1 Introduction
The aim of this course is to give you a good introduction to
computer hardware and the organisation of computer systems.
The course has four parts.
- Digital logic
- The fundamental information processing
operations, leading to the construction of higher-level functions such
as binary arithmetic.
- Assembly language
- Programming microprocessors at the lowest
level.
- Computer architecture
- The organisation of the basic components
within a computer, and within a microprocessor; how assembly language
is implemented.
- Operating systems
- The role of the operating system in providing
an interface between the high-level programmer and the hardware.
The course has a strong practical component. You will learn to design
and build (using a simulator) digital logic circuits, and to write small programs in
assembly language.
The lecture handouts should provide all the information you need. For
background reading and further information, we recommend
"Computers from Logic to Architecture", 2nd Edition, by R.D. Dowsing,
F.W.D. Woodhams, I. Marshall, published by McGraw-Hill.
This book is the main recommendation for the level 2 module
Computer Systems, and would be particularly useful for students
intending to study level 2 Computing Science.
If you do not intend to continue with Computing Science next year,
then the following book might be a good reference for this module:
``Digital Fundamentals'' by Thomas Floyd, published by
Prentice Hall.
More references for this module and for CS2 can be found on the web pages.
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