CSC 111: Assembly-Language Programming

MW 2:45-4:20pm, Adams 201C

Dr. Chuck C. Liang
Office: Adams 201A
Office Phone: (516 463) 5559
Office Hours: MW 4:30-5:30 pm, TuTh 3-4pm, F 11:10am-12:10pm, or by appointment.
Email: cscccl@hofstra.edu

Course Description:

Organization of a computer: memory, addressing; number systems and conversion. Assemblers, base registers, relocation. Fixed-point numeric processing, string processing, indexing and iteration. Floating-point arithmetic and Boolean operations. Subroutines, macros, i/o channel programming.
Prerequisite: CSC (14 && 16) || ENGG 10 || BCIS 50

Required Text: "Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers" by Kip R. Irvine. Prentice Hall 1999.


Class Web Page: http://www.cs.hofstra.edu/~cscccl/csc111/


List of Major Topics (tentative):

  1. Computer system organization overview
  2. Digital number systems: two's complement and hexadecimal
  3. Intel x86 architecture: register organization
  4. Debug and MASM
  5. Assmbler format and basic instructions
  6. Addressing modes; pointers
  7. stack usage
  8. procedure calls
  9. System Interupts
  10. Interupt Handling
  11. VGA graphics
  12. Port IO
  13. Inline assembly
  14. Sun Sparc architecture
  15. RISC v.s. CISC philosophy
  16. Sparc instructions
  17. Pipelining
  18. Register windows
  19. Relationship with high-level languages
  20. Advanced topics



Exams, Assignments and Grading

Assignments will be given regularly. There will be a midterm exam and a final. The final exam will be cumulative. Periodic quizes may also be given. The grade distribution will be roughly 55% exams and quizes and 45% attendence, programming assignments and other homeworks.

All material handed in must be in hard copy, and be well organized and legible. Unreadable material will not be graded. Consultation of outside sources (including books, friends) for completion of assignments must be pre-approved.
Late assignments will not be accepted.

Attendance

Regular class attendance is required. Students are responsible for all material, in all forms, presented during scheduled class times. Attendence records may be kept and used to determine final grade. The instructor reserves the right to inspect documentation for valid absences.

Students are required to keep copies of all programming assignments throughout the semester. When working in a group, all group members must posses current versions of the assignment.


Final Note: The contents of the this syllabus may be modified depending on the progress of the course.