CSC 373 Computer Systems I
Summary
This course covers the concepts underlying all computer systems and
how they affect the correctness, performance, and utility of
application programming. We will cover, in particular, information
representations, assembly language and debuggers, memory hierarchy,
caching, virtual memory, and program optimization.
Texts
The required text for this course is:
Bryant and O'Halloran, Computer Systems: A Programmer's
Perspective, Prentice-Hall, ISBN 0-13-034074-X.
See http://csapp.cs.cmu.edu/
Hoover, System Programming with C and Unix, Addison-Wesley. ISBN 0-13-606712-3.
Grading
Assessment will consist of quizzes, 3 programming labs, a midterm, and a final exam. Seven quizzes will be given Each quiz will be approximately 10 minutes. The lowest 2 quiz scores will be dropped.
PluS students may elect to take not take the quizzes in class and base their grade on the remaining scores. In that case, the quizzes will not be graded but should be completed at home and submitted.
The final course grade will be based on:
quizzes 50pts
midterm 100pts
final 100pts
lab1 105pts
lab2 125pts
lab3 125pts
The course grade is based on the percentage of total available points:
A : 93 - 100
A-: 90 - 92
B+: 88 - 89
B : 83 - 87
B-: 80 - 82
C+: 78 - 79
C : 73 - 77
C-: 70 - 72
D : 60 - 69
F : 0 - 59
Prerequisites
The prerequisite is a programming course in Java. This prerequisite
can be satisfied by CSC211, CSC224, or by CSC396. However, the majority of programming for this class will be in C. So knowledge of C/C++ would also suffice for the programming prerequisite. It is NOT assumed that you know C/C++. Core features of C are needed for this course. More extensive features are needed and will be covered in Computer Systems II (CSC374).
Weekly Schedule
1. Ch 1, C overview
2. Ch 2 (2.1-2.2)
3. Ch 2 (2.3 - 2.4)
4. Ch 3 (3.1-3.4)
5. Ch 3 (3.5), midterm
6. Ch 3 (3.6 - 3.7)
7. Ch 3 (3.8 - 3.9)
8. Ch 6 (6.1 - 6.3)
9. Ch 6 (6.4-6.6)
10. Ch 5 (5.1-5.6)
11. Final
This syllabus is subject to change as necessary during the quarter. If a change occurs, it will be thoroughly addressed during class, posted under Announcements in D2L and sent via email.
Evaluations are a way for students to provide valuable feedback regarding their instructor and the course. Detailed feedback will enable the instructor to continuously tailor teaching methods and course
content to meet the learning goals of the course and the academic needs of the students. They are a requirement of the course and are key to continue to provide you with the highest quality of teaching. The
evaluations are anonymous; the instructor and administration do not track who entered what responses. A program is used to check if the student completed the evaluations, but the evaluation is completely
separate from the student’s identity. Since 100% participation is our goal, students are sent periodic reminders over three weeks. Students do not receive reminders once they complete the evaluation.
Students complete the evaluation online in CampusConnect.
This course will be subject to the university's academic integrity policy. More information can be found at http://academicintegrity.depaul.edu/ If you
have any questions be sure to consult with your professor.
All students are expected to abide by the University's Academic Integrity Policy which prohibits cheating and other misconduct in student coursework. Publicly sharing or posting online any prior or current materials from this course (including exam questions or answers), is considered to be providing unauthorized assistance prohibited by the policy. Both students who share/post and students who access or use such materials are considered to be cheating under the Policy and will be subject to sanctions for violations of Academic Integrity.
All students are required to manage their class schedules each term in accordance with the deadlines for enrolling and withdrawing as indicated in the University Academic Calendar. Information on enrollment, withdrawal, grading and incompletes can be found at http://www.cdm.depaul.edu/Current%20Students/Pages/PoliciesandProcedures.aspx.
Students who feel they may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the instructor privately to discuss their specific needs. All discussions will remain confidential.
To ensure that you receive the most appropriate accommodation based on your needs, contact the instructor as early as possible in the quarter (preferably within the first week of class), and make sure that
you have contacted the Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) at:
Lewis Center 1420, 25 East Jackson Blvd.
Phone number: (312)362-8002
Fax: (312)362-6544
TTY: (773)325.7296