Course+Syllabus

** Textbook ** __ Computer Organization and Architecture: Designing for Performance __, William Stallings, Prentice Hall, Eighth Edition, 2010, Book ISBNs: ISBN-10: 0136073735 ISBN-13: 9780136073734. (Visit the website at: WilliamStallings.com/COA/COA8e.html).
 * CS 323 – Computer Architecture **  ** First semester 2012/2013 **    3 credits, CS 321 prerequisite
 * Instructor **
 * Lecturer Tahani A. Baabdullah **, Computer and Information System Collage, 2nd floor, Office #2.501.42, email: t.baabdullah@hotmail.com
 * Office Hours ** whenever I am in my office.

Computer organization and architecture are about the really low-level details of how computers work inside, such as instruction sets, memory, and so on. Therefore, it is o discuss the basic structure of a digital computer and to study in detail the organization of the Control unit, the Arithmetic and Logical unit, the Memory unit and the I/O unit. ** Course Objectives ** BY the end of this course, the students should be able to:
 * Aim **
 * Obtain basic knowledge of Basic Computer Organization and Design; Computer Evolution and Performance.
 * ­­­­­­­­Have good understanding of the Central Processing Unit: Data Representation, Fixed Point Numbers, and Computer Arithmetic.
 * Obtain knowledge of Memory Hierarchy Design: Memory Technology – RAM, ROM; Memory Systems; Cache Memory Design; Virtual Memory. Examples: Pentium and Power PC - Cache Organization, Memory Management; RAID: Redundant Arrays of Inexpensive Disks.
 * Obtain knowledge of Input and Output Organization: External Devices; I/O Modules; I/O Communication Methods: Programmed I/O, Interrupt-Driven I/O, and DMA: Direct Memory Access.

This course will cover the following topics:
 * Topics Covered **
 * 1) Introduction
 * 2) Computer evolution and performance.
 * 3) A top-level view of computer function and interconnection
 * 4) Cache memory
 * 5) Internal memory
 * 6) External memory
 * 7) Input / Output
 * 8) Operating system support
 * 9) Computer arithmetic


 * Grading (subject to change) **
 * 1st midterm written exam (15%) will be on the 7th week of the semester (exact date/time will be announced later).
 * 2nd midterm written exam (15%) will be on the 12th week of the semester (exact date/time will be announced later).
 * Quizzes will be 3 to 4 (5%).
 * Assignment homework (5%).
 * Project as term paper research (5% as extra points).
 * Final written exam (60%) (exact date/time will be announced later).

Your letter grade will be based on the total percentage points you gain. There will be some opportunities for bonus work. Letter grades will be assigned as follows: **//__ Don’t distract the students __//**//. // I don’t insist that you pay attention, but you must allow others to participate. This means:
 * Letter Grading Scale **
 * A: 100-90%
 * B: 80-89.9%
 * C: 70-79.9%
 * D: 60-69.9%
 * Fail: Below 60%
 * Conduct in Class **
 * Do not distract others with conversation.
 * Do not distract others with your phone.
 * Do not distract others by reading the newspaper.
 * Do not distract others by using your laptop in front of the class.
 * If you snore, I will wake you up.
 * Do not attend late to the class; you have only 10 minutes to attend it. Otherwise, you will be absent in that one.
 * Be sure about that when you miss any quiz during the semester, you will not have another opportunities to take it again (it means **zero**).
 * If illness prevents you from doing homework or taking a quiz/test, get a note from a teacher. It is // not // good enough to diagnose yourself. Similarly, if you suffer a family tragedy, then provide some documentation for the event.
 * No late submission for homework/project, if you will do that you will get **zero**.
 * Homework **
 * Homework is from the Architecture book.
 * Homework will be listed on the Schedule on the instructor’s website.
 * Homework can be e-mailed or done on paper or a combination of the two.
 * On days that homework is due on paper by the end of class and e-mail by midnight. Homework received late will be not accepted at all, this means you will get zero on that homework.

Some exams/assignments contain extra credit questions/opportunities. Other than that, no extra credit opportunities will be provided.
 * Cheating Policy **
 * All homework/quiz/test will be manually compared against each other.
 * All parties involved in cheating will be prosecuted no matter who copied from whom. It is your duty to keep your homework/quiz/test secure.
 * Extra Credit **

Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class. If you are late it is your responsibility to see the instructor and ask to be marked as present. If the instructor is lecturing, please wait until the break. 0-19-513109-6.
 * Attendance Policy **
 * References **
 * __ COMPUTER SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE __, by M. Mano, Latest Edition, Prentice Hall, 1997.
 * __ ASSEMBLYLANGUAGE PROGRAMMING __, by Britton, Robert L. MIPS, Prentice Hall, ISBN 0-13-142044-5, 2004.
 * __ A PROGRAMMER'S VIEW OF COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE __, by Goodman & Miller, Oxford Press, ISBN


 * See the class website at ****http://cs323.wikispaces.com/**** for more information. **