605.204.8VL - Computer Organization

Course Structure

The course materials are divided into modules which can be accessed by clicking Modules on the course menu. A module will have several sections including the overview, content, readings, discussions, and assignments. You are encouraged to preview all sections of the module before starting. Most modules run for a period of seven (7) days, exceptions are noted in the Course Outline. You should regularly check the Calendar and Announcements for assignment due dates.  To reduce the possibility of dates not properly propagating to all possible places, due dates will be found in the Calendar.  Any other due date should not be considered.

All Modules will start on the Tuesday of each week and run until Midnight the following week.  There will be 14 Modules, one for each of the 14 weeks of the semester.  If this is a summer session, there are 11 or 12 weeks, and modules 3&4, 6&7 and 9&10 will be run concurrently on the same week.  All material (except discussions) is available at the start of the semester so students can work ahead to plan their own time.

Course Topics

• Binary Numbers
• Floating-Point Numbers
• Boolean Algebra and k-maps
• First Pi Program - I/O Arm Assembly
  
• Introduction to gdb
• I/O in Arm Assembly
• Basic Programming in ARM Assembly
• Operand2
• Arm Machine Code
• Simple functions and Control Flow in programs
• Procedural Programming and Control Structures
• Recursive Functions
• IC’s and State Programming
• Simple CPU 
  

Course Goals

At the end of this semester you should be able to:

• perform operations on integer data.
• implement simple Boolean logic at a hardware level.
  
• work with simple Unix commands using a command line (or shell) prompt.
  
• implement assembly language programs using arithmetic operations, branching, loops, and functions.
  
• explain the difference between a reference and a value
• explain how a program stack works, and the differences between static, stack, and heap memory.
• read a circuit schematic for a simple (working) CPU

Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs)

• Be able to work with all types of internal CPU data. This includes all binary number types, machine code, logical and shift operations, etc.
• Write, assemble, link and execute assembly language programs that include integer arithmetic, shift, bitwise, and logical operations. Implement programs that include control structures including branching and looping, and functions, including recursive functions.
• Implement simple Combinational Circuits, including common Integrated Circuits (ICs) such as Decoders, Multiplexers, Adders/Subtractors
• Implement SRAM using Flip-Flops. Implement hardware programs using SRAM for Asynchronous Circuits starting from state diagrams.
• Be able to follow, program, and modify a simple CPU implemented in Logisim.

Textbooks

All textbooks for this class are online and free to download.

Class textbook: Kann, Charles W., "Introduction to Assembly Language Programming: From Soup to Nuts: ARM Edition" (2021). Open Textbooks. 8.
https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/oer/8

Extra material: Kann, Charles W., "Digital Circuit Projects: An Overview of Digital Circuits Through Implementing Integrated Circuits - Second Edition" (2014). Open Textbooks. 1.
https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/oer/1

Required Software

Logisim: http://www.cburch.com/logisim/

You will be given an account on a Raspberry Pi server. 

Student Coursework Requirements

1. Discussions - 10%

2. Quizzes - 25%

3.  Programming assignments - 40%

4. Final - 25%

Grading Policy

P uses a +/- grading system (see “Grading System”, Graduate Programs catalog, p. 10).

Course Policies

1 - All homework is due on the date in the syllabus.  The professor will generally accept late homework up to the end of the semester, but with a penalty, up to 50% of the grade, e.g. the penalty can be up to 50 points out of 100 points for the assignment.  This is before any deduction for the assignment grade.  If the solution has been posted, the penalty will be 50%.
2 - If a student has fallen more than 2 weeks behind, the student will likely not complete the class successfully.  Therefore the student should contact their advisor and consider a withdraw from the class.  Note that the school considers medical issues and other issues in giving a refund for the class which can be applied for.
3 - To be eligible for an incomplete for this class the student must have completed at least 80% of the classwork (other than the final), and must set up a schedule to complete the class which is at the discretion of the professor. The schedule will be less than 5 weeks, and except for unusual circumstances will be 2 weeks or less.  If the student has not completed the course work by the end of the incomplete extension for the class, a grade will be given based on the work completed.

Academic Policies

Deadlines for Adding, Dropping and Withdrawing from Courses

Students may add a course up to one week after the start of the term for that particular course. Students may drop courses according to the drop deadlines outlined in the EP academic calendar (https://ep.jhu.edu/student-services/academic-calendar/). Between the 6th week of the class and prior to the final withdrawal deadline, a student may withdraw from a course with a W on their academic record. A record of the course will remain on the academic record with a W appearing in the grade column to indicate that the student registered and withdrew from the course.

Academic Misconduct Policy

All students are required to read, know, and comply with the Johns Hopkins University Krieger School of Arts and Sciences (KSAS) / Whiting School of Engineering (WSE) Procedures for Handling Allegations of Misconduct by Full-Time and Part-Time Graduate Students.

This policy prohibits academic misconduct, including but not limited to the following: cheating or facilitating cheating; plagiarism; reuse of assignments; unauthorized collaboration; alteration of graded assignments; and unfair competition. Course materials (old assignments, texts, or examinations, etc.) should not be shared unless authorized by the course instructor. Any questions related to this policy should be directed to EP’s academic integrity officer at ep-academic-integrity@jhu.edu.

Students with Disabilities - Accommodations and Accessibility

Johns Hopkins University values diversity and inclusion. We are committed to providing welcoming, equitable, and accessible educational experiences for all students. Students with disabilities (including those with psychological conditions, medical conditions and temporary disabilities) can request accommodations for this course by providing an Accommodation Letter issued by Student Disability Services (SDS). Please request accommodations for this course as early as possible to provide time for effective communication and arrangements.

For further information or to start the process of requesting accommodations, please contact Student Disability Services at Engineering for Professionals, ep-disability-svcs@jhu.edu.

Student Conduct Code

The fundamental purpose of the JHU regulation of student conduct is to promote and to protect the health, safety, welfare, property, and rights of all members of the University community as well as to promote the orderly operation of the University and to safeguard its property and facilities. As members of the University community, students accept certain responsibilities which support the educational mission and create an environment in which all students are afforded the same opportunity to succeed academically. 

For a full description of the code please visit the following website: https://studentaffairs.jhu.edu/policies-guidelines/student-code/

Classroom Climate

JHU is committed to creating a classroom environment that values the diversity of experiences and perspectives that all students bring. Everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect. Fostering an inclusive climate is important. Research and experience show that students who interact with peers who are different from themselves learn new things and experience tangible educational outcomes. At no time in this learning process should someone be singled out or treated unequally on the basis of any seen or unseen part of their identity. 
 
If you have concerns in this course about harassment, discrimination, or any unequal treatment, or if you seek accommodations or resources, please reach out to the course instructor directly. Reporting will never impact your course grade. You may also share concerns with your program chair, the Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, or the Office of Institutional Equity. In handling reports, people will protect your privacy as much as possible, but faculty and staff are required to officially report information for some cases (e.g. sexual harassment).

Course Auditing

When a student enrolls in an EP course with “audit” status, the student must reach an understanding with the instructor as to what is required to earn the “audit.” If the student does not meet those expectations, the instructor must notify the EP Registration Team [EP-Registration@exchange.johnshopkins.edu] in order for the student to be retroactively dropped or withdrawn from the course (depending on when the "audit" was requested and in accordance with EP registration deadlines). All lecture content will remain accessible to auditing students, but access to all other course material is left to the discretion of the instructor.