CSC270 Digital Circuits and Computer Systems at Smith College.
Spring 2002

Instructor: Judy Franklin
Text: Digital Design, Third Edition
By M. Morris Mano

Note: This text is on reserve in the Science Library, for this course

Requirements

    1. Come to class all the time.
    2. Do all the homework.
    3. Do all of the labs.

Grading

The experiments done in each lab will be written up in a lab report, which will always be due a week later, at the beginning of the next lab. If you miss a lab, you are responsible for making it up during the week, on your own, and preferably during the help session or office hours.

  • 35% Homework
  • 25% Lab reports (lab work is done in teams, lab reports are done separately).
  • 15% mid-term exam
  • 15% Final exam
  • 10% Class and Lab Attendence and participation
  • Teaching Assistants

    Elif Tosun, during lab
    Kathy Sinclair, help session

    Office Hours

    Monday 11-12
    Tuesday 1-3:30
    or by appointment
    in 211 McConnell

    Help Session

    Tuesday 7-9
    McConnell 209

    Description

    CSC270 is one of two (270-262) CS courses that must be taken to satisfy the Computer Science major. It is a laboratory-based class intended to give students a general background in computer electronics. The class is intended to give computer science students without a formal background in physics or electricity a general understanding of digital and microprocessor electronics. During the laboratory sessions, students experiment with two Heathkit training kits, one for digital logic (first half of the semester), and the other for microprocessor hardware (second half of the semester). The digital logic labs introduce the concepts of electrical signals, continuous and alternative currents, frequency, and the implementation of a binary system with dual voltage circuits. The microprocessor labs evolve around a Motorola 6800 8-bit microprocessor system, programmable in hexadecimal. The organization of this computer is explored, with emphasis on the microprocessor buses, random-access and read-only memories, as well as input/output (I/O) circuits.

    Reading List

    Helpful Links