CS 370 - Introduction to Computer Systems and Architecture

5.0 Credits
Examines key computational abstraction levels below modern high-level languages; number representation, assembly language, memory management, the operating-system process model, high-level machine architecture including the memory hierarchy, and how high-level languages are implemented. Completion of CS 133 or CS 143, CS 301, and completion of CS 243 with a grade of 2.5 or higher or instructor permission.
Prerequisite Admission in the Computer Science Bachelors of Science program is required to take this course.
Course-level Learning Objectives (CLOs)
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

Describe the multi-step process by which a high-level program becomes a stream of instructions executed by a processor.
Describe the basic organization of the memory hierarchy and the effect of its parameters on system performance.
Trace the execution of assembly code, map the assembly to high-level language constructs, and write simple pieces of assembly programs.
Write C code using pointers to create and manipulate complex data structures;
Write (or rewrite) code to take advantage of the computer execution model to improve execution efficiency.
Explain the role of an operating system.
Identify the design priorities present in technical systems, both explicit and implicit, and how they relate to historical context.

Course Typically Offered
Spring