CS237 Assembly Language Programming & Machine Organization Fall 2014
Credits:
3 units
Instructor: Alan Riggins Office: GMCS 534 Email: ariggins@mail.sdsu.edu
Office Hours: 10:00-11:30 Monday, 9:00-11:30 Wednesday, Friday.
Course Materials
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Clicker, from Aztec Bookstore, Required.
Ford & Topp, Assembly Language and Systems Programming for the M68000 Family, Course
Reader, Aztec Publishing, Required.
NOTE: You may be able to find a used copy of this text for much less than Aztec Shop is
charging. Look on Amazon before buying!
Riggins, CS237 Machine Organization & Assembly Language Programming, Supplementary
Material. Auxiliary Reader Spring 2013. Aztec Publishing. Required.
Motorola, Programmer's Reference Manual for the M68000 Family. Auxiliary Reader Spring
2013. Aztec Publishing. Required.
Course Information
Prerequisites: Computer Science 108.
Description from the Official Course Catalog
General concepts of machine and assembly language, data representation, looping
and addressing techniques, arrays, subroutines, macros. Extensive assembly
language programming.
Course Type: Required lower division core curriculum course.
Specific Goals for CS237
Course-Level Student Learning Outcomes
1. Students should gain a thorough understanding of basic computer organization.
2. Students should gain a thorough understanding of how data is represented in a
computer system, including two’s complement, IEEE floating point numbers, and
character data.
3. Enhance student understanding of the low-level operations of a computer system,
including the interactions between the CPU and peripheral devices.
4. Ability to understand the difference between compilers and assemblers, and some
of the optimization techniques compilers use.
5. Students should be able develop, assemble and deploy assembly language
programs.
6. Students should understand the system stack and the mechanisms for subroutine
calls.
7. Students should gain a thorough understanding of recursion.
Relationship to CS Program Course Outcomes
CS37 addresses the following outcomes:
1. An ability to apply knowledge of computing.
2. An ability to understand fundamental computer organization.
3. An ability to understand how data is represented within a computer system.
4. An ability to use current techniques, skills, and tools necessary for computing
practice
5. An ability to apply mathematical foundations, algorithmic principles, and
computer science theory in the modeling and design of computer-based
systems in a way that demonstrates comprehension of the tradeoffs involved
in design choices.
6. An ability to apply design and development principles in the construction of
software systems of varying complexity.
Topics Covered
1. Machine architecture.
2. Representation of data: two’s complement, floating point numbers, chacter
data.
3. Addressing modes.
4. Bitwise operators.
5. Looping and branching in assembly language.
6. Hand translation of assembly language code to machine code.
7. Subroutines and the system stack.
8. Recursion.
Schedule and Grading Policies
Week
Topic
1
Introduction to machine organization. CPU, bus,
memory (ROM/RAM), peripheral devices. RISC vs.
CISC architecture.
2-3
Two's complement representation. Addition and
subtraction of binary/hex numbers. Overflow.
4-5
Introduction to assembly language programming,
basic instructions. Assemblers, compilers, linkers,
loaders. Introduction to the programming
environment for the course. Representation of
character data, I/O macros.
Projects/Activities
Midterm #1, Project #1
6-7
Storage allocation, memory management.
Introduction to addressing modes.
Pointers/references in higher level languages.
8
Logical operators, bitwise AND, OR, XOR. Errors in
the programming process: Syntax errors, runtime
errors, address (pointer) errors
9-10
Introduction to flow control in assembler. The Status
Register and Condition Code Register. If/else/case
statements. For/do/while loops. Signed and unsigned
branches. Shift operations, bit operations. Compilers.
Code optimization, unrolling loops, constant folding,
common sub-expression elimination, invariants,
optimizing register use.
Hand translation into machine code. Floating point
representation, and software emulation
11
12-13
Introduction to subroutines. Procedures and
functions. The run-time stack. Structured
programming principles. Parameter passing
protocols. Saving state on the run-time stack. Stack
frames. Creating reusable code, calling assembly
language subroutines from higher level languages.
14-15
Recursion. Extensive coverage of recursive
algorithms, and how they are implemented in
assembler. Macros. Macros vs. subroutines, the
tradeoffs. Interrupts and traps.
Midterm #2, Project #2
Midterm #3, Project #3
Project #4
Projects/Assignments
There are at least four programming assignments in assembler, examples of which
follow:
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Program #1: A simple assignment designed to familiarize students with the
simulator used in the course. The assignment typically uses all I/O macros to
familiarize students with proper usage.
Program #2: An iterative algorithm is given. Emphasis on debugging techniques
and proper assembly language programming.
Program #3: This is usually the major project for the semester. Much larger in
scope than previous projects, a complete application program is developed. The
project requires extensive flow control/branching code. Typically, a more
complex algorithm is used. Past projects include finding primes with the Sieve of
Eratosthenes method, reducing fractions with Euclid's algorithm (GCD), and
binary search on data in an external file.
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Program #4: This programming assignment emphasizes subroutines and their
proper implementation. Students will develop two to four subroutines in separate
files in addition to a main or 'driver' program. One of the subroutines is always a
recursive function.
Grading Policy
Grading is based on exams (60%), programming assignments (30%), and in-class
exercises (10%).
There are four programming assignments, three midterm exams, and a final exam.
Grades are not curved, but based on percentages:
93% and above A
90%-92%
A87%-89%
B+
83%-86%
B
80%-82%
B77%-79%
C+
73%-76%
C
70%-72%
C67%-69%
D+
63%-66%
D
60%-62%
Dbelow 60%
F
Students with Disabilities
If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need accommodations for this
class, it is your responsibility to contact Student Disability Services at 619 594-6473. To
avoid any delay in the receipt of your accommodations, you should contact Student
Disability Services as soon as possible. Please note that accommodations are not
retroactive, and that accommodations based upon disability cannot be provided until you
have presented your instructor with an accommodation letter from Student Disability
Services. Your cooperation is appreciated.