Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

The University of Texas at Austin



EE 306, Fall, 2009
Yale Patt, Instructor
TAs:Aater Suleman, Chang Joo Lee, Ameya Chaudhari, Antonius Keddis, Arvind Chandrababu,
        Bhargavi Narayanasetty, Eshar Ben-dor, Faruk Guvenilir, Marc Kellerman, RJ Harden
Course Outline
August 26, 2009

August 26: Lecture 1. Overview of EE 306.
The computer -- a complex system organized in levels of interpretation.
The computer -- a universal computational device; given enough time and space it can do anything any other computational device does.

August 28: Discussion Session. Orientation to the LRC system, tools.

August 31: Lecture 2: Bits and operations on bits.


September 2: Lecture 3. Bits and operations on bits (continued).

September 4: Discussion Session. Emphasis on Chapters 1,2.

September 7: Labor Day. No class.

Problem set 1, due before class, September 9.

September 9: Lecture 4. Basic Logic Structures.


September 11: Discussion Session. Emphasis on Chapter 2,3.

September 14: Lecture 5. Storage elements.

September 16: Lecture 6. Finite State Control and Sequential Machines.

September 18: Discussion Session. Emphasis on Chapter 3,4.

Problem set 2, due before class, September 21.

September 21: Lecture 7. Introduction to Von Neumann model. Emphasis on memory.

September 23: Lecture 8. ISA Specification of the LC-3

September 25: Discussion Session: Introduction to the LC-3 Simulator.

September 28: No class. Work on Programming Assignment 1.

September 30: Lecture 9. Problem Solving and On-Line Debugging.

October 2: Discussion Session: Last discussion session before Program 1 is due.

Extra office hours will be held on Saturday, October 3 and on Sunday, October 4 re: the first programming lab.

Programming Assignment 1 due, 11:59pm, October 4.

October 5: Lecture 10. A stored program in the LC-3 ISA

October 7: Lecture 11. Moving up a level, Assembly Language and the Assembler.

October 9: Discussion Session: Last discussion session before the first exam.

Problem set 3, due before class, October 12.

October 12: Lecture 12. Review

October 14: Lecture 13. Exam 1.

October 16: Discussion Session: Review what we have learned so far.

October 17: Football game vs. Oklahoma. No assignment due next Monday.
Enjoy the game. Drive safely -- I want to see all of you in class next week.

October 19: Lecture 14. Detailed example of Lecture 12, in Assembly Language.

October 21: Lecture 15. Physical I/O.

October 23: Discussion Session: Emphasis on Chapter 7,8.

Programming Assignment 2 due, 11:59pm, October 25.

October 26: Lecture 16. The TRAP instruction and I/O Service Routines


October 28: Lecture 17. Subroutines (JSR/RET mechanism)

October 30: Discussion Session: Emphasis on Chapter 9.

Problem set 4, due before class, November 2.

November 2: Lecture 18. Stacks. Parameters. How are they passed?

November 4: Lecture 19. Interrupt processing

November 6: Discussion Session: Emphasis on interrupt processing

Programming Assignment 3 due, 11:59pm, November 8.

November 9: Lecture 20. ASCII/binary Conversion.

November 11: Lecture 21. The Calculator Example (pulling it all together).

November 13: Discussion Session: Last discussion session before Exam 2.

Problem set 5, due before class, November 16.

November 16: Lecture 22. Review or catch up.

November 18: Lecture 23. Exam 2.

November 20: Discussion Session: Emphasis on Programming Lab 4.

Programming Assignment 4 due, 11:59pm, November 24.

November 23: Lecture 24. A new ISA, the Motorola 6812. (Preview of EE 319K)

November 25: Lecture 25. Special lecture
  • to be announced.

    November 26,27: Thanksgiving Day recess. Enjoy the holiday.

    November 30: Lecture 26. Parallel programming

    December 2: Lecture 27. Any OTHER questions!

    December 4: Discussion Session: Last discussion session before final exam.

    Programming Assignment 5 due, 5pm, December 4.

    Problem set 6, not to be handed in, use for final exam preparation.

    December 11. December 15: Final Exam, 7 to 10pm. (according to the Course Schedule) 2 to 5pm.

    Programming Assignments:


    Problem Sets: