CS 273 Syllabus

Please note that this syllabus includes not only this web page, but also the pages linked to it.

General Information, Office Hours, Etc.
Policies

Grading
Attendance
Unacceptable Behavior
Incompletes

Students With Disabilities

General Information

Instructor

pfeiffer@cs.nmsu.edu

Office Hours

MWF	~4:30	-	5:30
	(after CS 273 lab and faculty meeting)

and by appointment

Teaching Assistant

cliu@cs.nmsu.edu

Office Hours

Tuesday

1:00

2:00

Texts

M68HC11 Reference Manual
M68HC11 Programming Reference Guide
The above manuals are supplied through the very generous assistance of Motorola, so there is no charge for them
Miller, Microcomputer Engineering, 3/E, Prentice-Hall, 2004, ISBN 0-13-142804-7. The book has a companion webpage. You really, really want to explore that web page, and the links from it - there is a lot of information there that will help you a lot.
Lab manual, available in the department office when you pay the lab fee.
The Joy of Coding: an HC11 Cookbook

Prerequisites

At least C in CS 171 or EE 162

Lab Fee

Lab Fee: There is a $42.00 lab fee for each student, payable at the department office. Note: if you already have a copy of the lab manual, or you wish to share with someone in the class (not recommended), you may pay $35.00 and not get the manual.

Objectives

To learn the organization and use of general purpose computers, using the MC68HC11 as a model. We'll be focussing on real-time process control applications.

Topics

Computer Components
Computer Number Representation
Computer Program Execution
Input and Output; sensors and actuators
Real Time Process Control
Data Structures for High Level Languages
Other Processors

Laboratory Facilities

Each team of two students each will be issued a miniboard computer kit.
There is a supply of LEGO parts and sensors from which to construct a robotic car.
A number of the Linux computers in SH 118 are useable for this class. All necessary software (editors, the assembler, the simulator, the downloader) are available on these machines; the ones nearest the door are equipped with the necessary connector to download programs to the miniboards (the intent is to move these machines to the CS273 area in the lab. Unfortunately, some networking hardware did not arrive in time).

Policies

Grading

Your course grade will be based on three equally-weighted components:

Grade Assignment

You must turn in at least half of the homework and take both exams, or you will get an F. Beyond that, grades will be assigned on the following scale:

A:	81	-	100%
B:	61	-	80%
C:	41	-	60%
D:	0	-	40%

Note: this doesn't mean it's easy to get an A, it means my assignments, my exams and my grading are all rigorous

Due Dates, Late Homework and Makeup Exams

Unless stated otherwise, homework is due before class on the due date.

I will be accepting late homework under the following conditions:

If you will be unable to complete an assignment on time, send me e-mail in advance explaining the circumstances, and the desired extension. If, in my judgement, the circumstances are unavoidable and the extension is reasonable, I will grant the extension (note that students on University business have an automatic right to a reasonable extension). I reserve the right to require documentation of the circumstances.
If, as a result of an emergency (such as a medical emergency), you are unable to turn in an assignment on time, let me know the circumstances as soon as possible. If, in my judgement, the circumstances were an unavoidable emergency, I will take the homework late. I reserve the right to require documentation of the circumstances.
Note: conflicts with homework in other classes, simply failing to complete an assignment on time, and oversleeping, are not reasons I will accept for late homework.

Attendance and Automatic Withdrawals

I don't take attendance, and your presence or absence in my class won't have any (direct) bearing on your grade. However, you are responsible for any material covered in class, including course material, clarifications and changes to homework assignments, and information regarding exams, whether you are in class or not.

Attendance in lab is mandatory for the first few weeks, as you need to be present to learn the software environment and to construct your computer and robot. Once these tasks are complete, lab attendance is also optional.

I do not drop students for persistent absence nor persistent failure to turn in assignments. If you don't turn in the assignments or take the exams, and you don't withdraw from the course, you will fail.

Grading Standards

It's important to remember that, while I will supervise the TA and I will discuss the grading with him or her, I will not in general review in detail the grading of the problems (if I did, there wouldn't be any point in having TAs; I'd spend as much time looking over their shoulders as I would have grading). So, if in your opinion these standards are not being adhered to, you need to inform me of the situation as soon as possible.

If this class has a TA, the TA will grade the assignments and I will grade the exams.
Each question will be given a clearly stated maximum point value, on the original assignment or exam. Subparts of questions may or may not have such a maximum. The points don't have to add up to 100; your score will be converted to a percentage.
The assignments are equally weighted, not the points. If one assignment is graded on a total of ten points, and another is graded on a total of twenty points, then the points on the latter assignment are only worth half as much as the ones on the former.
Some questions lend themselves to having particular point values removed (ie -1, -5, etc) for particular mistakes, while for others it is more appropriate to simply assign an overall score based on the quality of an answer. In either case, there will be a note on your assignment stating why you didn't get full credit on every problem.

Incompletes

Under university policy, Incompletes may be given only if a student has passed the first half of the course, and is precluded from successful completion of the second half of the course by a documented illness or family crisis that the instructor believes genuinely precluded successful completion.

Unacceptable Behavior

Unless otherwise stated on an assignment, assignments (including programs) in this class are to be completed individually. Copying of assignments is plagiarism and will not be tolerated. You are responsible for maintaining the security of files under your account; in cases of plagiarism I will ordinarily regard both parties as equally guilty.

Students With Disabilities

Students with Disabilities. If you have or believe you have a disability and would benefit from any accommodations, you may wish to self-identify by contacting the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) Office located in Room 244 of Corbett Center (phone: 646-6840). If you have already registered, please make sure that your instructor receives a copy of the accommodation memorandum from SSD within the first two weeks of classes. It is your responsibility to inform either your instructor or SSD representative in a timely manner if services/accommodations provided are not meeting your needs.

If you have a condition which may affect your ability to exit safely from the premises in an emergency or which may cause an emergency during class, you are encouraged to discuss any concerns with the instructor and/or Mr. Michael Armendariz, SSD Coordinator . Feel free to call Paul Gayle Smith (EEO/ADA and Employee Relations Director) at 646-3333 with any questions about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and/or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. All medical information will be treated confidentially.