CS 210: Assembly Language and Systems Programming (Spring 2009)

Instructor: Allan Cruse
cruse@usfca.edu
Phone: (415) 422-6562
Office: 212 Harney Science Center
Office Hours: (see my homepage)

This page is currently under construction

"Assembly language hides nothing, and withholds no power."
_{-- Jeff Duntemann, "Assembly Language Step-by-Step," John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (2000), p. xxiii.}

• This course introduces students to computer programming at the machine language level, as a means of
  exploring some basic concepts of microcomputer architecture, system software and peripheral hardware.
  It is comprised of lectures, readings, discussions, demonstrations, consultations, assigned design projects
  and scheduled exams.
  
  
• The course will focus primarily on the assembly language for Intel Core-2 Quad processors running the Linux
  operating system and will use the GNU assembler and program development tools. Students are presumed
  to have prior experience with computer programming in at least one high-level language (such as C/C++/java),
  and to be familiar with basic operating system commands (e.g., as covered in CS 110/112).
  
  
• Class meetings will be held in the Michael D. Kudlick computer classroom (Room 235, Harney Science Center)
  which affords convenient opportunities for combining formal instruction with "hands-on" programming exercises.
  This facility, a gift of USF alumnus Alfred S. Chuang ('82) opened in Fall 2002, and its equipment was upgraded
  most recently in Fall 2008.
  
  

Robert G. Plantz, Introduction to Computer Organization with x86-64 Assembly Language and GNU/Linux,
Sonoma State University (2009)
(prepublication manuscript in a limited edition will be available at the USF Bookstore in late January 2009)

• You will know the set of fundamental operations a computer can perform.
• You will know how to build complex computations out of simple operations.
• You will be able to "see through" code written in a high-level language.
• You will gain the capability to fully utilize features in modern CPUs.
• You will lay the conceptual ground for understanding later CS courses.
• You will acquire a skill-set of practical value in professional practice.

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Resources

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Systems Software

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Readings

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Handouts

• 0203-210-01: Course syllabus (PDF)

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Announcements

• Enrolled students may join the class mailing-list here
• No class meeting: February 16 (Presidents' Day)
• No class meetings: March 23-27 (Spring vacation)
• No class meeting: April 10 (Holy Day recess)
• Midterm Exam 1: Wednesday, February 25
• Midterm Exam 2: Monday, April 6
• FINAL EXAMINATION: Wednesday, 20 May 2009, 3:00pm