CS 3410

Resources

Required Textbook

This semester we are using an interactive, online, electronic textbook, called "Digital Design and Computer Organization and Design". This zybook combines an ebook on Digital Design (full of interactive exercises, simulators, and animations) with the classic text "Computer Organization and Design: The Hardware/Software Interface" by Patterson and Hennessy (which has previously been used in CS 3410).

To obtain your copy, please do the following:

  1. Sign up at zyBooks.com
  2. Enter zyBook code CORNELLCS3410WeatherspoonSpring2018
  3. Click Subscribe (The cost is $91.)

The Participation Activities will comprise a large part of your Class Participation grade. You will receive instant feedback as to whether your work was correct. To receive full credit, you must complete all Participation Activities before that topic is covered in class. Some of the Challenge Activities will be used as Lab Section assignments on a week to week basis.

Git, etc.

Logisim

For more information about our version of Logisim Evolution, check out our GitHub fork. Please do not use any other version of Logisim.

MIPS

Computing Environment

It is important that you develop your code in the same computing environment that we will use to test your code. We are using the CIS Undergraduate Computing Lab Servers as the standard for this course. You may either ssh into these machines remotely or download a snapshot of the machines and run them as a VM on the local machine of your choice.

  • SSH OPTION: The simplest method is to ssh into the machines remotely. There are 10 of them (cisugcl01.cs.cornell.edu, ... cisugcl10.cs.cornell.edu). If you simply ssh into ugclinux.cs.cornell.edu you will be randomly connected to one of them. (This offers good load-balancing. There is just one file system so it doesn't matter which one you log on to.) Simply type ssh yourNetId@ugclinux.cs.cornell.edu into your terminal.
  • VM OPTION: To run a VM in VirtualBox on your local machine:
    1. Install VirtualBox
    2. Download the course VM: GUI version or command-line only version
    3. Launch the .ova file downloaded and accept defaults to import into VirtualBox.
    4. Default username: vm and password: vm
    5. FYI. More instructions from ITSG here

i>clickers and REEF Polling

Students are required to bring i>clickers to class or use REEF polling, which is now supported in this class. Participation points are awarded for questions answered during class.

If you have never used an i>clicker before, below are the instructions for obtaining and registering one:

iClicker iClicker
  1. Buy an i>clicker. One can be purchased at the Cornell Store, or at many online sites such as Kraftees, eBay or Craigslist. Any type of i>clicker remote will work: i>clicker, i>clicker+, or i>clicker2 models.
  2. Go to http://atcsupport.cit.cornell.edu/pollsrvc/
  3. Log in with your NetID and your password
  4. Click on the link: Click here if you wish to submit a request for [your name]
  5. Type in the clicker ID# on the back of your clicker Example:
  6. Click Submit.

Please do not register i>clickers at the iclicker.com site, but instead use the above process to register your i>clicker.

If you cannot read the clicker remote ID #, please stop in to one of the locations listed below with your clicker. One of the staff can confirm your i>clicker ID #. Once it has been confirmed, please write it on a small piece of paper and place it inside the battery compartment.

Day Time Location
Monday - Friday9:00am - 12:00pmCarpenter Hall Reading Room (1st floor)
Monday - Friday9:00am - 12:00pmUris Library Tower Room
Monday - Friday9:00am - 5:00pmAcademic Technology Center, 124 Computing & Communications Center building (on the Ag Quad, next to Bailey Hall)

If you have any other issues with your i>clicker remote, please go to the following location:

Day Time Location
Monday - Friday9:00am - 5:00pmAcademic Technology Center, 123 Computing & Communications Center building (on the Ag Quad, next to Bailey Hall)

For those of you who do not know about REEF polling and are interested, REEF polling allows you to use your phone instead of buying a separate i>clicker (but you MUST put your phone away after the polling is done!). If you are interested in using REEF polling, you can find the instructions for students and more information at this website: https://pollinghelp.cit.cornell.edu/mobile-web/.