CSC 103 How Computers Work (Fall 03)

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Dates: Starts Thursday 23 Oct 2003
Times: TuTh 9:00-10:20; Th 1:00-2:50
Location: Seelye 212
Instructors: Judith Cardell and Joseph O'Rourke
Texbook: How Computers Work, 6th Edition; required ($35 at Grecourt Bookstore); Que Press; ISBN: 0789725495
O'Rourke Office Hours & Schedule
Grading: Quizzes: 40%; Assignments: 40%; Paper: 20%.
Assignments Schedule: Quizzes and assignments posted Thursday, always due the following Thursday.

Teaching Assistants

Emily McDonald emcdonald@email.smith.edu
Meghan Hoke mhoke@email.smith.edu

Day	Time	Who	Location
Thursday	3:00-5:00PM	Emily	Seelye 212
Wednesday	6:30-8:30PM	Meghan	Seelye 212

Syllabus (High Level)

Week	Dates	Topic	Lab
1	23 Oct	Outline; Op Sys	Dismantle PC
2	28/30 Oct	History; Windows; JavaScript	Javascript Forms
3	4/6 Nov	JavaScript; Binary	JavaScript Programs
4	11/13 Nov	ASCII; Binary; Translation and Assembly	ASCII; Binary; AND/OR
5	18/20 Nov	Boolean Logic; Circuits	Circuits
6	25 Nov	Transistors
7	2/4 Dec	Hardware Components	5: Dissection; Electronics
8	9/11 Dec	Future; Presentations
	last day of exams	Paper due

Syllabus (Detailed)


Week	Date	Topic	Textbook coverage	Links	Labs	Quiz	Assignment
1	Thurs 23 Oct Notes1a Notes1b	Outline; Operating Systems; Hardware components	Ch.1:pp.10-15 Ch.2:pp.18-23 Ch.3:pp.24-33 Pt.2: pp.44-46 Ch.5:pp.56-61	History of Op Sys		Quiz1 (due Thurs 30 Oct) Q1 Answers	Read textbook and take quiz; Send email re expectations
2	Tues 28 Oct Notes2a Notes2b	History; Windows; Software Apps	History: Pt.1:pp.4-9; Pt.2:pp.36-43 Ch.5:pp.56-67.	Babbage Tinkertoys	Lab: Windows System
	Thurs 30 Oct Notes2c	Programming Languages in general; JavaScript in particular	Pt.2: OS & Prog.Lang, pp.35-55; JavaScript Tutorials (not in book)	JavaScript Tutorials: Basic Recognition of a JavaScript; Using Buttons for JavaScripts; Variables and Functions; Logical Operators	Lab: Forms+JavaScript	Quiz2 (due Thurs 6 Nov) Q2 Answers	A1 (due Thurs 6 Nov)
3	Tues 4 Nov Notes3a	JavaScript vars; operators		Variables, etc.	Lab: Shopping Cart
	Thurs 6 Nov Notes3b	JavaScript control; Binary #s		Conditionals	Lab: ZipCode	Quiz3 (due Thurs 13 Nov) Q3 Answers	A2 (due Thurs 13 Nov)
4	Tues 11 Nov Notes4a	Translation and Assembly	pp.48-55, esp. 54-55		Lab: PIPPIN-1
	Thurs 13 Nov Notes4b	Boolean Logic	pp.112-113	Boolean Tutorial ASCII PIPPIN Simulator PIPPIN Guide	Lab: PIPPIN-2	Quiz4 (due Thurs 20 Nov) Q4 Answers	A3 (due Thurs 20 Nov)
5	Tues 18 Nov Notes5a	Gates, Logic Circuits	pp.94-113	Circuits Digital	Lab: Circuits-a
	Thurs 20 Nov Notes5b	XOR; Half Adder; Full Adder			Lab: Circuits-b	Quiz5 (due Tues 2 Dec) Q5 Answers	A4 (due Tues 2 Dec)
6	Tues 22 Nov Notes6a	RAM; Clock signals; Control Logic; Clock MHz; cache & RAM size	pp. 102-107; 114
7	Tues 2 Dec Notes7a	Magnetic Storage: Tapes, disks. Optical Storage	Part IV: pp.121-177 (see notes for details)	Photonic Storage
	Thurs 4 Dec Notes7b	Video Monitors; LCD displays; Keyboards; Paper consultation	p.85; Ch.19: pp.214-221; pp.210-213	How LCDs Work		Quiz6 (due 11 Dec) Q6 Answers	Paper Plan due
8	Tues 9 Dec	Paper Presentations
	Thurs 11 Dec Notes8a	Robotics etc.
	Fri 19 Dec	Final Paper due		Paper Specs