Module 19340 (2013)
Syllabus page 2013/2014
06-19340
Computer Systems & Architecture
Level 2/I
Iain Styles
10 credits in Semester 2
Links | Outline | Aims | Outcomes | Prerequisites | Teaching | Assessment | Books | Detailed Syllabus
The Module Description is a strict subset of this Syllabus Page. (The University module description has not yet been checked against the School's.)
Relevant Links
Outline
Principles of computer organisation, architecture and design; the hardware-software interface; control of peripherals; basics of networking.
Aims
The aims of this module are to:
- provide an understanding of the fundamental concepts and principles of computer architectures
- introduce the basic components of computer systems, their internal design and operation and their interactions
- understand how computer hardware and software interact
- provide a basic understanding of networking sufficient to support programming involving networks in other modules
Learning Outcomes
| On successful completion of this module, the student should be able to: | Assessed by: | |
| 1 | explain and apply the fundamental principles upon which the operation of modern computers is based | Examination, Continuous Assessment |
| 2 | demonstrate a knowledge of the structure and organization of computer systems, including the role and operation of each of the component modules | Examination, Continuous Assessment |
| 3 | explain and apply the fundamental concepts and issues involved in the control of peripherals, including interrupt-handling | Examination, Continuous Assessment |
| 4 | explain the fundamental concepts and issues involved in computer networking, including the need for protocols, addressing and routing | Examination |
| 5 | Demonstrate a knowledge of the interaction between software and hardware, demonstrating how programs are executed | Examination, Continuous Assessment |
Restrictions, Prerequisites and Corequisites
Restrictions:
None
Prerequisites:
06-22754 (Foundations of Computer Science)
Co-requisites:
None
Teaching
Teaching Methods:
2 lectures and 1 exercise class per week
Contact Hours:
Assessment
- Sessional: 1.5 hr examination (80%), continuous assessment (20%)
- Supplementary (where allowed): 1.5 hr examination (80%) with the continuous assessment mark carried forward (20%)
Recommended Books
| Title | Author(s) | Publisher, Date |
| Computer Architecture: A Quantitative Approach | John Hennessy and David Patterson | Morgan Kaufmann, 2011 |
| Computer organization and Design - The Hardware/Software Interface | John Hennessy and David Patterson | Morgan Kaufmann, 2009 |
| Structured Computer Organization | Andrew Tanenbaum and Tood Austin | Pearson Education, 2013 |
| Computer Organization and Architecture | William Stallings | Pearson Education, 2013 |
| Introduction to VLSI Systems | Carver Mead and Lynn Conway | Addison Wesley, 1979 |
| The Art of Electronics | Paul Horowitz and Winfield Hill | Cambridge University Press, 1989 |
Detailed Syllabus
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Basic concepts
- Historical Overview
- Overview of stored program (von Neumann) computer organisation
- Instruction Sets
- The Processor Cycle
- Measuring, predicting, and improving performance
- Inside the CPU
- Basic Device Physics
- Boolean Algebra and Digital Logic
- Implementing CPU elements with Digital Logic
- Pipelining
- Controlling the CPU
- Memory Architecture
- Memory Design and Construction
- The Memory Hierachy
- The Memory Map
- Caches
- I/O and Peripheral Control
- Buses
- Memory-mapped I/O
- Interrupts
- Direct Memory Access
- Hardware/Software Interface
- What happens during compilation and linking?
- Machine Code and Assembly Language
- Generating Code
- Addressing Modes
- Networks
- Basic Network Topology
- Network Addressing
- Routing
- Network Protocols
Last updated: 30 August 2013
Source file: /internal/modules/COMSCI/2013/xml/19340.xml
Links | Outline | Aims | Outcomes | Prerequisites | Teaching | Assessment | Books | Detailed Syllabus