CSIT 301: Course Syllabus
(Computer Architecture and Hardware)


Contact Info:   
Thomas E. Blum
Office: H-133
Office Hours:
  • Tues. 9:30 - 10:30 (Holroyd 133 or Holroyd 124)
  • Wed. 2:00 - 3:00 (Holroyd 133 or Holroyd 124)
  • Thurs. 9:30 - 10:30 (Holroyd 133 or Holroyd 124)
  • Or by appointment

Phone: 215-951-1139
e-mail: blum@lasalle.edu
Web: http://www.lasalle.edu/~blum
Department office: Holroyd 123
Department phone: 215.951.1130

Description:

The course provides an overview of the hardware components of a PC with an emphasis on how they are organized and made to work together. The course examines software issues at a level close to the hardware and principles of processor and memory optimization (caching, pipelining, paralleism, etc.)

Meetings:

Mondays and Wednesday 3:30 - 4:45

Holidays:
Labor day: Mon, Sept. 1
Midsemester break: Mon, Oct. 20 & Tues, Oct. 21
Thanksgiving: Wed, Nov. 26 & Thurs, Nov. 27 & Fri, Nov. 28

Other important dates:
Classes start: Aug. 25
Midsemester grades due: Oct. 22
Last day to withdraw: Oct. 31
Classes end: Dec. 6
Finals week: Dec. 8 - Dec 12

Course Calendar Link

 http://www.lasalle.edu/~blum/c301-cal-f14.htm

Location:

Holroyd 155

Relevant Online Text:

 PC Hardware in a Nutshell, Third Edition, Thompson and Thompson, O'Reilly

To find the library's online technical books, go to the library's catalog page and do a keyword search on "Safari online".

Websites:

Learning Objectives

 Students should be able to:
  • Recognize the organizational units of a computer and describe what they do and how they work together.
  • Discuss the bottlenecks associated with basic computer architecture and the techniques (such as caching, pipelining, parallelization. etc.) used to circumvent or alleviate these bottlenecks.
  • Explain the structure and function of basic computer hardware and peripheral hardware.
  • Explain the software-hardware interface (e.g. how an instruction in a high level language program results in a particular hardware activity.)
  • Distinguish among various choices within computer instructions including various number represenations, opcode-operand ordering, addressing modes, etc.
  • Work through the mechanics of error correction and error detection schemes.
  • Demonstrate an awareness of some of the current trends in computing with an emphasis on hardware and lower level software.

Assessment:      

 The components of the course will be weighted as follows
    Tests: 54% 3 tests
    Final: 18% The final is cumulative with some emphasis on any previously untested material.
    Assignments: 24%  
    Class: 4%  
Or if it is beneficial to the student, the following alternative weighting scheme will be used:
    Tests: 36% lowest test dropped
    Final: 36%
    Assignments: 24%
    Class: 4%

In addition,

  • Assignments include homeworks and labs. They are to be done individually unless explicitly stated otherwise.
  • The nature of the material on the test will determine whether the test is written or on the computer and whether it is open-book or closed book. The date of a test will be announced at least one week before it is given.
  • If at any time you take information from any source (book, website, etc.), that source should be cited. Failing to do so may be considered plagiarism and thus cheating. Any time you are requested to summarize an article, it is expected that the summary will be in your own words.
  • Labs and homeworks are due a week after they are assigned. Labs and homeworks submitted after the test on the relevant material will not be eligible for full credit.
  • The plus/minus grading system will be used.
  • Attendance will be taken.
  • Absences, lateness, etc. will be reflected in the class portion of the grade. More than three unexcused absences may result in the lowering of a grade.
  • Make-up tests are given at the discretion of the professor. You have to meet with me to discuss the reason for missing the exam and to schedule a make-up. It may be decided that the missed test will serve as your dropped score (see the second grading scenario above).
  • It is the responsibility of the students to keep copies of all submitted materials (tests, homeworks, labs, and so on) until a final grade is received for the course.

Classroom Behavior:

While in the classroom, students should behave in a manner that is neither distracting to nor disrespectful to the professor or other students. Cell phones should be turned off.

Cheating:

 When using materials from a book, website, etc., the source must be cited; otherwise it is considered plagiarism. Claiming another's work as your own is cheating. A student caught cheating will receive a score of zero. Cheating may result in a reduction of the final grade. Repeated cheating can result in a failing grade for the course. Asking another for help on part of a homework is acceptable; handing in duplicate or nearly duplicate work is not. If you require a significant amount of assitance, you should seek my help. Finally, openly allowing your work to be copied is also cheating.

Some Tutoring

 Tutoring for various subject areas (70+ courses) is available for La Salle undergraduates. Subject tutors help students identify what as well as how to learn, clarify course content, and help students understand their strengths and weaknesses regarding the subject matter. Students should take advantage of tutoring at the first indication of difficulty in a course or whenever they wish to improve their performance or knowledge in a course, for example, to improve grades or to maintain high grades. Students can make tutoring appointments through GradesFirst located under Tools in the mylasalle portal. For students who have created their own study groups but would like a tutor to assist the group with the material, “facilitated study groups” can be arranged. For more information, contact Kitty Kaar at 215.951.1822 or kaar@lasalle.edu

The Department of Mathematics and Computer Science sometimes has "walk-in" computer science tutoring available. If available the time and place will be announced.

Academic Skills Workshops

 Academic Skills Workshops are offered face to face and online on a variety of topics such as study strategies, documentation styles, test taking, group study, and time management. A number of workshops are also archived online so students are advised to go to www.lasalle.edu/portal/learningsupport for workshop descriptions, dates, and times. Additional academic resources are available online as well. For more information, contact Mary Robertson at robertso@lasalle.edu or Jaime Longo at longoj@lasalle.edu

Student Resources

 https://lasalle.instructure.com/courses/1772 includes links to
  • Student Guide to Resources, Rights and Responsibilites
  • Academic Integrity Policy
  • American Disabilities Act
  • IT Help Desk Support
  • Academic and Learning Support Services
  • Library