CMSC 313 — Fall 2015

Final Exam Review Guide

The exam will be a mix of True/False, possibly multiple choice, short answers, and several longer answers. It will also include some short and medium-length coding, as well as understanding provided assembly and C code.

We will make the toupper.asm program available during the exam, as well as a table of the Boolean algebra identity rules.

Final Exam Topic Outline:

• All the topics from the first half of the course
  (This will comprise ~20% of the final exam.)
  See the link to the midterm study guide for topics.
  
  
• Basic C
  (Much of this should be review of materials learned in CMSC 202)
  • Basic types: char, float, int, double, long, unsigned
  • Variable declarations: scope and lifetime
  • Basic control structures: if/else, for-loops, while/do-while loops, switch
  • Advanced operators: ternary operator (?:), bit operators (<<, >>, &, |, ^)
  • sizeof(), typedef
  • Arrays, including multi-dimensional
  • Constants: #define vs. const
• C Standard I/O (stdio)
  • stin, stdout, stderr
  • fopen() fclose()
  • printf()/sprintf(), including format specs covered in lecture
  • scanf()/fscanf()
  • EOF handling
• String functions
  • strlen(), strcpy(), strncpy(), etc.
  • null termination
• C structs
  • defining, initializing structs
  • accessing struct members
  • sizeof() for structs
  • offsets of struct members, padding
• C Pointers
  • What they are, uses
  • pointer declaration
  • Using '*' and '&' operators
  • NULL pointers
  • Using pointers to simulate "pass by reference"
  • Pointers to structs
  • Pointers and arrays
  • Pointer arithmetic
  • Pointers to pointers
  • const pointers vs. pointers to consts
• Dynamic memory
  • malloc()/calloc()/realloc()/free() usage
  • NULL return values
  • Dynamic multi-dimensional arrays, ragged arrays
  • Perils and pitfalls
• C/assembly interface: the phases of the __cdecl calling convention
• Function ptrs
  • Declaring, assigning to, and invoking function pointers
  • qsort() example
  • (Details of polymorphism will not be covered on final, just concept)
• Boolean algebra
  • Boolean expressions and functions
  • Truth tables
  • Using Boolean identity rules, especially DeMorgan's Law, to simplify expressions (a table of the identity rules will be provided)
  • Canonical (standardized) forms: Sum of Products, Product of Sums
• Logic gates
  • AND, OR, NOT, XOR, NAND, NOR gates
  • graphic symbols, function
  • Why NAND, NOR are called "universal gates"
  • Rules of Equivalence & Universality
• Transistor logic
  • Transistors as switches/relays
  • How n-type and p-type transistors behave
  • Don't need to remember details on how semiconductors work at molecular level
• Half- and full-adders
  • How to construct one from truth table
  • Connecting into ripple-carry adders
• Decoders, multiplexers, demultiplexers
• Sequential circuits
  • Clocks
  • Using feedback for stable circuits
  • SR flip-flops, including constructing from gates
  • JK flip-flops, D flip-flops
• Finite state machines (FSMs)
  • State transition diagrams, state tables, state assignment, state truth tables
• Karnaugh maps (K-maps) for circuit minimization
• Implicants, prime implicants, essential prime implicants
• K-map algorithm
• FSM simplification
  • State reduction algorithm
  • state assignment (just understand concept of how this works, why it's important)
  • (flip-flop selection NOT covered)
• CPU design
  • There were no new topics for this--just application of earlier techniques; just understand steps
• Cache & virtual memory lectures will not be covered on final exam