CSC 373 Computer Systems I

Karen Heart, MS, Instructor
kheart@depaul.edu

(312)362-1469

Syllabus

Summary of the course

A course on computer systems topics, focusing on machine-level programming and architecture and their relevance for application programming. Information representations, assembly language, C programming, and debuggers.

Textbooks and printed resources

Computer Systems: A Programmer's Perspective, 3rd Edition, Bryant & O'Hallaron, Prentice Hall/Pearson, 2016, ISBN: 978-0134092669.

Programming in C, 4th edition, Stephen G. Kochan, Addison-Wesley Professional, 2014, ISBN: 978-0321776419.

The primary textbook is the Computer Systems book by Bryant & O'Hallaron; it is essential to the course. The lectures will cover the material in this book, and the homework exercises and tests will be drawn from it. The book on C programming, by Kochan, is a useful resource for learning the basics, as well as some of the intricacies, of programming in the C language. Tutorials on C programming are also available on Lynda.com; please see Resources and Links under Content in D2L.

Prerequisites

(CSC 383 or CSC 393 or CSC 300) and Math 140

Office Hours

During classes, I will be online for office hours; please check Bluestar for times.

Assignments and Grading

Overview

This course focuses on the details of implementing fundamental parts of computer systems. There will be two or three (2 or 3) lab (programming) exercises, six (6) homework exercises, four (4) quizzes, and a Final exam. Many of these exercises and tests require you to read and write code in the C programming language, as well as develop proficiency in systems concepts.

Sec. 1. Lab exercises

Sec. 2. Homework exercises

Sec. 3. Quizzes

Sec. 4. Final exam

Sec. 5. How your grade for the course is calculated

Sec. 6. Letter Grade for the Course

Your point score will be converted to a letter grade using the following table:

LetterNumeric Range
A93.1 and up
A-90 - 93
B+86.1 - 89.99
B83.1 - 86
B-80 - 83
C+76.1 - 79.99
C73.1 -76
C-70 - 73
D+66.1 - 69.99
D60 - 66
Fbelow 60

Approach

Lectures will be held synchronously and recorded for later viewing on D2L. Class time will also be used to answer questions about the material, including the lab exercises.

Policy on Working Together

Each student is expected to turn in original work. Copying code or other documents from another person is considered a serious violation of the university's academic integrity policy (see below).

Topics

WeekTopicsReadings
1 Module 1: Overview of computer organization; information storage; data sizes; basic C programming B & O 1.1 - 1.4, 2.1 - 2.1.2
2 Module 2: Addressing and byte ordering; character representation and strings; Boolean algebra; logical operators B & O 2.1.3, 2.1.4, 2.1.6, 2.1.7, 2.1.8
3 Module 3: Integer representation B & O 2.2 - 2.3
4 Module 4: Bit shifting; overflow and underflow; floating point representation B & O 2.1.9, 2.4
5 Module 5: Microcomputer architecture history; register file; machine representation; data sizes; data access B & O 3.1 - 3.4
6 Module 6: Arithmetic and logical operations; Module 7: Control B & O 3.5, 3.6
7 Module 7 (cont.)  
8 Module 8: Procedures; reverse engineering assembly B & O 3.7
9 Module 9: Arrays; Module 10: Data structures B & O 3.8, 3.9
10 Module 11: Security issues; optimization B & O 3.10, 5.6, 5.8, 5.9
11 Final Exam  

Attendance

Attendance is not mandatory.

Supplemental Instruction Review Sessions

This course was selected to participate in DePaul's Supplemental Instruction (SI) program. SI is a series of peer-led review sessions based on an internationally-recognized evidence-based active learning model for students taking historically difficult courses. SI is free and for ALL students who want to enhance their understanding of course material and improve their grades. At each session you will be guided through collaborative learning activities by your SI Leader, a DePaul student who has previously taken the course and done well. SI sessions offer a chance to work together with classmates to compare notes, practice important concepts, develop effective study strategies, and test yourselves before quizzes and exams. Your SI Leader will facilitate (3) 1-hour SI sessions per week between Weeks 2-10. These will be a mix of on-campus and/or online sessions. All online sessions will be recorded and shared. Please complete the poll they send to you to help find the most accommodating on-campus location or online mode for sessions, session days/times, and primary SI communication platform (Slack or Discord) for you. Session times can be found on the Supplemental Instruction website, go.depaul.edu/si, as well as the course D2L site, and will be posted by Monday Week 2. If you are unable to attend a session, you will be able to access the recordings of online sessions.

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism

This course will be subject to the university's academic integrity policy. More information can be found at http://academicintegrity.depaul.edu/. NOTE: 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. If you have any questions be sure to consult with your professor.

Academic Policies

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://cdm.depaul.edu/enrollment.

Students with Disabilities

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: csd@depaul.edu.
Lewis Center 1420, 25 East Jackson Blvd.
Phone number: (312)362-8002
Fax: (312)362-6544
TTY: (773)325.7296

Online Course Evaluations

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.

Changes to Syllabus

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.

School Policies

Policies of the school are explained on the webpage for this course on my.cdm.depaul.edu.