Comments for Class csc4210

Test post   [Dr_Weeks]   Jan 9, 2017 at 22:50:52
This is a simple system to post questions and comments related to class. If you are enrolled in this class, you can log in with your first name followed by an underscore, then your last initial. Then use your official e-mail address (before the @) as your password. The password will not be displayed. For example, suppose your name is John Doe, and your account name is jdoe4@student.gsu.edu. Then you would log in as "John_D" with a password of "jdoe4".

Test-prep app for this class   [Zachary_S]   Jan 12, 2017 at 02:20:27
I made an Android app for myself to progressively accumulate practice questions for tests/quizzes over the course of the semester for my 4 different classes, including this one. I'm going to add questions to it after each class session and organize the questions by chapter. The questions will be presented in a flash-card style (either in chronological order or randomized), with the question visible and the answer only visible when you click on it. <a href="http://i.imgur.com/r8mi1Xm.gifv">A gif of the app as it is currently can be seen here</a>

I'm going to release it to GooglePlay tomorrow, for free and without ads (obv), under the exciting name of <em><b>"CSC4k TestPrep"</b></em>.

Anyone that wants to download it can. If there is an interest in others using the app, post your phone type here and I'll be sure to triple check the size-scaling/font-scaling of objects to accommodate as many devices as possible. I intend to run it on a Galaxy Note 4, which is a reasonably large phone.

I will be controlling the contents of the database independent of the app, so it will not support adding your own questions ( ...unless you tell me a question to add). Additionally, I will not be porting it to iOS b/c I don't know how. If someone is interested in creating an HTML5 version of the app, I can work with them to grant read access to the data and that will be a way to access it via iOS devices.



Test-prep app @ Zachary_S   [Oghenekaro_D]   Jan 13, 2017 at 23:38:56
LG stylus 2 phone, thank you!

Re: Test-prep app for this class   [Dr_Weeks]   Jan 14, 2017 at 11:43:11
@Zachary make sure that it does not include any material that has a copyright, or is otherwise someone's intellectual property. For example, a question that involves a figure from the text would be a problem.

Homework 1 Question   [Jacqueline_F]   Jan 15, 2017 at 20:37:17
First off, do we need to type the homework or can we do it on notebook paper? Also when it comes to explaining how it works, how specific do we need to be? Can we just work out the truth table and explain what the values mean or does it need to be more than that?

Re: Homework 1 Question   [Dr_Weeks]   Jan 16, 2017 at 12:22:27
Include full sentences. The answers should contain your assumptions, what you are doing, and how you arrived at the answers. The final answers should be easy for the grader to find, that is, you might want to circle them, or somehow make them stand out.

The work should be neatly done, clear, and easy to follow. I recommend using a computer, though it is not required.

Homework 2 Inquiry   [Kristian_S]   Jan 20, 2017 at 12:17:29
Does signifying the identity used serve as a suitable explanation to each problem?

Re: Homework 2 Inquiry   [Dr_Weeks]   Jan 21, 2017 at 09:32:53
Use full sentences in the explanation. You can say what you are doing and why you are doing it.

Assignment 2 Inquiry   [Dwight_M]   Jan 23, 2017 at 23:14:16
i have an e copy of the book, a 3rd edition and the first chapter is about simple binary operation not not Boolean algebra, am not sure if thats what this assignment is about. any help finding the right questions?

Assignment 2 Inquiry   [Dwight_M]   Jan 23, 2017 at 23:38:59
nevermind i found right copy!!

Homework this week   [Jacqueline_F]   Jan 27, 2017 at 16:23:55
Do we have a homework assignment to do before Tuesday? If so, when will it be posted?

Re: Homework this week   [Dr_Weeks]   Jan 29, 2017 at 09:28:05
Thanks for the reminder. It is posted now.


Today's class 1/31   [Richard_B]   Jan 31, 2017 at 12:47:12
I wasn't able to come to class today. Could anyone tell me what we covered today? Or even more preferable, post a copy of their notes? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

PDF for Book   [Dylan_W]   Feb 6, 2017 at 15:23:59
Here is a g-drive link for a PDF of the Mano book: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9oOZf3CqC_aNkx6cnBIR0N1bU0/view

Re: PDF for Book   [Dr_Weeks]   Feb 7, 2017 at 08:54:17
Thanks for pointing this out.

The link goes to a Google Drive file, and that file appears to be a scan of the international edition of the book, which may be different from our textbook. In a separate search under Google Books, I could not find the textbook. Google Books should only have public-domain books: books where the copyright has expired. On the other hand, Google Drive is a utility that anyone can use to store files; it does not imply that the files are legally available.

This leads me to believe that the PDF on Google Drive is NOT a legal copy.

Office Hour update   [GTA]   Feb 7, 2017 at 10:23:27
Hi Guys, my office hour has changed to 12:00-1:00 just after our class every Tuesday and Thursday in the old place(0651D in Sun Trust Building), please feel free to drop in if you have any questions.

Midterm Questions   [Caroline_J]   Feb 12, 2017 at 15:47:36
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NLG3lBfKDhHEvuJvLTSnS9KME0ZFLgjZrwiZku02XDY/edit?usp=sharing

^^^ Someone give this girl a raise ^^^   [Zachary_S]   Feb 13, 2017 at 23:01:00
The only topic I think she didn't include, but I'd expect to see on the exam, is graphing outputs for a register.

Here's a link to my MSPaint-drawn question/answer for that.
http://imgur.com/oRTqz9A



Test   [Sharan_R]   Feb 14, 2017 at 17:26:21
Any way we can have the test on Tuesday Dr.Weeks??

Caroline's Study Guide   [Richard_B]   Feb 14, 2017 at 20:37:37


Caroline's Study Guide   [Richard_B]   Feb 14, 2017 at 20:39:48
Ok, so I was looking over the study guide that Caroline B posted. Everything is clear so far except for the last question. Can someone explain to me how to draw the logic diagram for the 3 D flip flops in question 13?


@Richard_B, I hope this helps!   [Caroline_J]   Feb 15, 2017 at 09:55:40
Since there are three values in the given table (A, B, and C), there will be three flip-flops, one for each. Next looking at the truth table for the D flip-flop, you can think of Q(t) as what is happening now, the current value, and Q(t+1) as what is happening next. You can then correlate these to the current and next values for A, to then get D. In the first case, A current is 0 and A next is 1, so from the truth table for the D flip-flop, DA will be 1. In this same way the rest of the DA/DB/DC table can be filled. You can then take that table and find equations for DA/DA/DB/DC using k-maps. Now we get to the drawing, and we'll just look at the A flip-flop for now. It has DA, QA, and QA'. The equation for DA is AC+A'B'C', so you can think of QA as A, and QA' as A' and so forth for the other flip-flops. From there you can build DA. You first have to and A and C, and then you or that with A' and B' and C'. So you need a 2 input AND, a 3 input AND, and both of those will be connected to an OR gate, which will connect to DA. For the two input AND, we connect QA and QC because they correspond to A and C respectively. For the three input AND, we connect QA', QB', and QC', since those correspond to A', B' and C' respectively. We then connect the output of the two AND gates to the OR gate to fully build the equation DA = AC+A'B'C'. You can repeat the same process for the D flip-flops for DB and DC, and then connect the three flip-flops to the clock.

Re: Test   [Dr_Weeks]   Feb 15, 2017 at 10:58:07
It's too late to move it.

Chapters on exam   [Jacqueline_F]   Feb 15, 2017 at 11:56:17
Do you know yet which chapters and sections will be covered on the exam? I don't think we covered past Chapter 2, section 3. I just want to be sure I know how far to read in the textbook.

Re: Chapters on exam   [Dr_Weeks]   Feb 16, 2017 at 08:26:41
Yes, it is primarily chapter 1. We also covered some of chapter 2. Though I don't have my book with me, that section sounds correct. We also covered some things that are not discussed in detail in the book, like how flip-flops work. There may be a few things out of order, too, like tri-state buffers are covered later in the book even though we have covered them already.

Homework?   [Caroline_J]   Feb 17, 2017 at 13:22:13
Is there going to be homework due on Tuesday? If so, can it be posted as soon as possible? Next week is super hectic and it would be great to get stuff done early. Thanks.

Re: Homework?   [Dr_Weeks]   Feb 18, 2017 at 13:04:57
Yes, I posted a homework on Friday.

feet injure   [GTA]   Feb 21, 2017 at 08:50:22
Hi guys, my feet was severely injured, and I could not be in office hour today and I should be able to be there on Thursday.
Thank you

Midterm   [Jacqueline_F]   Feb 26, 2017 at 14:43:52
I missed both classes this past week due to illness. Is there anyway I can still pick up my exam during class on Tuesday? I'm assuming they were handed back this week and I am unavailable during office hours. Thanks.

Re: Midterm   [Dr_Weeks]   Feb 27, 2017 at 11:41:41
We should have the midterms back for tomorrow's class.

office hour   [GTA]   Feb 28, 2017 at 10:24:42
Hi guys, I have an appointment with doctor on 11:30, and I am not sure if it will take too much time, so if you did not find me on the cubic, you can come to the same place during the same time on Wednesday.

office hour   [GTA]   Feb 28, 2017 at 22:07:07
Hi guys, I have to take out the sutures tomorrow, and I may not be able show up during the office hour.If you have any question, you can find me on Thursday.

no office hours this week   [Dr_Weeks]   Mar 6, 2017 at 12:14:27
I will not be able to hold office hours on Wednesday, March 8. If you need to talk to me, try to do so right after class, or post to the class comments system (this page).

Office Hours   [Dominique_W]   Mar 9, 2017 at 11:12:31
Are your office hours going to resume normally after spring break?

Re: Office Hours   [Dr_Weeks]   Mar 10, 2017 at 10:42:46
Yes.

HW   [Sharan_R]   Mar 13, 2017 at 18:47:59
Hi Dr.Weeks I know you wrote the HW that's due next Tuesday in Class But Could you repost it under assignments so we are sure that we did the correct problems. Thanks!

Re: HW   [Dr_Weeks]   Mar 15, 2017 at 15:53:48
I don't have that information with me. What problems did you do? Another student should be able to verify it.

Re: Re: HW   [Dr_Weeks]   Mar 17, 2017 at 12:22:34
I posted it.

Sharan - does that match what you have?

materials   [Zachary_S]   Apr 15, 2017 at 09:42:17
materials for last assessment can be found http://codd.cs.gsu.edu/~zshoults1/CSC4210/ I will be adding content all week. It will be done by the 20th.

Chapter 6   [Zachary_S]   Apr 18, 2017 at 20:29:40
Dr. Weeks,
In chapter 6, we skimmed through the high points and big-picture concepts. We talked in-depth about the 2-pass process of the assembler, but beyond that, I'm not sure we spent lots of time on anything from section 6-4 and beyond. Topics like:

- Computer representation of line codes (TABLE 6-11)
- Double-Precision arithmetic (pg 196)
- Parameter linkage (pg 201)

This chapter is software-heavy with a great deal of focus on using our computer from chapter 5 to do more complex operations like loops, subroutines, interrupts, and conditional branching. I do think we could look at some assembly-level code for the Mano-computer and discuss what is going on and how. Since this is not one of the 2 chapters you wanted us to focus on, could you possibly give us Buzzfeed-style "Top 6 Celebrity Tips from Chapter 6 You Should Have Learned!" so we can prioritize our time smartly?

Thanks

Re: Chapter 6   [Dr_Weeks]   Apr 19, 2017 at 11:27:54
Since the assembly language course is a prerequisite, I assume that everyone is knowledgeable about conditional branching, loops, and subroutine calls, and could write each of these in assembly language. The instruction set from Chapter 5 is new to the class, and limited, but it should be easy to translate code from another instruction set to it.

We did go over an example of an interrupt, which is similar to a subroutine call.

You're correct that we did not spend a lot of time on some of the later material in Chapter 6.

If you have specific questions about this (or any other chapter), you are welcome to ask during class. However, there is a little material left in Chapter 7 that we must get through tomorrow, first.

Final Materials   [Caroline_J]   Apr 22, 2017 at 14:18:37
Hello! I made a pretty cool crossword puzzle that I think would be awesome to have on the final. There are three different versions of it (same words/definitions, different arrangements) and they're all at the link below!

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0BzGGPpQsjML6Ry1DUlVrX1RLblE?usp=sharing

re: final materials   [Zachary_S]   Apr 22, 2017 at 19:27:58
Lol, Caroline, that would go down as the most entertaining exam question of my college experience. If only there was a way to incorporate dice rolling into the final -- unmistakably distinguishing it as a Dr. Weeks' exam.

Materials   [Dylan_W]   Apr 28, 2017 at 19:20:25
Zachary, when I clicked on the link you posted it said "user account closed". Is there anyway you can add that website back? I found to be pretty helpful. Thanks!

review for the final   [Dominique_W]   Apr 29, 2017 at 00:30:14
Questions similar to the homework we were assigned would be sufficient study material for the final correct?

Updated Link for Zachary_S's Study Material   [Caroline_J]   Apr 29, 2017 at 17:59:06
http://undertaker-mousedeer-11864.bitballoon.com/

Re: review for the final   [Dr_Weeks]   Apr 30, 2017 at 11:16:33
They are necessary but not sufficient.