Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

 

ECE 2504:  Introduction to Computer Engineering

CRN

 

Spring 2008

 

Lecturer:                                        Dr. Joe Tront                         jgtront@vt.edu            359 Durham Hall               

GTAs:                                            Abhranil Maiti                             abhranil@vt.edu                  CEL

                                                        Choon Li                                       cli@vt.edu                             CEL

 

Office Hours:                               Tront                MW -  1:30-2:30 or by appointment; subject to change as needed.

 

Required Materials:                    Mano, M., Computer System Architecture and Design with PIC Microcontrollers, Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, NJ.  This is a “custom publishing” text for this course and contains only the first four chapters of the text.

                                                        Capilano Computing Systems, Ltd., LogicWorks 5, Prentice-Hall, 2004.

                                                        ECE 2504 Laboratory Manual (posted as a pdf file on the CEL webpage)

                                                        ECE 2504 Trainer Kit & Chip Set           
(http://www.ece.vt.edu/cel/Kits/ECE-Lab-Kits.html#ECE2504)

Course Objective:                        The objective of this course is for each student to comprehend the fundamental concepts of computer engineering.  The course is targeted at engineering and computer science students who may use computers or who may design computers or other digital systems.  The course introduces basic principles and design concepts spanning a range of topics from digital logic to computer organization and assembly language programming.  The course prepares students for more advanced courses in computer architecture (ECE/CS 4504), digital design (ECE 3504/4514), and microprocessors system design (ECE 3534, 4534).

Major Measurable
Learning Objectives:

·         represent and manipulate information in binary form,

·         design and construct basic combinational and sequential logic circuits,

·         implement designs represented in a register transfer language,

·         discuss the organization and operation of a basic digital computer,

·         discuss the functions of medium scale integrated circuits,

·         write machine language computer programs and discuss their execution by a basic computer,

·         write elementary assembly language programs and discuss their translation to machine language programs, and

·         write reports on hardware and software design projects.

 

Prerequisites:                                ECE 1574  Students are also expected to have a sufficient level of maturity to undertake small, independent design projects.

 

 

Grading:                                        Final Exam                                                                   20%

                                                        Mid-terms (2)                                                               30%        (15% each)

                                                        Homework                                                                   10%

                                                        Quizzes                                                                          10%

                                                        Design projects (5)                                                       30%

                                                        (DP0 2%, DP1 6 %, DP2     8%, DP3 6%, DP4 8%)

                                                                                                                                                ------

                                                                                                                                                100%

 

Final semester grades will be determined after all work is completed and graded.  Point ranges for letter grades will be based on a number of factors, including absolute and relative performance.  Letter grades will not be determined by a fixed curve or a fixed point range.  Students with questions about their performance or concerns about grades or class standing should discuss them with the instructor. Don’t wait to discuss your grades until after the semester ends!

 

Grading policies:                          All homework and design projects are due at the beginning of class on their due dates.  Late work will not be accepted.  Work that is not turned in will be assigned a grade of zero.

 

                                                        A zero in two or more design projects will result in an overall semester grade of zero in the design project grading category.

 

                                                        If you feel that an error has been made in the grading of an assignment or an exam, you must present the work along with a written appeal to the instructor within one week after the graded work is returned to you.  Verbal appeals will not be considered.  Grades will not be changed after the one week period.  Appeals should address specific grading errors -- negotiations over partial credit will not be considered.

 

Examinations:                             There will be two mid-term examinations and a comprehensive final examination. All examinations will be closed book, closed notes. 

                                                        Students are expected to take all examinations during the announced time periods – NO makeup examinations will be given!  If you miss a mid-term examination for a reason that has been approved in advance, the weighting of your final exam will be increased by the weight of the mid-term (e.g., if you miss an exam, you final will constitute 37% of your final grade).  Missed exams without prior approval will be scored as zeroes.

Homework:                                  Homework assignments will include problems from the textbook and other problems. Work on homework problems during the week to help you understand lectures and the text.

                                                        All homework will be graded, with the grade based on effort for all problems and the correctness of one or more selected problems. The selected problems to be graded for correctness will not be announced prior to submission.

                                                        Students may discuss general approaches to solving H/W problems among themselves.  The actual solutions that are turned in for grading are expected to be the original work of the individual student.  See the section on the Honor Code in this syllabus.

Homework may be hand written.  However, all information that is turned in for grading should be neat, clearly organized, and legible.  Work that cannot be easily read (in the opinion of instructor or GTA) will receive no credit.  You must submit all homework and project reports on electronically by sending them to the appropriate GTA. Electronic files may be generated using electronic ink and a tablet PC, they may be typed and electronically drawn, or documents written on paper may be scanned and converted to an appropriate format. Word documents are preferred; PDF documents are acceptable. We will provide special instructions, supply templates for diagrams and the like, and make accommodations whenever it is appropriate 

 

Quizzes:                                         Short, unannounced, in-class quizzes will be given. The quizzes will be on material covered recently in lecture or reading assignments, topics relevant to projects, and/or problems assigned as part of the homework assignments. Quizzes will be closed book and notes. 

                                                        The lowest two quiz grades will be dropped in computing the overall quiz grade.  Make-up quizzes will not be given. If you miss a quiz, you will receive a grade of zero for that quiz.

Design Projects:                           Five laboratory design projects will be assigned during the course.  The projects will be split between hardware and software aspects of computer design. 

                                                        Grading for Projects 1-4 will be based on a 70/30 split as follows:  70% on the technical aspects of the project (e.g., correctness of operation, efficiency, and completion of technical requirements) and 30% on the manner of presentation of the report (e.g., organization of the report's content, thorough documentation, grammar, and spelling). 

                                                        Design project reports will be prepared using a Word.  All figures and schematic diagrams should be prepared using a computer drawing package or CAD tool.  Additional requirements/expectations for the reports are contained in the course lab manual and individual project assignments. Projects will be submitted electronically.

Hardware projects will consist of digital circuit design using TTL logic devices.  You will build your hardware projects on a trainer kit that you must purchase.  Visit the Lab Kits section of the CEL web page (http://www.ece.vt.edu/cel/Kits/ECE-Lab-Kits.html) for more information.

 

The software projects will require you to design and implement assembly language programs, and to simulate their execution using MPLAB, which is a PIC processor simulator. Details on obtaining the PIC software tools will be announced later in the semester.

 

Project operation must be validated by GTAs on duty in the Computer Engineering Lab (CEL, 3rd floor Durham Hall).  Lab hours will be posted on the lab door.  In general, you must have an on-duty GTA validate each of your projects. Computer Engineering GTAs will hold office hours in the Computer Engineering Lab (CEL). Any GTA in the CEL can validate your project. We will post the lab hours once the CEL Directors set the lab schedule.

 

                                                        Honor Code:                        Honesty in your academic work develops into professional integrity.  As such, the Honor Code will be strictly enforced in this course.  All aspects of your course work are covered by the Honor System.  All examinations, design projects, homework, and quizzes are expected to be your own individual work unless otherwise noted.    Report any suspected violations of the Honor Code promptly.  Discussion and cooperative learning on general topics covered in the course is encouraged.  However, using another student's solution, design, implementation, computer program or files and/or other specific results is prohibited and will be considered an Honor Code violation. 

Special Needs:                              Any student who is having difficulty in the course or who feels that he or she may need an accommodation because of a disability should see me during my office hours.

Students requesting accommodations due to potential conflicts with the observance of religious or ethnic holidays or time periods should contact the instructor in the first week of class.