Lecture: Required. Do not expect a private tutorial if you skip lectures. A student who is absent from class due to illness or family emergency should notify instructors as soon as possible (by e-mail). Notifying instructors and discussing missed work is the responsibility of the student. Graded quizzes will occasionally be administered during lecture. Some of these quizzes will be "pop quizzes" and will not be announced in advance of the lecture.
  • Exams: Required. If you are unable to attend an exam you should notify the instructor at least one week in advance via email. If the absence is due to a valid excuse (as determined by the instructor) then a make-up exam will be arranged. Missing an exam without prior arrangements will result in a grade of zero on that exam. If there are legitimate extenuating circumstances, please contact the instructor to explain your situation. All decisions made by the instructor are final.

In serious situations or when the student is unable to contact instructors, the student or family members may contact the Office of the Dean of Students at 541-737-8748 for assistance. The Office of the Dean of Students will provide notification of the absence to the student's instructors and the college head advisor. Students are reminded that providing false or misleading information to obtain an excused absence is a violation of student conduct regulations and may result in university student conduct action. Please see the student conduct page for more information.

Grading Information

  • Make sure that you read the Lab Syllabus (available on the Lab Website)
  • All homework assignments must be submitted electronically via Canvas prior to the assigned due date. Please be sure to check the deadline when each assignment is posted!
  • Late homework or labs are not accepted without extenuating circumstances.
  • If you have a complaint regarding the grade you received on an assignment or exam, talk to the individual who graded the work in question. If you are unable to come to an amicable resolution, you may confer with the instructor to explain the situation. The instructor will make a final decision as to the fairness of the grade.

Grading Scale

Letter Grade Percentage
A >= 92.5
A- >= 90 - 92.5
B+ >= 87.5 - 90
B >= 82.5 - 87.5
B- >= 80 - 82.5
C+ >= 77.5 - 80
C >= 72.5 - 77.5
C- >= 70 - 72.5
D+ >= 67.5 - 70
D >= 62.5 - 67.5
D- >= 60 - 62.5
F < 60

Course Weighting

Assignments - 12%
Quizzes - 12%
Laboratory - 30%
Midterm - 20%
Final Project - 26%

Assigned Textbook

Title: Computer Organization and Assembly Programming Programming: Embedded Systems Perspective (Draft)
Author(s): Ben Lee
Publisher: (unpublished, available on the Lectures & Reading page of Canvas)

Additional papers and online resources may be assigned.

Academic Dishonesty

Students are encouraged to study together and learn from one another. However, you must turn in your OWN work for every assignment. Homework assignments are NOT group projects and you should expect all assignments to be checked for similarities with others in the class, prior class assignments, and work published online. You should never be copying someone else's work and changing a small amount of that work, such as variable names, comments, spacing, etc. Working together is not allowed on exams. If you utilize online code examples then you need to cite the resource and author(s). You are expected to be familiar with the Oregon State University Code of Conduct. It is available online at: https://beav.es/codeofconduct

Paying someone to complete your work is unacceptable and will result in immediate referral to the Office of Student Conduct! Cheating and plagiarism are not taken lightly!

You will receive a zero on your first abuse of these rules, and in the case of shared work, the student sharing the work and the student copying the work will both receive zeros. Allegations of misconduct are reviewed by a third party within the College of Engineering. If you are found guilty, the academic dishonesty charge will be documented and maintained in your academic record.

Statement Regarding Students with Disabilities

Accommodations for students with disabilities are determined and approved by Disability Access Services (DAS). If you, as a student, believe you are eligible for accommodations but have not obtained approval please contact DAS immediately at 541-737-4098 or at http://ds.oregonstate.edu. DAS notifies students and faculty members of approved academic accommodations and coordinates implementation of those accommodations. While not required, students and faculty members are encouraged to discuss details of the implementation of individual accommodations.

Reach Out for Success

University students encounter setbacks from time to time. If you encounter difficulties and need assistance, it’s important to reach out. Consider discussing the situation with an instructor or academic advisor. Learn about resources that assist with wellness and academic success at oregonstate.edu/ReachOut. If you are in immediate crisis, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting OREGON to 741-741 or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

Religious Accommodations

Oregon State University recognizes a diverse group of students and the university accommodates diverse religious holidays. Please see the OSU Equal Opportunity and Access website for additional information on the religious accommodation process.

The fine print...

Note that the course summary shown below is automatically generated by Canvas and will expand as the class progresses.

Course Summary:

Date Details Due