CS 312 Computer Architecture and Organization

 

Professor Boris Kovalerchuk

Office: Heb 214b, Phone: 963-1438
Email: BorisK <AT> cwu.edu
Office Hours: MWF: 4:00-5:00 pm or by appointment.

TA: Don Whalen   WhalenD <AT> cwu.edu

Lectures: MWF 11:00-11:50 AM  Heb. 106

Labs:           T    11:00-11:50 AM, Heb. 209

Prerequisites: CS 301, CS 311

Text: Computer Architecture and Organization by W. Stalling, 6th edition, 2003

Winner of the Texty Award for the best Computer Science and Engineering textbook

Lecture notes will be available on computers in Heb 203/204/209 (CS Network drive  \\alp\312 in a PowerPoint format.

Students with disabilities who have a letter to faculty from ADA Affairs Office should see me in order to receive academic adjustments in this course.

All students requesting academic adjustments must be registered with ADA Affairs Office, Bouillon 205.

 

Syllabus
Labs

Research Assignments

Optional homework tasks

Student Learning Outcome:
By the end of the course, the student will:
   Distinguish between computer architecture and computer organization.
   Use Boolean algebra to solve primitive logic problems.
   Construct Logic Diagrams for simple circuits.
   Describe the primary features of binary computers.
   Identify the primary computer components.
   Describe the operation of CPU, memory, bus, & I/O.
   Identify and tell the purpose of different levels of memory.
   Compare different instruction sets for processors.

Study guides for exams will be posted before each exam.

MMLogic software will be used in the labs.  
On-line dictionary of computing
Tech Encyclopedia
 

Grading:

Labs -- 15%; Test 1-- 20%; Test 2 -- 20% Final Exam -- 25%

Research assignments -20%

Optional Homework --20% bonus;

Important Dates:

February 2 - Test 1; February 26 - Test 2; Final Exam: March 13, 8:00-10:00 AM

Grading Policy:

Requests for re-grading or grade adjustments are accepted up to one week after the homework or test is handed back to the student. Re-grading might result in deduction of grades on reconsideration of the answer(s). Grade assignments will be A (>95%), A- (>90), B+ (>87.5), B (>82.5), B- (>80), C+ (>77.5), C (>82.5), C- (>70), D+ (>67.5), D (>62.5), D- (>60), F (<60%).

Assignments:

Late assignments will incur a penalty of 5% of the total score per day (Saturdays and Sundays included).

Cheating:

Cheating is a very uncivilized behavior and is to be avoided at all cost. Oral discussion about assignments is not considered cheating. Copying someone else's assignment or part of an assignment is cheating. If cheating is discovered, all students involved will receive no credit for the assignment, possibly an 'F' grade for the course, and the matter can be reported to the Chairman of CS Dept. in accordance with CWU policies.

Course Evaluation:

Students can evaluate the course and instructor during the last week of classes. The course evaluation forms are kept by the Department and are not delivered to the Instructor until after the final grades have been reported.

Caveat:
The schedule and procedures for this course are subject to change. It is the student’s responsibility to learn of and adjust to changes.

For additional References see CWU library catalog.

 

Check this site out for some interesting reading! 
Organic Mass Memory local copy
History
More about history

An interactive proof of Pythagoras's theorem