April
7, 2008
Based
on the discussion today in the class and popular demand, we have decided to
have a third class test. It will be on April 18, 2008 in class. For the
purposes of computing your overall grade, I will count the best two of the
three class tests. The material covered will be Multi-cycle and pipelined
processor implementation and First week of memory lectures (whatever we cover
until this Friday and assigned in the HW due on April 16).
For
the purposes of computing grade, since I grade on curve, it is possible that it
might affect somebody’s grade as the curve might shift that affects an
individual adversely. So I will grade two ways. Curve with first two tests and other
component of grade and curve with best two of three tests and other component
of grade. Your grade will be the better of the two. My goal is that you learn
and show me that you have learnt. Not to punish you in any way. In case you do
not take the third test, your grade will not be affected any way.
March 31,
2008
Download
animator from animator link on web site.
Extract animator file from zip file and then read manual files.
Run run.bat file and try different files to experiment with pipeline data flow.
March 11,
2008
Exam 2 will
be on March 26, 2008 (Wednesday). It was my mistake to post March 28 on web.
Feb 25, 2008
Several people
asked me the question in the class about the last problem in HW5. A few quick
comments will be helpful. You can either assume that the number are 2’s
complement signed numbers and use the best way you know to achieve what is
being asked for. For divide, you can use storing or non-storing algorithm (or
both for practice). For multiply you can use any of the algorithms (or all for
practice, positive numbers, 2’s complement signed numbers with booth
encoding, and the algorithm I presented in notes). Trying all algorithms will
be helpful for learning and in exams any way. So it is not a waste of time.
Please note
that the numbers you are dealing with are eight bits words. So results will be
sixteen bit for multiplication and overflow may occur in division if quotient
cannot be stored in eight bits.
Only
one solution per team please.
Feb 13, 2008
CprE 381
first exam must be eye opener for many on what we learnt and what we missed. Do
not miss class on Friday. You will miss on an
opportunity.
Feb 11, 2008
Mid Term 1
Exam: Wednesday 2/13/08 in class. 9:00-9:50. No notes, books, calculators, cell
phones etc. area allowed. You, your pencil, and paper I provide is all that you
need.
The HW4 must
be turned in before the test. I am not assigning any lab or HW this week. I
will post Lab4 that you may start working on. We do not provide solutions for
any HWs and if you have any questions, talk to TAs or Carl.
Jan 28,
2008: 11AM
Partnership:
In case you still do not have partner, and have not talked to talk to us, do so
ASAP.
1. Lab1, Part 2, Item 1
has been modified to read: “Draw the gate level diagrams for a 4-to-2
encoder (with an additional signal indicating if the encoding is valid, i.e. at
least one of the four inputs is nonzero) and a 2-to-4 decoder with their truth
tables (you may include don’t care conditions).”
Jan 23,
2008: 2 PM
Many of you
missed the class today, something I strongly suggest you do not do.
We discussed the lab situation and complications in scheduling due to
partnership requirements.
Another reason was non-availability of either TA on R 12-2. (Read the message
of Jan 21.)
Here is what
we decided.
We will continue to hold three sections on T 8-10, T 3-5, and F 2-4 as
scheduled.
We will cancel R 12-2 and have an additional section on R 3-5.
Please send
a mail to Nishanth stating
(a)
who
is your partner;
(b)
which
lab section you will attend; and
(c)
if you would come half an hour late and/or stay
additional half an hour to accommodate a particular section (e.g.in case a partnership
cannot do within the stated time but can come accommodate within additional
half an hour).
I will ask TAs to be in room for 2 and ½ hours for all sections as long
as students are there. So TAs will be in room during T 8:00-10:30m T
3:00:-5:30, R 3:00-5:30, and F 2:00-4:30.
Once we have
the list, I will ask Vicky to switch you officially to your lab section.
In case, a
partnership cannot do full two hours in any lab section (subjected to audit),
but can do one and half, please sign up for that section and it should be
alright as we do not expect a lab to be finished during the lab hour and you
have a full week to complete and show it your TA.
Jan 21, 2008
PM:
Lab 1 is posted. Labs start tomorrow.
Due to group
setting, we want the partners to be in the same lab sections.
So we need to work out transfers. We will talk about it on Wednesday in class.
(I generally expect all to attend the class, but in case there is a legitimate
reason and you cannot make it, you should make sure that your partner can make
decision for you.)
We also have
another situation. Both TAs have a lab conflict on R 12-2. So we must reschedule it.
The choices
are W/F 2-4, T 10-12, R 2-4, or M 12-2, M 2-4. I will bring some choices and
decide when to offer the lab hours in class. If you want, we may reschedule T
8-10 also for a late hour in one of these slots. We will put five partners in
each lab section.
Recall that
I do not require labs to be finished in lab hours. But attend tomorrow as
scheduled (except R 12-2).
To
prepare for lab here is another useful link. There is a Verilog
specific tutorial on the "Introduction to the Quartus
II Software" available in PDF to refresh our memory on the development
environment.
http://university.altera.com/unv-lab-manual.shtml
Jan 16,
2008:
HW1 is posted. Try your best.
Labs start next week. They will be posted sometime during the weekend.
WebCT is still being set up. There is nothing of
value there yet.
Please choose partner from the same lab section.
If you find that two partner in another section, you can sit in front of
terminal, drop and add other section.
On Friday, TA will help arrange swap of partners’ lab section.
Jan 14,
2008:
Welcome to CprE 381.
We will be doing most of the business through web.