CSE 2421 – Systems I:
Introduction to Low-Level Programming and Computer Organization
Course Description:
Introduction to computer architecture at machine and assembly language level; pointers and addressing; C
programming at machine level; computer organization.
Prior Course Number: CSE 360 and CSE 459.21
Prerequisites and Co-requisites:
CSE 2122 (230) or 2133 (314) or CSE 2231 (Software 2) or CSE 321
and
CSE 2321 (Foundations 1) or Math 2566 or Math 366
Textbooks:
REQUIRED: Computer Systems: A Programmer's Perspective by Bryant and O'Hallaron 2nd ed
RECOMMENDED: Pointers on C by Kenneth A. Reek
Course Goals:
 To master programming with pointers in C
 To be competent with application development and debugging in Unix environments
 To be competent in programming with dynamic data structures in C, and in using C string and I/O features, bit
operations, and function pointers
 To be familiar with overall organization and design of computer systems
 To be competent with representation and manipulation of information in computer systems
 To be familiar with machine encoding of instructions, and be competent with a particular real or hypothetical
instruction set
 To be familiar with programming in assembly language
 To be familiar with Linking (static linking, relocatable object files, symbols and symbol tables, symbol
resolution, relocation, loading executable object files)
Attendance:
“Students are expected to attend class”… “Attendance is strongly encouraged and recommended.” The bottom line is
that students are responsible for all material covered, all assignments made, and all due dates announced as specified in
class whether or not they are updated online.
Discussion Groups:
This term we will be using Piazza for class discussion. The system is highly catered to getting you help fast and
efficiently from classmates, the grader, and myself. Rather than emailing questions to the teaching staff, I encourage
you to post your questions on Piazza. If you have any problems or feedback for the developers, email
team@piazza.com.
Find our class page at: https://piazza.com/osu/spring2013/cse2421ab/home
Grading Policy:
Programming Assignments (~5)
Homework Assignments (~3)
In-Class Assignments
Midterm 1
Midterm 2
Final Exam – must pass
15%
12%
8%
15%
20%
30%
You must pass the final exam in order to pass the course.
A 10 point scale will be the typical letter grade assignment. However, it is at the discretion of the lecturer to determine
whether or not any additional curve to the scale will be applied (i.e. to the student’s benefit) possibly including the
option to give ~20% of the class an A letter grade (A or A-), ~30% possibly being given a B (B+, B, B-), and ~30%
being given C (C+, C, C-). Final grades are at the discretion of the lecturer.
You have one week, to ask about any grade concerns you have on an assignment or exam, from the day the papers
were handed back in class. After that week deadline, although you may still ask questions (at any time), a grade change
will not be on the table even should one be viable. The idea is to be concerned about your grade in a timely manner.
In-Class Assignments:
These are practice problems based on the current course material. In-Class assignments may be given out at any time
and either concluded in the current class period or asked to be returned in a future class period. These assignments will
not be posted or otherwise given out electronically. The goal is to (1) encourage students to do active learning during
the class period; and (2) keep up with learning the course material. The counting of in-class assignments toward your
grade will be determined randomly by the instructor. There will be absolutely no “excused absences” for these
assignments; however, you will be allowed to miss 25% of these assignments with no penalty. If you complete more
than 75% of the assignments, there is no added grade benefit per se - but it is assumed that class attendance in and of
itself is the benefit earned :o) Solutions for these problems will only be provided during class.
Homework/Lab Assignments:
These are graded assignments based on the grading policy given above. Each lab assignment will be worth the same
percent; and each homework assignment will be worth the same percent. The instructions for how these will be turned
in are designated on each assignment. There will be a 24 hour late period for each of these assignments, but with a
50% reduction in final grade if you turn in the assignment any time after the original due date (typically 11:59pm on a
particular day). If an assignment is more than 24 hours late, the submitted material is not acceptable and a grade of
zero will be given.
You are allowed to work in pairs for each assignment (both homework and lab). However, you do not have to have a
partner; and you do not have to have the same partner for each assignment. If you do have a partner, you are required
to have both names on the assignment when it is submitted. If you forget to put either one or both names on the
assignment, then a 10% deduction will be administered to the student or students who submitted the work.
If you work with a partner, be sure to list approximately how much percentage of the assignment each one has
finished; less than 30% means a potential deduction for the corresponding student.
It is at the discretion of the instructor to ask a student about any assignment that is submitted. Should there be a
concern of any kind about the materials submitted by a student, it is appropriate for the instructor to request an
explanation of the submitted/assigned material. The result of this discussion may result in a determination that the
student is unaware of how the solutions were determined thus making the submission of the assignment unacceptable.
Midterm/Final exams:
The approximate date for the midterms is on the detailed syllabus. Any change to the midterm date will be announced
in class at least one week prior to the exam.
The final exam is designated by the university and is listed on the detailed syllabus. It is not viable to request a change
to your final exam day/time in order to make your end of semester plans more convenient. You must pass the final
exam to pass the class. Typically, a passing grade on a 10-point scale is designated to be 60% however the actual value
of what a passing final exam score will be is at the discretion of the instructor (but will be no higher than the normal
10-point scale of 60%).
Make-up Policy:
At times, there are extraordinary circumstances that may require a make-up or a later due date than designated for an
assignment. Notification must be made and confirmed prior to the assignment due date by e-mail, phone or in
person. Leaving a voice mail or e-mail, however, is not enough. You must have confirmation by the instructor to be
considered for a make-up. In a case where a person is unable to make notification in advance (ex. documented medical
emergency), notification must be made as soon as possible.
It is the policy of this course that:
o Only documented emergencies will be given the option for a make-up.
o Documentation will always be required to obtain an excused absence for any exam or lab/hw assignment.
o Make-ups will not be given to students who miss assignments due to “over sleeping” or “not knowing of the
assignment”, etc.
o Make-ups will not be given for in-class assignments since there is a 20% miss-without-penalty option.
Fairness to Students:
We strive to treat students with dignity and fairness and to be particularly sensitive to the diversity that exists within
the student body. Students with disabilities who request help will be given reasonable accommodation with the
assistance of the University Office of Disability Services (http://www.ods.ohio-state.edu/).
Academic Misconduct:
In accordance with Faculty Rule 3335-31-02, all instances of alleged academic misconduct will be reported to the
Department Chairperson and the Committee on Academic Misconduct (COAM). Alleged misconduct cases will be
resolved via COAM’s hearing processes as described in the University’s Code of Student Conduct
(http://studentaffairs.osu.edu/csc/).
As defined in the University’s Code of Student Conduct, academic misconduct is “any activity which tends to
compromise the academic integrity of the institution or subvert the educational process”
(http://oaa.osu.edu/coam.html). Students who violate the University’s policies regarding academic misconduct are
stealing academic credit and skewing the grading process against students who are honestly participating in the course.
Their actions diminish the value of an academic degree when they falsely represent themselves as competent in a
subject matter to their instructor, their peers, and in the workplace.
Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:
 giving or receiving information or assistance during an exam
 allowing a student to copy the work you have done for a graded assignment
 submitting plagiarized work for academic requirements
 changing graded material and turning it back in to be re-graded for a higher score
 obtaining or providing current term exam information - in verbal, paper or electronic form – from/to another
student taking the course (no matter which section) prior to taking the exam yourself on the same information
Please be sure to familiarize yourself with the OSU academic misconduct rules and policies which include additional
examples and details defining academic misconduct: http://oaa.osu.edu/coamfaqs.html