CS 2011, A Term 1999
Introduction to Machine Organization and Assembly Language

Note: The course syllabus may be modified during the term.
Updates will be made only on the course web page, located at
http://www.cs.wpi.edu/~alvarez/CS2011/A99/.

Contact | References | Grading | Objective | Schedule&Materials

Welcome to the CS2011 homepage (a work in progress). Here you'll find general information about the course, useful links, and downloadable materials that, when combined with participation in the lectures and labs, will help you benefit as much as possible from taking CS2011. Use the menu options above to find your way around. Please note that some of the links in the Schedule&Materials section will become functional only shortly before they are needed for the relevant lectures/labs.

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Whom, where, and when

• Professor: Sergio A. Alvarez
  alvarez@cs.wpi.edu
  Office: FL 145, ext. 5118
  Office hours: Tu 4-5:30 pm, Th 9-10 am, or by appointment
  (subject to change)

  TAs:

  Rahul Pradhan

  rahulp@cs.wpi.edu

  Office: FL 239, ext. 5005

  Office hours (held in FL A20 (basement)): M 12-1, Th 12-1, F 9-11

  (subject to change)

  Nitin John

  nitin@cs.wpi.edu

  Office: FL 239, ext. 5005

  Office hours (held in FL A20 (basement)): M 2-3, Th 2-3, F 1-3

  (subject to change)

  Lectures

  MTRF / 3:00-3:50   in AK116

  Labs

  Section	Time	Place
  A01	W 10-10:50	AK120D
  A02	W 2-2:50	AK120D
  A03	W 11-11:50	AK120D
  A04	W 3-3:50	AK120D

  Mailing lists

  If you have registered for CS 2011 then you will automatically be placed on the cs2011 mailing list. You should check your e-mail frequently for possible class announcements.

  E-mail sent to cs2011_ta@cs.wpi.edu will reach the professor and the TA's only. You should normally send course-related questions to this list.

  E-mail sent to cs2011@cs.wpi.edu will go to the entire class. This list should be used for course-related discussions only.

  Course web page

  The web page for CS 2011 is located at http://www.cs.wpi.edu/~alvarez/CS2011/A99/. You should check this page regularly for updates.

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  Textbook

  (required, available at the WPI bookstore or amazon.com):

  • K. R. Irvine
    Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers,
    3rd edition, Prentice Hall, 1999

    also see the book's web site at http://www.nuvisionmiami.com/books/asm/

  Recommended supplementary reference

  (several copies of the 3rd edition are on reserve in the library; 4th ed. available at the WPI bookstore or amazon.com):

  • A. S. Tanenbaum
    Structured Computer Organization,
    4th edition, Prentice Hall, 1999

  Links / additional references

  • Intel Corporation
    Intel Architecture Software Developer's Manual (3 volumes)
    available at http://www.intel.com/design/pentium/MANUALS/index.htm

  • R. Hyde
    The Art of Assembly Language Programming
    http://webster.cs.ucr.edu/asm/asm.html

  • G. Estey
    Gavin's Guide to 80x86 Assembly
    http://www.strangecreations.com/library/assembly/tutor/asm1.htm

  • D. Trueman
    DOS Interrupts List
    http://www.truechap.demon.co.uk/files/dosints.htm

  • K. Irvine
    Assembly Language Sources
    http://www.nuvisionmiami.com/kip/asm.htm

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  Grading

  The course grade will be based on three exams and on weekly homework / lab work.

  • Three exams will be given. The three exam scores will contribute a total of 75% of the course grade.
  • Homework and lab work will together contribute the remaining 25%. Lab attendance is mandatory. The lowest of your homework/lab scores will be dropped.

  Note: Since the lowest homework / lab scores will be dropped, make-up lab sessions will not be offered under any circumstances. Late homework will not be accepted. Make-up exams would only be offered in cases of serious health-related emergencies, and only with appropriate documentation signed by a medical doctor.

  Academic Honesty

  You are encouraged to discuss assigned problems with other people but you must individually design and write your own solutions / code for all assignments. Furthermore, you should explicitly acknowledge any sources of ideas used that are not your own; this includes other people, books, web pages, etc. Submitting modified versions of other people's work as your own is considered cheating.

  Exams will be individual, closed book, no notes. All exam work must be submitted in non-erasable ink. No sharing of any materials will be allowed. This includes pens and other writing utensils, so be sure to bring an ample supply of these.

  Cheating will not be tolerated. Violators will receive an NR for the course and will be reported to the WPI Judicial Board. See the WPI Academic Honesty Policy.

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  What this course is about

  This course provides an introduction to the functional organization of computers, with an emphasis on issues relevant to assembly language programming. Topics include elements of machine architecture, machine language, assembly language, linking, loading, and logic circuits.

  The WPI undergraduate catalog course description is available at http://www.wpi.edu/Pubs/Catalogs/Ugrad/Current/cscourses.html#cs2011.

  Recommended background

  You should have experience with programming techniques and basic data structures in C/C++ or Java at the level of CS 2005.

  Before getting started

  • Get a Novell account if you don't have one
  • Read the instructions on downloading the course materials provided on this page
  • Bring floppy disks to each lab session; you will need to submit one or more files on floppy disks

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  Approximate Schedule of Topics

  Notes:
  Some deviations from this schedule may occur.
  Any updates will appear only at http://www.cs.wpi.edu/~alvarez/CS2011/A99/.
  The downloadable materials provided below complement the lectures, but are by no means intended to replace them. Students are responsible for all material covered in the lectures also.
  Certain links may become available only shortly before the corresponding topics are addressed in the lectures or labs.

  Week	Reading/Homework I: Irvine T: Tanenbaum IA: Intel Architecture Software Developer's Manual AA: The Art of Assembly Language Programming	Topics/Materials see download instructions
  Aug. 26-27	I: chapt. 1, appendix A T: chapt. 1, appendices A, B	Overview, Course Objectives Data representation Binary digits (.pdf) Unsigned integers (.pdf) Signed integers (.pdf) ASCII Unicode (www.unicode.org)
  Aug. 30 - Sept. 3	I: chapter 2, 3.1-3.6, 4.1-4.3, 15.2, 15.4, appendix B T: 2.1.1-2.1.2, 2.2.1-2.2.3, 5.1 through 5.1.5; 5.2.3; 5.3.3, 7.1 IA, vol. 1: chapter 3, 5.1, 7.2 IA, vol. 2: chapter 2 HW1 (due Sept. 3) HW1 Solutions Lab 1	IEEE 754 Standard Memory, addressing Little endian convention Instruction set level 80X86 architecture Instruction encoding Assembly language level Assembler directives Data allocation Data movement First assembly program Same program with comments Assemblers, linkers MASM/LINK example assembly source file listing file map file executable file (DOS only)
  Sept. 7-10 No class Sept. 6 Test 1, Sept. 10	I: 3.3, 3.7-3.8, 4.5 T: 7.3-7.4 AA: 4.6 HW2 (due Sept. 10) Lab 2 Topics for Test 1 (not exhaustive) Sample problems for Test 1 plus solutions Solutions to Test 1	Assembly language level Running TASM Control branching JMP, LOOP example assembly source code source listing, first version source listing, second version Arithmetic instructions Carry and overflow flags
  Sept. 13-17	I: 4.4, 4.7, 5.1-5.7, 6.2-6.4, chapter 8, 9.3-9.4, appendix G T: 5.4, 7.2, 5.6.5 IA, vol. 1: 4.1-4.3.4 DOS interrupts list HW3 (due Sept. 17) also see sample run and how to generate a script file Lab 3	Conditional branching IF-THEN example Stack Addressing modes Macros, procedures Example Parameter passing Stack frames Interrupts DOS/BIOS function calls DOS console I/O example BIOS pixel control example Linking modules example: main module other module assembling/linking Recursion Factorial example
  Sept. 20-24 Test 2, Sept. 24	I: 5.8, 7.1-7.2, 7.4, 9.2, 9.6-9.7 IA, vol. 1: 7.3-7.5 HW4 (due Sept. 24) Lab 4 Topics for Test 2 (not exhaustive) Practice Problems for Test 2 plus solutions Solutions to Test 2	Multiplication, division Multiplication by shifting & adding Binary-ASCII conversion writeint.asm (see Irvine 9.6)
  Sept. 27 - Oct. 1	I: 6.1, 12.1, 12.3, 13 HW5 (due Oct. 1) also see sample input file encrypted version randgen.asm Lab 5	Bit-level manipulation PPT slides File I/O Examples Linking to C++ mainprog.cpp randproc.asm
  Oct. 4-8	T: chapter 3 HW6 (due Oct. 8) Lab 6 Extra Credit (due Oct. 8)	Digital logic level Boolean algebra Karnaugh maps Notes (.pdf) Examples of combinational circuits Basic NOR latch Flip-flops Memory Examples of sequential circuits
  Oct. 11-14 Test 3, Oct. 12 Term ends Th. Oct. 14	T: 4.1-4.3 Topics for Test 3 (not exhaustive) Practice Problems for Test 3 plus solutions	Additional topics if time allows