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Frequently Asked Questions |
General Questions:
When/where are your office hours?How will my grade be determined?
When are the written assignments due?
How do I access newsgroups from off-campus?
Lab Questions:
Do the labs meet the first week of classes?
Do we have to read over the first lab and complete any verifications the first week?
I have an excused absence. Can I make up my missed quiz?
Who do I contact when I have questions?
Can I come in to lab while another section is in session?
Why are there red and yellow cups at each station?Software Questions:
Should I compile all files in my project or just the top-level file?
Why do I get an I/O error when I try to open files at home?
How do I remove the read-only attribute in Windows?Do I have to use Windows to run Quartus II or to create writing assignments?
Hardware Questions:
What if I cannot get parts at the bookstore?
Q: When are your office hours?
Each semester, they are included in the workbook. Sometimes, they are updated here or on the UPCP web site, in the case of Ms. Bourgeois. They are always given in the first lecture, too. For Dr. Collins, they are currently Th 5:00-6:00 and Fr 4:00-6:00 in Van Leer room E266.
Q: How will my grade be determined?
A: A final grade will be assigned based on the following submitted work.
35% - Lab Reports, including final project
25% - Lab Final (a practical final in the lab itself)
25% - Prelab Quizzes
15% - In-class exam(s)
Also, a subjective grade, called the "TA Perspective," determines what happens to students near a grade threshold.Q: When are the written assignments due?
A: According to the schedule provided by the time of the first lecture, unless changes are made in response to unforeseen problems that require extensions. This schedule appears in the syllabus. Note that the schedule shows what WEEK the assignments are due (or two-day period in the summer). You simply locate your lab day in that week (or two-day period), and you have the due date.
Q: When are lab checkoffs due?
A: Before the scheduled lab section where the corresponding assignment is due (see previous question). But you don't have to turn them in until the assignment is due -- they just have to be signed off by a TA. Note that "before" means just that -- you cannot try to get checkoffs in the first few minutes of lab for the previous lab assignment. Usually, that's a moot point, because the checkoffs are needed to assemble the required written assignment.
Q: How do I access my home directory from off campus, especially when files are too big to transfer by carrying floppy disks?
A: You can FTP to and from ntlab.ece.gatech.edu. But secure FTP is required, so see the instructions at the ECE computer support web site for details.
Q: How do I access newsgroups from off-campus?
A: OIT runs the newsgroups. See their web site, specifically http://faq.oit.gatech.edu/0234.html for this question. Their instructions are specifically for Mozilla Thunderbird, but you should have no trouble completing similar steps (creating a news account with SSL encryption) in Outlook Express and other news readers.
Q: Do the labs meet the first week of classes?
A: No. There is no need to attend your lab section prior to the first lecture. See the NEWS on the home page for breaking information at the start of a new semester.
Q: Do we have to read over the first lab and complete any prelabs during the first week in which there is a lecture?
A: Note the distinction here between the first week of lecture and the first week of labs (see previous question). In general, reading ahead is always a good thing, but there are no assignments prior to the first lecture. In that lecture, however, you will be told what is required before the first time that your lab section meets. Since it is actually Lab #1 in the laboratory manual, you can go ahead and start sooner if you choose, and if the required materials are posted by that time.
Q: I have an excused absence -- can I make up my missed quiz?
A: Generally, no. There is one dropped quiz grade. If you don't miss a quiz, then we drop your lowest grade. This drop is to take care of the numerous situations that occur such as a plant trips, a death in the family, an interview with a prospective employer, a trip to the infirmary, etc. If you should have an excused absence, keep your documentation. The second valid excused absence grants you a makeup. If the quiz cannot be made up, your quiz average is used for the second missed quiz grade. If you "missed" a quiz (i.e., unexcused), and then you have a subsequent excused absence, you are not granted a makeup. Repeat: There must be two valid excused absences to get the makeup on the second quiz (and that makeup could be simply an extension of your average for other quizzes). In-class exams and finals are handled separately, and absences there are subject to the same rigorous proof as in any other course.
Q: Who do I contact when I have questions?
A: 1.) Check the syllabus/workbook.
2.) Check this FAQ page.
3.) Check out the newsgroup (news.gatech.edu, git.ee.class.ece2031).
4.) Email your GTA and/or LTA. If they are unhelpful or uncertain, check with Instructor Bourgeois or Dr. Collins.Q: Can I come in to lab while another section is in session?
A: After the quiz (the first 15-30 min.) students from other sections are admitted as space permits on a first-come, first-served basis. Check in with one of the TAs when you enter the lab. They will assign you to an available stations if space permits. Also keep in mind that the TAs will have to give priority to the students in their sections.
Q: Why are there red and yellow cups at each station?
A: If you have a question, place the RED cup on top of your monitor and keep working on solving it yourself. if you need a check-off, place the YELLOW cup on top of your monitor and begin working on the next section.
Q: Should I compile all files in my project or just the top-level file?
A: This is less of an issue with Quartus II than it was for the previous MAX+plus II software, since you have to work hard in Quartus NOT to declare a top-level file and compile it. But FWIW, you should only compile the top-level files for a given project, and it will in turn include all needed subcomponents. Compiling intermediate design files as though they were your complete design can cause problems because changes aren't updated properly.
Q: Why do I get an I/O error when I try to open files at home?
A: The files on the CD-ROM are "read-only" and Quartus II has to write to most them. When you copy the files from the CD-ROM to your hard drive, remove the "read-only" attribute (see next question). This is a Windows thing, where it treats copied CD files as being read-only by default.
Q: How do I remove the read-only attribute in Windows?
A: Open the folder containing the files you wish to change. Press CTRL+A to select all the files. Go to the File menu and select Properties. Uncheck the "Read-only" box. Click OK to save the attribute changes.
Q: Do I have to use Windows to run Quartus II or to create writing assignments?
A: The intent of the all-Windows software policy is not meant to be punitive for students nor to support certain software vendors, but merely to provide a common set of tools and a consistent set of instructions. That being said, you can do whatever makes your life easier and still produces the desired results, as long as you realize that other software is not supported directly by the faculty and TAs of ECE 2031. Along those lines, you can use other word processing software, including tools that run on other operating systems, as long as the results meet the requirements on the UPCP site.
On the technical side, it is possible to run Quartus II on Linux.
Method I Most recently, 2031 student Andrew Ray notes:
Quartus II can be installed natively under wine on Linux.
http://appdb.winehq.org/appview.php?iAppId=2847
I followed the directions for version 6.x, and changed my windows version (using winecfg, which is included with the default install of wine) and then ran the installer, and everything seems to be working just fine.Method II If the above does not work, you may find this useful, but it involves installing FIRST to a Windows PC:
Former 2031 student Matt Britt provides Linux/Unix support information on Running Quartus II with Wine.If any students have successfully run Quartus on a Mac, they haven't told us about it. A harsh reality for Linux and OSX users is that most commercial CAD software runs only on Windows or on specific Unix platforms.
Q: What if I cannot get parts at the bookstore?
A: You can find the protoboard (breadboard), wire kit, and LS TTL parts at electronic retailers, and you can get them from the ECE Honor Society Eta Kappa Nu. Locally, you may find them at RadioShack stores. By mail order, you can try www.jameco.com and www.digikey.com or others. Following are part numbers. These are subject to change and provided only as a courtesy to students, so check before you order. These vendors will ship overnight.
Part Jameco.com Digikey Protoboard 20790 922318-ND Wire Kit 19289 923351-ND 74LS00 46252 DM74LS00N-ND 74LS02 46287 DM74LS02N-ND 74LS04 46316 DM74LS04N-ND 74LS20 47095 DM74LS20N-ND 74LS74 48004 DM74LS74N-ND 74LS153 not needed not needed 74LS157 not needed not needed 74LS193 not needed not needed