CMSC 411 - Spring 1996

Section 0101: MW 2:00 - 3:15, CP 210
Section 0201: MW 5:30 - 6:45, SS 301
Instructor: Dr. Ethan Miller
E-mail: elm@cs.umbc.edu
Office: ECS 222
Hours: MW 4 - 5 PM or by appointment
TA: A. C. Mahendran
E-mail: mahendra@cs.umbc.edu
Office: ECS
Hours:
Syllabus: http://www.cs.umbc.edu/courses/graduate/411/spring96/syllabus.html

Prerequisite:

CMSC 311 or equivalent.

Required Text:

Computer Organization & Design: The Hardware / Software Interface, Patterson & Hennessy. Morgan-Kaufmann,

Exams:

There will be two (in-class) midterms and a final. Each midterm will cover a little less than half of the material - the midterms will be non-overlapping as much as possible. The two hour final may test all the material covered during the semester.

Homework:

Homeworks will be graded and will usually be due about a week after they are assigned. They must be done individually. You may discuss concepts with other students, but all work you hand in must be your own. Cheating on a homework assignment will result in a zero grade for the assignment and possible academic discipline.
Homework is due five minutes after the start of the section in which you are enrolled. Homeworks handed in by 5 PM the next day will lose 15%, and those handed in by 5 PM the following day will lose an additional 15%. No homework will be accepted more than two days late. You are encouraged to use e-mail to hand in your homework assignments.

Project:

Over the course of the semester, you'll ``build'' a simple CPU using a logic simulator to design and simulate the entire design. Rather than hand the full design in the last day of class, you'll hand in pieces of the project during the semester. This is being done both to give you feedback as you proceed in the design and to make sure you spread the design work out over the semester (instead of trying to do it all the last week of classes). Each handin will be penalized 15% per day late (including weekends). Handins more than 5 days late will receive a zero. Also, remember that later checkpoints will use parts designed earlier in the semester, so it may be difficult to recover if you fall behind early in the semester.
Learning to work in a group on computer design is an essential part of learning computer architecture because design projects are almost always too large for a single person. As a result, the project for CMSC 411 must be done in groups of two or three people (who need not be in the same section - both sections will be doing the same project). Those working on the project may receive different grades if the instructor or TA decides that one member did more (or less) work than the other(s). If you want me to assign you to a project group, please send me e-mail.

Computer Use:

The LogicWorks design package (version 2.5) will be available in the ECS Mac labs. However, this package has been unstable when used for projects the size of those being done in this class. There are a few copies of a different package - B^2Logic - installed on the PCs in the hardware design lab in ECS 237. However, there are only a few copies here; those who use them should expect delays in getting their projects done. Students are encouraged to purchase their own copy of either LogicWorks version 3.0 or B^2Logic (if you bought it for CMSC 311, there's no need to buy another copy).
Students should also have accounts on the gl cluster because some assignments may require the use of SGI-based software, and most of the class information will be available via WWW (lynx, Netscape, Mosaic).

Grading:

The project will account for 35% of your final grade, homeworks 20%, tests 40% (each midterm makes up 30% of the test grade and the final counts 40%), and class participation 5%. To pass the class, you must take all midterms and the final, and turn in a reasonable attempt at the project. There will be no exceptions to this rule. Requests for an incomplete must reach me by the last day of classes. The grading scale will be:

Grade	Points
A	87 - 100
B	77 - 86
C	67 - 76
D	60 - 66
F	0 - 59

Helpful Hints:

• Most of the information about the class is available via WWW at
  http://www.cs.umbc.edu/www/courses/undergraduate/411/spring96/
• Stop by office hours if you have a question. Don't wait until the day before the exam or the day the project is due.
• If you can't make my office hours, send me e-mail and we'll work out a time. I may not be available if you just walk by.
• Comments (good or bad) about the course are always welcome. Just put a note in my mailbox in the CS office or use Netscape in the Mac labs to send e-mail if you'd like to make an anonymous comment. You can also send me regular e-mail or tell me during office hours, but those comments won't be anonymous (of course).

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