Course syllabus

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Prerequisites and Restrictions

Prerequisites:

  • COMPSCI 105 or 107

Restriction:

  • None

Course Description

The low level representation of data and algorithms in the computer. An introduction to computer organisation. The instruction execution model. Assembly and disassembly of instructions. Assembly language programming. How a high-level language is implemented at the machine level. Hardware support necessary to implement a secure multi-user operating system.

Staff involved in the course

Lecturers  

  • Dr Bruce Sham

b.sham@auckland.ac.nz
Room 303.588
Office hours: 10:00am - 11:00am Monday to Friday

  • Dr Xinfeng Ye

xinfeng@cs.auckland.ac.nz
Room 303.589
Office hours: whenever I am around or email me for appointment

Tutors

    • Josh Hill

    jhil955@aucklanduni.ac.nz
    Office hours: Wednesdays 2pm-3pm outside the lecture theatre on the same day, or email me (I'll generally be in one of the Undergrad labs)

    • Joshua Griffin 

          jgri830@aucklanduni.ac.nz

          Office hours: Please email for an appointment

    Class Representatives

    • Charles Reid

          crei490@aucklanduni.ac.nz

     

    Course Outcomes

    A student who successfully completes this course should be able to:

    • describe elemental data structures, including characters, strings, signed & unsigned integers (various sizes), and pointers
    • convert between various representations of a number
    • describe the range and limitations of representations of numbers
    • describe the execution of basic instructions at the instruction set architecture level
    • write simple assembly language programs
    • describe the assembly process, and the information that is contained in assembly language instructions
    • explain the concept of a pointer and distinguish between the value of a pointer and the entity pointed to 
    • write simple programs in C
    • describe how an operating system and high-level languages provide abstractions that simplify the programming of complex systems
    • describe how the features of virtual memory, user/kernel mode, interrupts and exceptions make it possible to implement a secure multi-user system

    Lecture Schedule

    • What is a computer system?
    • Bits and integer representation
    • Character and string representation
    • Arithmetic operations
    • Logic operations
    • Logic gates
    • Combinational logic
    • Storage elements
    • Sequential logic
    • The von Neumann model
    • An Instruction Set Architecture (ISA)
    • Assembly language
    • Input and Output including interrupts
    • Traps
    • Subroutines
    • Memory stack
    • Introduction to programming in C
    • Mapping C variables and operators to an ISA
    • Mapping C Control Structures to an ISA
    • Mapping C functions to an ISA
    • Handling C function calls
    • Mapping C pointers and arrays to an ISA
    • Mapping C structures to an ISA
    • Handling C’s dynamic memory allocation
    • User/kernel mode
    • Hardware support for context switching
    • Hardware support for synchronisation
    • Exceptions
    • MMU and virtual memory
    • Caching

    Assessment 

    Requirements for passing

    In order to pass the paper, you must:

    • Pass test and exam combined - the pass mark is 50%
    • Get an overall pass of 50%

    N.B. The assignments are worth 20% and if you don't do them you are automatically losing 20%. Also the test and exam will have questions based on the work in the assignments. If you miss more than one assignment you are making it very difficult to pass the course.

    Laboratories (Tutorials)

    There are labs every week, beginning in week two. There are no marks associated with the labs but you will get experience and assistance with understanding the material and programming in LC-3 assembly language and C.

    Assignments

    The assignments are worth 20% in total. (Numbers in brackets refer to corresponding BSc Graduate Profile themes.)

    • A1 5% 
    • A2 5% 
    • A3 10% (1, 2, 3, 5)

    Test (1, 2, 3)

    There is one in-class test which is worth 20% of your final mark.

    Please go to your allocated room. Failure to do this incurs a 10% penalty. 

    • 401-439  (family name:  A-O)
    • 206-209  (family name:  P-S)
    • 206-220  (family name:  T-Z)

    Exam (1, 2, 3)

    The final exam is worth 60% of your final mark. Please check Student Services Online for the exam time and date. The exam is closed book, and calculators are not permitted. Provisional exam results can be obtained from Student Services Online.

    Assistance
    There are a number of places where you can seek assistance with your learning.

    Office Hours

    All staff have office hours when they are available to students (see above). You are encouraged to come and discuss any matters arising from the course during those hours. Staff are also frequently available at other times.

    Lecture Recordings

    All lectures are recorded. There may be a delay of 1-2 days before the lecture recordings are distributed through Canvas. Note that although the lectures are recorded, some learning activities conducted in class do not translate well to the recordings. To maximise your learning opportunities, you are encouraged to attend the class in person.

    Discussion Forums

    The Piazza discussion forums within Canvas are regularly monitored by teaching staff. Please make use of the forums to ask any questions that you think might be of interest to other students. If your question is of a personal nature, or relates to a unique situation that will be of little interest to others, then please contact the teaching staff directly.

    Textbook

    Introduction to Computing Systems: From Bits and Gates to C and Beyond, 2/e
    Yale N. Patt, University of Texas at Austin
    Sanjay J. Patel, University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign

    http://highered.mheducation.com/sites/0072467509/index.html

    Help with Canvas

    For help with Canvas see:

    http://www.canvas.ac.nz

    Handling illness or absence

    If you must leave for family emergencies etc., PLEASE talk to the lecturer, or somehow get a message to the department. Very few problems are so urgent that we cannot be told quite quickly.
    For problems affecting assignments or tests, see the lecturer, as soon as reasonably possible.
    For illness during exams (or other problems that affect exam performance) students MUST contact the University within one week of the last affected examination, to apply for an aegrotat pass (for illness) or compassionate pass (other problems). The one week limit is strictly enforced.
    Refer to the University information about Aegrotat and Compassionate Considerations:
    https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/for/current-students/cs-academic-information/cs-examination-information/cs-aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html

    Academic Integrity
    The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting his or her learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the world-wide web. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against electronic source material using computerised detection mechanisms. Upon reasonable request, students may be required to provide an electronic version of their work for computerised review.
    Please refer to http://www.auckland.ac.nz/uoa/home/about/teaching-learning/honesty.

    Course summary:

    Date Details Due