Date: Fri, 6 Feb 2009 11:52:33 -0500 (EST)
From: Asst Prof Luke McDowell <lmcdowel@usna.edu>
To: IC220.8001@usna.edu, IC220.9001@usna.edu
Subject: tips on project 1 / HW4 solution


1. I've had a number of questions on "how do I define a function in SPIM and then call it?"  There is an example of this on the last page of the project
description, or here:
http://www.usna.edu/Users/cs/lmcdowel/courses/ic220/S09/hw/project1/IC220_Project1.htm

2. In SPIM, the value of the registers are displayed by default in hex. You can change this to decimal via the menu option:
  Simulator->Settings, uncheck "General registers in hexadecimal"

3. As said before, understanding Exercise 2-37 from the homework is critical to the project.  You can see multiple solutions that we did in class on Tegrity
for the class on Tuesday Feb 3:
  http://www.usna.edu/Users/cs/lmcdowel/courses/ic220/S09/tegrity.html
or one solution via the HW4 solution which is now posted:
  http://www.usna.edu/Users/cs/lmcdowel/courses/ic220/S09/hw/soln/IC220_HW4_Soln.pdf

-LKM



Date: Fri, 6 Feb 2009 16:05:30 -0500 (EST)
From: Asst Prof Luke McDowell <lmcdowel@usna.edu>
To: Luke McDowell <lmcdowel@usna.edu>
Subject: IC220: saving yourself time on the project


You will spend much less time on the project if you really understand, before you start working:
1. the "jal" example on the last page of the project writeup
2. Exercise 2-27 from HW4

I suggest doing Exercise 2-27 again from scratch, to test your understanding.  You can get the raw exercise from the calendar, and I've posted a new
document that shows both solutions we did in class:
http://www.usna.edu/Users/cs/lmcdowel/courses/ic220/S09/hw/soln/exercise2-27.pdf
(also on the calendar)

-LKM


Date: Wed, 11 Feb 2009 15:33:12 -0500 (EST)
From: Asst Prof Luke McDowell <lmcdowel@usna.edu>
To: IC220.8001@usna.edu, IC220.9001@usna.edu
Subject: project1 -- check your simulator settings


1. I've made a new page to summarize all the "project tips" emails.  See the calendar or:
http://www.usna.edu/Users/cs/lmcdowel/courses/ic220/S09/slides/project1.txt

2. Better safe than sorry:  In SPIM, go to "Simulator->Settings". Make sure that the following are NOT checked:
   -Delayed Branches
   -Delayed Loads

(by default, these are not checked, so you should be fine.  However, the other section received a previous lab handout that incorrectly said to check these
boxes.  If for whatever reason you saw and followed those instructions, your project would not work).

-LKM