ECE 495K - Introduction to Computer Engineering

Course Details

Lecture Hours: 3 Credits: 3

Counts as:

Experimental Course Offered:

Spring 2008

Catalog Description:

Introduction to the principles and practices of computer engineering, ranging from basic logic to the design of high-end computing hardware and software. This course covers numerical representations, digital logic design, low-level and high-level programming, and program design for modern multicore processors (such as the Core Duo used in many desktop and server machines or the Cell-BE used in the Playstation 3).
Credit cannot be obtained for both ECE 495K and CS 159 or equivalent.

Required Text(s):

  1. Introduction to Computing Systems , 2nd Edition , Yale N. Patt and Sanjay J. Patel , McGraw Hill , 2003 , ISBN No. 0072467509

Recommended Text(s):

None.

Learning Outcomes:

A student who successfully fulfills the course requirements will have demonstrated:
  1. None. [None]
  2. an understanding of the principles of digital logic design. [a,b,c,e,k]
  3. an understanding of the principles of assembly programming. [a,b,c,e,k]
  4. an understanding of the principles of high-level programming in C. [a,b,c,e,k]
  5. an understanding of the principles of multicore program design. [a,b,c,e,I,j,k]
  6. an understanding of how computer system components work together. [a,b,c,e,I,k]

Lecture Outline:

Hours Major Topics
1 Motivation
9 Digital Logic Principles
5 Computer Organization
8 Low-level (assembly) programming (including I/O)
7 High-level programming in C
6 Multicore programming
3 Operating systems and networking
5 Exams, exam review sessions, etc.

Assessment Method:

A student who receives a passing grade must have satisfied all of the course outcomes to some minimum degree. By awarding the student a passing grade, the instructor confirms that all of the outcomes have been satisfied. Outcomes based on material covered only during the final week or two of the course should be avoided. Students will have opportunities to demonstrate mastery of the course outcomes in various homework assignments and through exam questions.