Computer Science @ PENN

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CIT 595 Syllabus

 

Class Timming
Textbooks
Grading
Academic Integrity
Homework/lab turn-in procedure
Questions or Comments
Tentative Weekly Schedule

 


Class Timming

MW 1:30 - 3pm in Towne 303

F 3-4 pm in Towne 315 (Some days we will meet in Moore 100A)


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Textbooks

None Required: Assorted handouts (printed or electronic form) for topics will be provided.

Supplemental books On Reserve in Engineering Library:

  1. Computer Organization and Design (Hardware/Software Interface) by David Patterson and John Hennessy
  2. Introduction to Computing Systems from bits & gates to C & beyond by Yale N. Patt and Sanjay J. Patel
  3. The Essentials of Computer Organization and Architecture 2nd Edition by Linda Null and Julia Lobur
  4. Computer Systems A Programmer's Perpective by Randal E. Bryant and David R. O'Hallaon
  5. Modern Operating Systems - 3rd Edition by Andrew Tanenbaum

C References:

  1. Practical C Programming - by Steve Oualline (also can be found on Safari Online Textbooks through Penn Library).
  2. The C Programming language (2nd Edition, Paperback) by Brian W. Kernighan, Dennis Ritchie

 

Online Resources: under the Resources section.


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Grading

  1. Course grades depends on class persformance. Hence 90% or above is not necessarily an A.

  2. Assignments (50% of grade)
    • Programming assignments assume C language knowledge as covered in CIT593
    • Non-programming assignments should be preferably be typed
    • Late assignments will incur 10% penalty per day upto 5 days and then no credit

  3. Quizzes(30% of grade)
    • 4-5 quizzes spaced out over the semester.
    • They will be held on Friday recitation time

  4. Final Exam (20% of the grade)
    • Will be cummulative

  5. Quizzes and exam will be closed books and notes.

Important: 

Credit for work will be recorded only as reported by the TA in the Gradebook on Blackboard. It is your responsibility to make sure that your work has been properly recorded in the Gradebook.

Make sure you call any problems with missing records to your TA's attention immediately; the grade entries on the Blackbaord will be considered permanent after one week subsequent to their posting. Similarly, make sure you address problems with grading – either on your homework or on an exam – immediately following the return of your work.

The TA will be responsible for adjudicating these problems – the instructor will only be involved as a possible court of last appeal in case there is some truly difficult decision to make (i.e., in most cases, I will not be willing to second guess the TA ’s decisions). To submit a request to the TA for a review of a credit assignment on an exam or problem set you must submit an email to the TA , stating the nature of the problem and the remedy you desire. You must submit this adjustment request within one week of the return of the material in question. I have instructed the TA not to consider any requests for grade adjustments that are submitted later than this one week grace period.


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Academic Integrity

You are expected to submit your own for homework assignment. If you are caught with work submitted that is completely copied from some other source (including current or former CIT 595 students), or that has been prepared by somebody other than you, you will face severe discipline by the university.

Assignments are to be completed individually unless stated on the homework. You may talk to fellow classmate regarding the assignment but keep in mind what is appropriate and inappropriate about your collaboration:

Appropriate:

  • Person A doesn't understand what exactly the problem is asking. E.g. writing actual C code vs. psuedocode. He/She discusses this with Person B to arrive at one or the other.
  • Person A does not understand a particular concept. Person B explains the concept using an example, other than one asked on the homework.

Inappropriate:

  • A attempts half the problem, and B attempts the other half. A and B copy the solutions to half the assignment that the other person wrote.
  • Together, A and B work out each homework problem on chalk/white board; then they separately copy down their work and turn it in.
  • Person A completed a programming assignment and just before turning it in, he deleted his program - oh no!!!. In desperation, he/she asks Person B if he can turn in a copy of his/her program.

Note: When in doubt always ask Instructor or TA first, to avoid any potential collabration that can lead to academic dishonesty.

You can further read Penn's Code of Academic Integrity page on this subject matter.


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Homework turn-in procedure

You will turn-in all programming assignments using Digital Dropbox on Blackboard. Follow the steps below to open the Digital Drop Box page.

  1. Log into Blackboard
  2. Open your Course.
  3. Click Course Tools under the Tools Menu
  4. Select Digital Drop Box.
Function Description
Add File

Upload files to the Drop Box

Send File

Send a file to the Instructor

Remove

Remove a file from the Drop Box


Important:
  1. When you submit your assignment, make a folder called pennID_HwX (where X is homework number), put your file to be submitted in the folder. Use zip program to create archive of folder. .
    • On Windows: select the folder, right click and select "Send To" and then "Compressed (zipped) folder
    • On Mac: select the folder, use the ctrl key + right click and select "Create Archive of ".
    • In CETs lab, use StuffIt program

  2.  Give the zip file name the same name as folder name. E.g. My username at penn is palsetia, hence I will submit archive file called palsetia_HwX.zip, which contains the folder palsetia_HwX and file I need to submit.. If submitting exercise then naming convention would be palsetia_ExX.zip, where Ex stands for Exercise

  3. Upload the archive file using Add File option. Give an approriate title in the Name field and put down any comments you have in Comments field) .

  4. REMEMBER to click Send file to send the file to the instructor.

  5. You can submit your work more than once, but make sure you mention that in comments section when you resubmit your work.

  6. When you submit the file, BlackBoard will show the date and time file received. Note: The date and time displayed in each instance is not the date and time on the user’s machine, rather, it is the date and time on the Blackboard Academic Suite server.


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Questions or Comments

Your feedback is valuable and we want to do our best to address your questions and comments. Use the discussion board on Blackboard

  • About course material (concepts, homework, labs, logistics): Post a message on the bulletin board under appropriate forums. Please do not email the TA's or professor about these topics.
    • Note that you can also post anonymously
  • About special circumstances (e.g. lab/exam conflict): Email your professor.

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Tentative Weekly Schedule

Week

Date

Lectures

1

1/14

Course overview

2

1/19

Martin Luther King Day off. Make up lecture 1/23 during Recitation

1/21

Boolean Alegbra

3

1/26

Combinational logic

1/28

Sequential logic

4

2/2

Sequential logic

2/4

Datapath and Control

5

2/9

Computer Performance

2/11

Computer Performance

6

2/16

Computer Performance

2/18

Computer Performance

7

2/23

Memory Hierarchy

2/25

Cache Memories

8

3/2

Virtual Memory

3/4

Virtual Memory

9

3/9

SPRING BREAK

3/11

SPRING BREAK

10

3/16

Operation System

3/18

Operating System

11

3/23

Operation System

3/25

Operating System

12

3/30

Error Correction & Detection

4/1

Error Correction & Detection

13

4/6

I/O

4/8

I/O

14

4/13

RAID

4/16

RAID

15

4/20

Linking & Loading

4/22

Linking & Loading
 
4/27
Review
    Final Exam in Final's week

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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