ECE 2010 - 001 Logic and Computing Devices Spring 2024

Modality and Schedule: Traditional, January 10 – April 26, 2024, TuTh, 12:30-1:45pm, in Brack224

Instructor:
Jillian Cai
Office: 207D Riggs Hall
Email: [email protected] (Prefix subject line with “ECE2010:” please)

Office Hours and Procedures:

See the ‘Instructor Contact Information and Office Hours’ page on Canvas

Course Textbook: Digital Design with An Introduction to the Verilog HDL, VHDL, and SystemVerilog,
6th Ed., by Mano & Ciletti, Pearson, 2018.

Other reference book: Introduction to Logic Design by A. Marcovitz – any edition.

Course Website: We will use the ECE2010 Canvas site for course materials, grades, announcements,
homework assignments, and etc.

Other Required:
 Laptop Computer – All or part of your tests and final exam will be taken on your laptop computer.
Therefore, your laptop battery should be capable of lasting several hours (the final exam is 2.5 hrs).
 Respondus Lockdown Browser – The first week of class you must install and test this browser on
your laptop: https://www.clemson.edu/online/tools/responduslockdown.html

Prerequisites – Sophomore Standing. Co Requisites – None

Attendance Policy: See the ECE Common Course Syllabus for general policies related to attendance.
The additional guidelines below are specific to this course.
 Lecture attendance is expected. Students are responsible for all material covered, all
announcements made, and all assignments given in every lecture. Lecture PDFs will be posted on
Canvas and students are responsible for preparing the latest lecture slides for handwritten or
electronic markup before coming to class. Some lectures may cover material not found in the
textbook. If for some unforeseen reason, a student has to miss a lecture, it is the responsibility of
the student to make up for any deficiencies that result from a missed class (for example, by
getting written notes or announcements from a classmate).
 Please use the Canvas ‘Notification of Absence’ system to inform the instructor of excused
absences.
 When you are in class, cell phones and audio devices (mp3 players, laptop audio) should be
muted. The use of electronic devices for non-course activities distracts the students around you.
If the behavior is disruptive, the instructor reserves the right to ask the offending student(s) to
leave the class.

Class Cancellation Policy: Every attempt will be made to announce cancellations or postponements in
advance. Students may leave after 15 minutes if no one shows up to teach a scheduled lecture. In the event
of a class cancellation on an exam day, the exam will be rescheduled to the next class meeting unless
announced otherwise via email or announcement.

Catalog Description: Introduction to Boolean algebra and digital logic. Topics include number systems
and representation of information; Boolean operators and algebra; expression minimization; combinational
circuits, including adders, comparators, decoders and multiplexors; sequential logic, including flip-flops,
shift registers, counters and memory.

Course Objectives: At the end of the class students should be able to intelligently discuss the topics
covered along with being able to correctly analyze, design, and simulate digital logic circuits.

Tentative Topical Outline:

1. Digital Systems and Binary Numbers (4 hours)
2. Logic Gates; Boolean Functions; Boolean Algebra (6 hours)
3. K-map; NAND/NOR implementation (6 hours)
4. Combinational Logic (6 hours)
5. Sequential basics; Sequential Analysis and Design (11 hours)
6. Registers; Memory (2 hour)
7. Tests (3 hours)

Grading:
Project 5%
HW 15%
Midterm exams 50%
Final exam 30%

Bonus points may be awarded through occasional extra credit opportunities.

A = 90 – 100, B = 80 – 89, C = 70 – 79, D = 60 – 69, F = 0 – 59

The midterm exams dates will be announced one week in advance of the exam date. The final
exam will be held at the time scheduled by the university, 3:00 pm-5:30 pm, Monday, April. 29.
Note that the final exam cannot be rescheduled, please plan accordingly!
Testing and Homework:
 Homework provides the practice necessary to learn and master the concepts of the course. An
important component of homework is learning how to start previously unseen problems given the
concepts you have seen in class (as opposed to just using an example problem as a problem-solving
“template”). Developing this skill will prepare you not only for exams in this course but also for
subsequent courses.
 Homework assignments are posted every one or two class periods. Homework is given online via
Canvas and should be completed before deadline. It is expected that your homework will represent
your own work, although working in groups is allowed, and even encouraged. You will have 3
attempts for each homework problem. The highest score will be kept. Late submission deduction
is 10% per day. The lowest possible grade is 30% with submissions. Grade for missing submissions
is a score of 0.
 All tests will be in class and use the Respondus Lockdown Browser. Please ensure that your laptop
has no other tabs open except for the Lockdown Browser during exams.
 A missed & unexcused midterm exam will be given a grade of zero.
 If a student has an excused absence for a midterm exam, a makeup test will be cumulative and
given in the week before the final exam. Students may be excused from at most one midterm.
 o An excused absence for a midterm exam generally requires a very good reason, discussed
with the instructor and agreed upon in advance.
o If a student misses an exam for any unanticipated reason, please contact the instructor as
soon as possible.
 Tentatively there will be 3 midterm exams. The grade of the midterm exams will be computed as
a weighted average of the scores. The highest midterm percentage score will be weighted by 5/12,
the middle score by 4/12, and the lowest score by 3/12.
 Final exam is compulsory. There will be no remake of the final exam due to strict grading schedule
between the scheduled final exam and the grade submission deadline.
Academic Integrity: As members of the Clemson University community, we have inherited Thomas Green
Clemson’s vision of this institution as a ‘high seminary of learning.’ Fundamental to this vision is a mutual
commitment to truthfulness, honor, and responsibility, without which we cannot earn the trust and respect
of others. Furthermore, we recognize that academic dishonesty detracts from the value of a Clemson degree.
Therefore, we shall not tolerate lying, cheating, or stealing in any form. In instances where academic
standards may have been compromised, Clemson University has a responsibility to respond appropriately
to charges of violations of academic integrity. Further information on Academic Integrity can be found in
the Undergraduate Announcements and in the Graduate School Policy Handbook.

Accessibility Statement: Clemson University values the diversity of our student body as a strength and a
critical component of our dynamic community. Students with disabilities or temporary injuries/conditions
may require accommodations due to barriers in the structure of facilities, course design, technology used
for curricular purposes, or other campus resources. Students who experience a barrier to full access to a
class should let the instructor know and make an appointment to meet with a staff member in Student
Accessibility Services as soon as possible. You can make an appointment by calling 864-656-6848 or by
emailing [email protected]. Students who receive Academic Access Letters are strongly
encouraged to request, obtain, and present these to their instructors as early in the semester as possible so
that accommodations can be made in a timely manner. It is the student’s responsibility to follow this process
each semester. You can access further information here: http://www.clemson.edu/campus-life/campus-
services/sds/.
ECE2010-Specific Accessibility Policies: Please submit accommodation letters for ECE2010 as soon as
possible. In order to receive accommodations on an exam, an accommodations letter must be received by
the instructor at least one week before the exam date.

Clemson University Title IX Statement: Clemson University is committed to a policy of equal

opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual
orientation, gender, pregnancy, national origin, age, disability, veteran’s status, genetic information or
protected activity in employment, educational programs and activities, admissions and financial aid. This
includes a prohibition against sexual harassment and sexual violence as mandated by Title IX of the
Education Amendments of 1972. The University is committed to combatting sexual harassment and sexual
violence. As a result, you should know that University faculty and staff members who work directly with
students are required to report any instances of sexual harassment and sexual violence, to the University’s
Title IX Coordinator. What this means is that as your professor, I am required to report any incidents of
sexual harassment, sexual violence or misconduct, stalking, domestic and/or relationship violence that are
directly reported to me, or of which I am somehow made aware. There are two important exceptions to this
requirement about which you should be aware:
Confidential Resources and facilitators of sexual awareness programs such as "Take Back the Night
and Aspire to be Well" when acting in those capacities, are not required to report incidents of sexual
discrimination.
 Another important exception to the reporting requirement exists for academic work. Disclosures
about sexual harassment, sexual violence, stalking, domestic and/or relationship violence that are
shared as part of an academic project, a research project, classroom discussion, or course
assignment, are not required to be disclosed to the University’s Title IX Coordinator.
This policy is located at http://www.clemson.edu/campus-life/campus-services/access/title-ix/. Ms. Alesia
Smith is the Executive Director for Equity Compliance and the Title IX Coordinator. Her office is located
at 223 Holtzendorff Hall, phone number is 864.656.3181, and email address is [email protected].

Safe Campus: Clemson University is committed to providing a safe campus environment for students,
faculty, staff, and visitors. As members of the community, we encourage you to take the following actions
to be better prepared in case of an emergency:
a. Ensure you are signed up for emergency alerts (https://www.getrave.com/login/clemson)
b. Download the Rave Guardian app to your phone (https://www.clemson.edu/cusafety/cupd/rave-
guardian/)
c. Learn what you can do to prepare yourself in the event of an active threat
(http://www.clemson.edu/cusafety/EmergencyManagement/)
Tutoring Information: This course is supported by the Academic Success Center tutoring program. The
ASC tutors have completed and done well in this course, and they understand the concepts well enough to
help you work through questions you have. The ASC tutoring program is certified by the College Reading
and Learning Association, which means that our tutors are trained to share learning and study strategies
during tutorial sessions. While tutors will not complete/correct homework for you or help you on take-
home tests or quizzes, they will help you understand and reinforce concepts that you are learning in your
classes. For more information visit https://www.clemson.edu/asc/courses/tutoring/index.html.

Additional Course Support: If you discover that you would like additional support to meet your success
goals for this course, contact the Academic Success Center using their “Request for Course Assistance”
form (http://www.clemson.edu/asc/courses/index.html). Private tutoring may be available through
the Tutor Matching Service. If you feel confident in your abilities in this course after completion, or in
other courses you have already completed, please consider signing up to provide tutoring at a pay rate you
set for yourself (http://www.clemson.edu/asc/courses/private-tutoring.html).

Copyright Statement: Materials in this course are copyrighted. They are intended for use only by
students registered and enrolled in this course and only for instructional activities associated with and for
the duration of the course. They may not be retained in another medium or disseminated further. They are
provided in compliance with the provisions of the Teach Act. Students should be reminded to refer to the
Use of Copyrighted Materials and “Fair Use Guidelines” policy in on the Clemson University website for
additional information: https://clemson.libguides.com/copyright.

Modification Statement: Any updates to the syllabus and changes in the course delivery will be updated
on the Canvas course website. The instructor reserves the right to modify any aspect of the syllabus
(including grading policies) during the semester. This syllabus was prepared on 1/9/2024. Further updates
will be communicated through Canvas.

This syllabus was prepared by Jillian Cai in January 2024 based on a draft provided by Dr. William Reid and
Dr. Hassan Raza.