Topics and other material for dates in the future should be taken as tentative and subject to change. Links will generally be completed only slightly before they are to be used.
| Date | Topics | Resources | Readings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sept 8 | Course introduction. Computation. Turing machines. Data representations (e.g., Binary, ASCII). | Article on Computer Science
ASCII Characters Binary converter |
TMCM Ch. 1
HCW Ch. 1-2 |
| Sept 13 | Boolean logic. Transistors and logic gates. Logic circuits. | Circuit Simulator
Boolean Logic Tutorial (read truth tables only) |
HCW Pt. 2 intro |
| Sept 15 | Binary addition. Memory circuits. | Digital Logic notes | TMCM Ch. 2 (not §2.2.4 and 2.2.5)
HCW Ch. 5 |
| Sept 20 | Memory arrays and processing units (ALU & CPU). | HCW Ch. 6, 10 (11-13 opt.) | |
| Sept 22 | CPU architecture, fetch-execute cycle; boot sequence | TMCM Ch. 3 (skip §3.2.1; skim §3.2.6)
HCW Pt. 1 intro; Ch. 3-4 |
|
| Sept 27 | PIPPIN assembly language; Programming PIPPIN. | PIPPIN User's Guide | HCW Pt 3 intro. |
| Sept 29 | High-level languages. Java sample program. | TMCM Ch. 8
HCW Ch. 7 |
|
| Oct 4 | Peripheral Devices. | TMCM Ch. 5
HCW Part 5 |
|
| Oct 6 | Operating Systems | In the Beginning was the Command Line (Neal Stephenson, 1999) | HCW Ch. 8 |
| Oct 11 | |||
| Oct 13 | Discretionary Topic, part 1 | Soul of the Mark III Beast | |
| Oct 18 | Discretionary Topic, part 2 | ||
| Oct 20 | Course summary & final paper presentations |