Submission

As with all things, please make your paper and supporting codes into PDFs and email them in to me all together in a single email.

Specifications

Paper

The following is a list of requirements your paper must meet.

• 10 pages:
  • single spaced with 3.5 pages of pictures (or less)
  • double spaced with no pictures
  • page count is NOT to include title page, references (which must, however, be provided)
  • page count is NOT to include table of contents, index (which may be provided, if you wish)
• margins:
  • not more than 1.25 inches on a side
  • not less than 0.5 inches on a side
• text fonts:
  • something I can read!
  • not less than 8 point
  • not more than 12 point
• section/heading fonts:
  • something I can read!
  • not less than the text font
  • not more than 4 more than the text font
• style:
  • readable is preferred (spelling and grammar count!)
  • must have an introduction, body, and conclusion

Supporting Programs

You must do at least 2 programs demonstrating the topic you choose. The programs should be illustrative, well-designed, and make use of things you've learned through-out the semester.

Topics

The following is a list of possible topic areas so that you can be thinking about what you want your project to be about.

• Windows 32-bit Console Programming (11.1)
• Windows Graphics Application Programming (11.2)
• Advanced Memory Management (11.3)
• Inline Assembly Code (in C++?) (12.2)
• Linking to Higher-Level Languages (C++?) (12.3)
• MS-DOS Programming (13.1-2)
• BIOS Console (Text) Programming (15.1-3)
• BIOS Graphics Programming (15.1-2,4-5)
• Segmentation and Executable Formats (16.2-3)
• Interrupt Handlers (16.4)
• Using I/O Ports to Control Hardware (17.1)
• Floating-point Arithmetic (17.3)

You can add section 15.6 (mouse programming) to any program for bonus points.

For the creative among you, here are some other alternatives:

• Software:
  • Interrupt Driven Architectures
  • Microcode and CPU Design
  • How to write an Assembler
  • Memory Management in Operating Systems
  • BIOS vs. Kernel Routines
  • Differences in x86 and Other ASM Languages
  • The Bootup Sequence In-Depth
  • ...
• Hardware:
  • The History of the x86 Line
  • An In-Depth View of the Latest Intel/AMD Offerings
  • PC Architecture and Information Buses
  • Graphics Programming -- Hardware Accelerators to the Rescue
  • Alternative Input Devices: History and State of the Art
  • Secondary Storage: ...
  • RAM: ...
  • Network Interface Cards: ...
  • Upcoming Technologies (Holographic Memory, Laser Comm, etc.)
  • ...