This course covers the fundamental issues in the design of modern computer systems, including the design and implementation of key hardware components such as the processor, memory, and I/O devices, and the software/hardware interface.
Basic information
- Course Number: 01:198:211 Sections 05, 06, 07, and 08
- Instructor: Yipeng Huang
- Email: yipeng.huang@rutgers.edu
- Course Type: Undergraduate
- Credits: 4
- Learning Management System (LMS): https://rutgers.instructure.com/courses/355196
- Syllabus: https://yipenghuang.com/teaching/2025-fall-211
When and where to find the class
Lectures: Lectures: Tuesdays & Thursdays 3:50 PM – 5:10 PM Eastern Time. Hill Center – Room 114.
Recitations: Recitations will not be recorded. You are strongly recommended to attend recitations prepared with questions about assignments and lectures and make use of the help from TAs.
- Section 05: Tuesdays 5:55 PM – 5:50 PM SEC-207
- Section 06: Tuesdays 7:45 PM – 8:40 PM SEC-118
- Section 07: Thursdays 7:45 PM – 8:40 PM SEC-117
- Section 08: Tuesdays 7:45 PM – 8:40 PM CCB-1303
The meeting locations and links for each recitation TA is on the class LMS on Canvas.
Office hours: Prof. Yipeng Huang’s office hours TBD CoRE 317.
The TAs have additional office hours; time and meetings links for each TA is on the class LMS on Canvas.
Learning goals
Throughout the course, students will learn about low-level programming, digital logic, and the memory hierarchy via case studies that are representative of real-world computer systems.
Students will apply essential knowledge about computer systems to modify and create new low-level software and hardware implementations via hands-on programming exercises.
At the end of this course, students should have the preliminary skills to design and evaluate solutions involving the computer software-hardware interface to address new problems.
Topics
- C programming
- Data representation and computer arithmetic
- Boolean algebra
- Assembly language programming
- Main memory design
- Cache design
- Basic digital logic design
- Processor design
Recommended textbooks
- Modern C (https://gustedt.gitlabpages.inria.fr/modern-c/)
- Computer Systems: A Programmer’s Perspective (CS:APP, 3rd ed.)
Expected work and grading policy
- 7 programming assignments (first two assignments are smaller in size); totalling 55% of the course grade.
- Short timed quizzes; totalling 5% of the course grade.
- Midterm exam; totalling 15% of the course grade.
- Cumulative final exam; totalling 25% of the course grade.
- Class and recitation participation
- Discussion via Piazza
The course letter grade will be assigned according to this scale. A: 100%–90%. B+: 89.9%–85%. B: 84.9%–80%. C+: 79.9%–75%. C: 74.9%–70%. D: 69.9%–65%.
Syllabus
| Date | Topic / learning goals | Reading assignment | Programming assignment (PA) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday, September 2 | Computer architecture [slides] | CS:APP Chapter 1. Modern C Chapters 1–8. | PA 0 (C control flow, file I/O) released. |
| Thursday, September 4 | Accessing ilab, writing, compiling, and running your first C program [slides] No in-person lecture. See recording | ||
| Tuesday, September 9 | C programming: I/O, pointers [slides] | Modern C Chapters 9-14. | |
| Thursday, September 11 | C programming: Pointers, arrays, memory [slides] | PA 0 due. PA 1 (C arrays, data structures) released. | |
| Tuesday, September 16 | C Programming: Arrays, functions [slides] | ||
| Thursday, September 18 | C Programming: 2D arrays, pass-by-value vs. pass-by-reference [slides] | ||
| Tuesday, September 23 | C Programming: Functions, pass-by-reference, returns [slides] | ||
| Thursday, September 25 | C Programming: Bugs and debugging [slides] | CS:APP Chapter 2. | PA 1 due. PA 2 (C algorithm pattern implementation) released. |
| Tuesday, September 30 | C Programming: Graphs Representing and manipulating information: Bits, bytes, integers [slides] | ||
| Thursday, October 2 | Representing and Manipulating Information: Bits, Ints, and Ops [slides] | ||
| Tuesday, October 7 | Representing and Manipulating Information: Integer operations and fixed point [slides] | ||
| Thursday, October 9 | Representing and Manipulating Information: Fixed point and floating point [slides] | PA 2 due. PA 3 (data representations) released. | |
| Tuesday, October 14 | Representing and Manipulating Information: Floating point normalized numbers [slides] | CS:APP Chapter 3. | |
| Thursday, October 16 | Representing and Manipulating Information: Floating point denormalized numbers and mastery [slides] | ||
| Tuesday, October 21 | Machine-Level Representation of Programs: Instruction set architectures [slides] | ||
| Thursday, October 23 | Machine-Level Representation of Programs: Bomblab, addressing modes, arithmetic [slides] | PA 3 due. PA 4 (assembly bomb lab) released. | |
| Tuesday, October 28 | Class period midterm exam | ||
| Thursday, October 30 | Machine-Level Representation of Programs: Addressing modes [slides] | ||
| Tuesday, November 4 | Machine-Level Representation of Programs: Control Flow, Loops [slides] | ||
| Thursday, November 6 | Machine-Level Representation of Programs: Procedures, Recursion, Data [slides] | ||
| Tuesday, November 11 | Machine-Level Representation of Programs: Procedures, Recursion, Data [slides] | CS:APP Chapter 6. | PA 4 due. PA 5 (cache performance lab) released. |
| Thursday, November 13 | The memory hierarchy: Cache memories [slides] | ||
| Tuesday, November 18 | The memory hierarchy: Cache placement, replacement, and write policies [slides] | ||
| Thursday, November 20 | The memory hierarchy: Cache placement, replacement, and write policies [slides] | ||
| Tuesday, November 25 | The memory hierarchy: Cache friendly code [slides] | PA 5 due. PA 6 (digital logic) released. | |
| Thursday, November 27 | Thanksgiving Recess | ||
| Tuesday, December 2 | The basics of logic design: Combinational logic [slides] | ||
| Thursday, December 4 | The basics of logic design: Sequential logic [slides] | ||
| Tuesday, December 7 | Computer architecture [slides] | ||
| Wednesday, December 10 | Regular Classes End | PA 6 due. | |
| Thursday, December 11 | Reading Day | ||
| Friday, December 12 | Reading Day | ||
| Thursday, December 18 | Final Exam Schedule designated exam time: 4pm – 7pm | ||
| Monday, December 22 | Fall Exams End |
Resources
Technology Requirements: Students will need access to the Canvas site, and be able to join class via audio, at minimum.
Please visit the Rutgers Student Tech Guide page for resources available to all students. If you do not have the appropriate technology for financial reasons, please email Dean of Students deanofstudents@echo.rutgers.edu for assistance. If you are facing other financial hardships, please visit the Office of Financial Aid at https://financialaid.rutgers.edu/.
Academic Integrity: https://www.cs.rutgers.edu/academics/undergraduate/academic-integrity-policy
http://nbacademicintegrity.rutgers.edu/home-2/academic-integrity-policy