22C:196:002 (CS:4908:0003), Compiler Construction

The Kit

This target machine for the compiler we will write in this course is the ARM processor running under Linux. To support this, the department has purchased 20 Raspberry Pi systems. These are available for long-term checkout, but they must be returned at the end of the semester. The kit includes:

• A Raspberry Pi computer Model B rev 2.0 board, available at $40 from the University of Iowa Engineering Electronics Shop, or $35 plus shipping from several on-line sources.
• A Raspberry Pi enclosure from MCM Electronics, part #83-14424, available at $12.95 from the University of Iowa Engineering Electronics Shop, or $8.99 from MCM electronics, plus shipping.
• A 5 Volt, 0.85 Amp micro USB power supply (a Cellphone charger), available at $8.95 from the University of Iowa Engineering Electronics Shop.
• A small Filexec Storage Box, available at $4.99 from Dick Blick. It is big enough to comfortably hold the above.

You are entirely responsible for replacing (or paying replacement costs) for any of the above parts that are not returned at by the semester's end. Students are free to buy their own Raspberry Pi systems. Alternative cases are available (including many DIY designs), and if you own it, you can add heat sinks, use a 1 Amp power supply, and overclock to 1GHz. With the departmental machines, we do not recommend operating above 800MHz.

The Workstations

The department provides several Raspberry-oriented workstations in the back of room 301 MLH, each with:

• A HDMI monitor and cable to plug into the Pi.
• A USB mouse and keyboard to plug into the Pi.
• A network cable to plug into the Pi.
• A power outlet.

If you work at home, the Pi should work with just about any USB mouse and keyboard. The Engineering Electronics Shop and the U of I Bookstore Tech Conneciton stock USB mice for about $7 and USB keyboards for about $12.

Modern flat-panel TVs usually have HDMI inputs and can make good HDMI monitors. In addition, HDMI-to-DVI adapter cables are available, allowing use of DVI monitors, and the Pi also has a composite video output for older CRT-based TVs. HDMI and HDMI-to-DVI cables are available for under $8 from the Engineering Electronics Shop.

Plugging a Raspberry into a cable for use on a wired network is straightforward. Going wireless requires a USB wireless adapter and some adventures in system administration.

You Must Purchase

Whether you buy your own Raspberry Pi or borrow a departmental one, you will be required to provide your own SD card. This card will serve as your personal system "disk" for the Raspberry Pi. The minimum capacity required is 2GB, but 8GB Class 4 SD cards are available from numerous sources for under $9. Note that Class 4 cards are on the slow side. Class 10 SD cards are nice, but cost significantly more and some of them may not work well with the Pi.

See homepage.cs.uiowa.edu/~dwjones/raspberry/setup.shtml for notes on setting up your Pi system.