Course Schedule
CSC 2025 - Assembly Language & Computer Architecture
15-week lesson plan using Kip Irvine textbook with Raspberry Pi + Bob Plantz's Chapter 9 integration.
| Week | Topics (Irvine Chapters & Sections) | Key Activities / Labs / Projects | Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ch 1: Basic Concepts (1.1-1.4) Welcome, virtual machines, data representation, Boolean algebra | Install Visual Studio + Irvine32/64 libraries First x86-64 "Hello, world" Number base conversion exercises | 1, 2 |
| 2 | Ch 2: x86 Processor Architecture (all) | Diagram instruction execution cycle Compare 32-bit vs 64-bit modes Discuss real/protected/long mode | 1, 2 |
| 3 | Ch 3.1-3.4: Basic elements, data definition, assembling/linking, AddTwo program | Lab: Assemble-link-run cycle Write & debug AddTwo + variants | 1, 6, 7 |
| 4 | Ch 4.1-4.3: MOV, XCHG, ADD/SUB, NEG, data-related operators (OFFSET, PTR, etc.) | Lab: Variables, arithmetic expressions, OFFSET/SIZEOF usage | 3, 6 |
| 5 | Ch 4.4-4.6: Indirect & indexed addressing, arrays, JMP/LOOP, 64-bit programming | Lab: Sum integer array using indexed addressing (32-bit & 64-bit) | 3, 6 |
| 6 | Ch 5: Procedures (stack, PROC/CALL/RET, Irvine32 library, passing parameters) | Convert array sum to procedure Use WriteString, ReadInt, DumpRegs | 6 |
| 7 | Ch 6: Conditional processing (flags, CMP, TEST, Jcc, finite-state machines) | Lab: Signed-integer string validation (6.5.2) Build if-then-else and while loops in assembly | 3, 6, 8 |
| 8 | Midterm Exam (Chapters 1-6) + review | Pure x86-64 exam (no Pi yet) | All so far |
| 9 | Ch 7: Integer arithmetic (shifts, rotates, MUL/IMUL, DIV/IDIV, ADC/SBB) | Raspberry Pi Week 1 - Plantz Ch 9 sections 1-3 (registers, MOV, ADD, LDR/STR) Lab: Set up Pi OS 64-bit + "Hello World" via UART Port Ch 7 multiply/divide lab to AArch64 (compare MUL vs x86 MUL) | 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| 10 | Ch 8: Advanced procedures (stack frames, local vars, recursion, x64 calling convention) | Raspberry Pi Week 2 - Plantz Ch 9 sections 4-6 (branches, procedures, stack frames) Lab: Recursive factorial on Pi (Plantz example) + compare to x86 version Measure recursion depth with cycle counter | 2, 6 |
| 11 | Ch 9: Strings & arrays (MOVS/STOS/SCAS, string primitives, bubble sort, binary search) | Raspberry Pi Week 3 - Plantz Ch 9 sections 7-8 (arrays, loops, syscalls) Lab: Port bubble sort to Pi; time with CNTVCT_EL0 vs RDTSC on PC Write short report comparing cycles & code size | 4, 5, 6 |
| 12 | Ch 12: Floating-point (IEEE 754, FPU stack, basic instructions) | Raspberry Pi Bonus - Use ARM V registers (scalar FP) Lab: Mixed integer/FP math on Pi vs x86 SSE Optional: Simple NEON vector add | 3, 4 |
| 13 | Ch 10: Structures, simple macros + performance review | Lab: Define STRUCT on x86 and equivalent layout on Pi Begin final project work | 6, 8 |
| 14 | Review + project work time | Final project choices (must pick one): 1. Pure x86-64 Windows program (Irvine-style) 2. Bare-metal Pi program using Plantz templates (e.g., LED Game of Life) 3. Hybrid benchmark comparing same algorithm on x86-64 vs AArch64 | 1-8 |
| 15 | Final demos & course wrap-up | Live demos (Pi projects on real hardware highly encouraged) Submit code + short reflection on x86 vs ARM differences | All outcomes |
Grading Breakdown (Subject to Change)
- Weeks 1-8 labs & midterm: 45%
- Weeks 9-12 Pi labs: 20%
- Weeks 13-15 Final project (x86 or Pi or hybrid): 20%
- Attendance/Participation/reflections: 15%
Key Highlights
- Weeks 1-8: Focus on x86-64 assembly fundamentals using Kip Irvine textbook
- Weeks 9-12: Introduction to ARM assembly on Raspberry Pi using Bob Plantz's materials
- Weeks 13-15: Integration and comparison projects between x86 and ARM architectures
- Midterm: After Week 8, covering pure x86-64 content
- Final Project: Choice of x86-only, Pi-only, or comparative analysis projects