Faculty Contact Information:
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Email: chpayne@ed.umuc.edu
Phone: +49 06221 378203
DSN 370 6762
Office hours : Before or after class or at other times by appointment at the Heidelberg office. | |
Consultation:
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Office hours: Before or after class or by appointment
Class meetings will be: 29/30 Jan, 26/27 Feb, 23/24 Apr, 21/22 May 2005
Times : 09.00-16.00 (Lunch 1200 - 1300) | |
Required Texts and Readings:
American Psychological Association. (1994). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (4th ed.). Washington, DC. ISBN: 1-55798-241-4 [APA]
Tanenbaum, Andrew S. (1999). Structured Computer Organization (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-13-095990-1 [SCO]
Tanenbaum, Andrew S.V (2001). Modern Operating Systems (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. ISBN: 0-13-031358-0 [MOS] | |
Supplementary Readings:
The standard for papers in the graduate program is the APA style. All participants in this course and all graduate MSIT, INSS, MGMT, PUAD, and ECON courses should have a copy of the style guide:
American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th edi.). Washington DC: Author.
All graduate students should be prepared to utilize theUMUC online library. The library contains a large number of full text academic journals that are free of charge and immediately available. The library homepage also contains a number of links related to improving students' research and writing skills. | |
Recommended Journals:
| Publications of the various professional societies (such as ACM -- the Association for Computing Machinery, the IEEE Computing Society, and the various management professional societies) are strongly recommended. In addition, there are many trade journals (such as eWEEK) that IT professionals should become familiar with, many of these being published both weekly and on-line. | |
Course Description:
| This course examines the major hardware and system software components and underlying technologies that are the basis of the modern digital computer. Major developments in the evolution of computers are reviewed first; theoretical and engineering topics include Boolean logic, the von Neumann architecture, and semiconductor device technology. The similarities and differences between mainframes, minicomputers, and microprocessors are then investigated. Supercomputer, parallel processor, and distributed system architectures are examined. Various types of storage media and input/output devices are discussed. An overview of system software elements, including operating systems and middleware, is also presented. The course concludes by introducing the student to advanced topics such as optical computers and biomolecular computers. | |
Course Goals:
Upon successful completion of this course, the student should understand and be able to apply knowledge concerning:
- Hardware and systems software components that "realize" modern computers.
- Basic theoretical and engineering concepts on which modern computing is based.
- Impact of design choices on performance.
- Current and emerging issues and trends in the design and production of computers.
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Course Objectives:
Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:
- Describe the concept of the Turing Machine, and its relationship to modern computers.
- Analyze the concept, strengths, and weaknesses of the von Neumann architecture.
- Explain the technologies and economics of semiconductor chip production.
- Define the basic concepts of Boolean algebra and its implementation in hardware logic gates.
- Identify the components of computer hardware architectures, and how they interact.
- Describe the interaction between computer operating systems and the underlying hardware.
- Discuss the possible future of high performance computing, in terms of emerging technologies such as quantum and biomolecular computing.
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Grading Information:
Final grades will be calculated as follows:
Mid-term examination: 30%
Final examination: 30%
Research paper: 30%
Participation: 10%
According to the Graduate School grading policy, the following symbols and scale are used:
A = excellent (90-100)
B = good (80-89)
C = passing (70-79)
F = failure (less than 70)
The grade of "B" represents the benchmark for the Graduate School. It indicates the student has demonstrated competency in the subject matter of the course, i.e., has fulfilled all course requirements on time, has a clear grasp of the full range of course materials and concepts, and is able to present and apply these materials and concepts in clear, reasoned, well-organized and grammatically correct responses, whether written or oral.
Only students who full meet this standard and, in addition, who demonstrate exceptional comprehension and application of the course subject matter, merit an "A."
Students who do not meet the benchmark standard of competency fall within the "C" range or lower. They, in effect, have not met graduate level standards. Where this failure is substantial, they earn an "F." | |
Course Requirements:
1. Examinations: There will be a midterm exam and a final exam designed to help students improve their understanding of the concepts discussed in the course and apply the concepts to some specific scenarios.
2. Research Project: A research project will give the graduate student an opportunity to bring the information and concepts learned in the course to bear on a topic of concern. The research is documented in the form of an analytic research paper, which includes a review of the recent literature of a topic approved by the professor. The research project should review the literature, distill the primary issues, discuss the various possible solutions to the issues raised, identify "trends," and formulate a position.
3. Participation: Students are expected to prepare for each class meeting and participate in the discussion. In an online environment, the best way to demonstrate your understanding, learning and subject interest is through your active participation in various tasks, projects and assignments designed specifically for this class. | |
Description of Course Requirements:
Successful graduate students in American universities dedicate approximately three hours of preparation/study time for every hour spent in the face-to-face classroom. Thus, the following course requirements were developed on the assumption that students would be prepared to spend approximately 150 hours of their own time working on them. In an 8-week term, that is the equivalent of a half-time job. Most 14-week graduate distance education courses require at least 10 hours per week of dedicated time, plus time spent in the virtual classroom.
STATEMENT ON WRITING REQUIREMENTS:
Effective managers and leaders are also effective communicators. Written communication is an important element of the total communication process. The Graduate School recognizes and expects exemplary writing to be the norm for course work. To this end, all analyses and papers must demonstrate graduate level writing ability and comply with the format requirements of the Publications Manual of the American Psychological Association. All writing assignments will be graded on the basis of content, logic, analysis, mechanics, organization, and research. Careful attention should be given to source citations, proper listing of references, the use of footnotes, and the presentation of tables and graphs. Work submitted online should follow standard procedures for formatting and citation.
POLICY ON ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:
Academic integrity is central to the learning and teaching process. Students are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that will contribute to the maintenance of academic integrity by making all reasonable efforts to prevent the occurrence of academic dishonesty. Academic dishonesty includes (but is not limited to) obtaining or giving aid on an examination, having unauthorized prior knowledge of an examination, doing work for another student, and plagiarism of all types.
PLAGIARISM:
Plagiarism is the intentional or unintentional presentation of another person's idea or product as one's own. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to the following: copying verbatim all or part of another's written work; using phrases, charts, figures, illustrations, or mathematical or scientific solutions without citing the source; paraphrasing ideas, conclusions, or research without citing the source; and using all or part of a literary plot, poem, film, musical score, or other artistic product without attributing the work to its creator. Students can avoid unintentional plagiarism by following carefully accepted scholarly practices. Notes taken for papers and research projects should accurately record sources of material to be cited, quoted, paraphrased, or summarized, and papers should acknowledge these sources in footnotes. The penalties for plagiarism include a zero or a grade of F on the work in question, a grade of F in the course, suspension with a file letter, suspension with a transcript notation, or expulsion. Resubmission of course work from previous classes (whether or not taken at UMUC, UMUC-Europe or BSU), partially or in its entirety, is not acceptable in this course and will result in an automatic failure on the assignment.
DISABLED STUDENTS:
Students with disabilities who need to register or request services should contact the Staff Support Team four to six weeks in advance of registration to request and register for services.
COURSE EVALUATIONS:
Feedback on each graduate course and instructor is important to the university, your professor, and to all UMUC students. UMUC has the responsibility to assess the effectiveness of classroom instruction, and each student has the responsibility to provide accurate and timely feedback through completion of the course evaluation form. This is a shared obligation for us all. It is therefore important that you complete the evaluation form for each course you attend. This should be viewed as an additional course and program requirement. | |
Course Schedule:
SESSION 1: Concepts of Computing - From the Abacus to the Pentium
- Overview of computing
- A short history of computing.
- Diversity in the computing industry
- Examples of hardware implementations.
Readings: SCO, Chapter 1, SCO, Appendixes A and B
SESSION 2: How Computers are Organized - Processors, Memory, and Input/Output
- Basic digital computer components
- Processors
- Memory
- Input/Output
Readings: SCO, Chapter 2
SESSION 3: Digital Logic - The Design of Computer Hardware
- The concept of Boolean algebra and logic gates
- Building a computing system
- Designing input/output interfaces
Readings: SCO, Chapter 3
SESSION 4: Semiconductor Chip Fabrication
- Historical background
- Overview of semiconductors
- Chip fabrication process
- Economics of chip production
- The next generation of chips
Readings: Internet reading, TBD
SESSION 5: Implementing the Instruction Set at the Microarchitecture Level
- The role of the microarchitecture level
- An example microarchitecture implementation
- An example macroarchitecture
- Design tradeoffs and improving performance
- Commercial implementation examples
Readings: SCO, Chapter 4
SESSION 6: The Instruction-Set Architecture
- Overview of instruction-set architectures
- Representing data types
- Instruction formats
- Addressing modes
- Instruction sets
- Flow control
- The Towers of Hanoi problem
- Limitations of the Pentium architecture
Readings: SCO, Chapter 5
SESSION 7: Midterm Examination
Examination to include material covered in Sessions 1-6.
SESSION 8: Operating Systems - Part 1
- Overview of operating systems
- Operating system functions
- Task scheduling
- Memory management
Readings: MOS, Chapter 1, SCO Chapter 6
SESSION 9: Operating Systems - Part 2
- System-level processes
- Threads
- Inter-process communication (IPC)
- File systems
Readings: MOS, Chapter 2, SCO, Chapter 6
SESSION 10: Assembly Language
- Introduction to assembly language
- Introduction to assembly language macros
- Assembly process
- The linking and loading process
Readings: SCO, Chapter 7
SESSION 11: Parallel Computer Architectures
- Introduction to parallel computers
- Design issues
- Design alternatives
- Performance metrics
- Representative machines
Readings: SCO, Chapter 8
Individual Paper is Due.
SESSION 12: Topics in Advanced Computing - Massively Parallel Systems, Biomolecular, Quantum, and Optical Computing
- The need for high performance computing
- The coming demise of Moore's Law
- Alternatives to the von Neumann architecture
- Massively parallel systems
- Optical computers
- Quantum computers
- Biomolecular computers
Readings: Internet reading assignment TBD
SESSION 13: Group Project Presentations and Course Material Review
Group case study paper due.
Student groups will make 30-minute project presentations. The remainder of the class will be a review of the material covered in the semester.
SESSION 14: Final Examination
Comprehensive examination includes all material covered in course. | |
Academic Policies:
The University has a license agreement with Turnitin.com, a service that helps prevent plagiarism from internet resources. I may be using this service in this class by either requiring students to submit their papers electronically to Turnitin.com or by submitting questionable text on behalf of a student. If you or I submit part or all of your paper, it will be stored by Turnitin.com in their database throughout the term of the University's contract with Turnitin.com. If you object to this temporary storage of your paper, you must let me know no later than two weeks after the start of this class. Please Note: If you object to the storage of your paper on Turnitin.com, I may utilize other services to check your work for plagiarism
The official university policy on Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty can be found at http://www.umuc.edu/policy/aa15025.shtml. Section I.C. states: "Faculty may determine if the resubmission of course work from previous classes (whether or not taken at UMUC), partially or in its entirety, is acceptable when assigning a grade on that piece of course work. Faculty must provide this information in their written syllabi. If the resubmission of course work is deemed to be unacceptable, a charge may not be brought under this Policy and will be handled as indicated in the written syllabi."
Please refer to Description of Course Requirements for specific information on how resubmissions will be treated in this course and to the UMUC-Europe Graduate Catalog for information on the following:
Academic Integrity
Course Load
Exception to Policy
Grade Appeal Process
Make-up Examinations
Nondiscrimination
Students with Disabilities
Hard copies of the catalog are available at your local Education Center. | |
Faculty Bio:
| I am Chris Payne, currently Academic Director of Mathematics with UMUC Europe. Before I took up this position I worked for 20 years as a faculty member of the University, teaching on the CMIS, IFSM and INSS programs. I also have 25 years experience as a teacher in British higher education. I hold the degrees of BSc(London) in Mathematics and Physics, MSc (Newcastle) in Applied Mathematics and PhD(Liverpool) in Mathematical Modelling. My current research interests are in number theory, computer modelling of population dynamics and the mathematics of the atmosphere. | |