No offerings have been identified for this subject in 2016
ITC222 Computer Organisation (8)
AbstractThis subject provides a study of the organisation and operation of computers through programming at the assembly language level. It introduces the architecture of microprocessors and relates low-level hardware and software organisation to the structures with which students are familiar from their previous knowledge of programming in a high-level language. |
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+ Subject Availability Modes and Location
Continuing students should consult the SAL for current offering details prior to contacting their course coordinator: ITC222
Where differences exist between the handbook and the SAL, the SAL should be taken as containing the correct subject offering details.
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Subject informationDuration | Grading System | School: |
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One session | HD/FL | School of Computing and Mathematics |
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Assumed KnowledgeITC106 or ITC129 or ITC140 or ITC421 or ITC429 |
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Learning OutcomesUpon successful completion of this subject, students should:
- be able to describe and analyse the various software and hardware factors that can impact upon the performance of a computer system;
- be able to discuss the instruction set of a microprocessor and construct small programs in assembly language for that microprocessor;
- be able to describe the mechanisms by which user programs interact with kernel services and I/O (Input/Output) devices;
- be able to describe the actions of an optimising compiler and interpret how these influence high-level language coding techniques.
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SyllabusThe subject will cover the following topics:
- The organisation of a computer as a hierarchy of levels, their inter-relations and the low-level view of computer operation.
- An instruction set, and its design and use.
- The use of registers and a comparison of memory-memory, register-memory and load-store architectural models.
- Procedure calls and the data structures used to support them.
- How a low-level program is constructed.
- How data structures are implemented at a low level.
- The assembly process and the characteristics of a program in memory.
- Compiler optimisation and coding techniques.
- Number systems and data representation.
- The basic arithmetic and logical operations used to manipulate data and the algorithms that they use.
- The interaction of a user program with the operating system and the hardware including programmed I/O, interrupts and direct memory access.
- Calculating Central Processing Unit (CPU) performance and performance benchmark issues.
- Performance-related design issues including instruction-set choice, pipelining, branching techniques and memory hierarchy.
- Complex Instruction Set Computing (CISC) versus Reduced Instruction Set Computing (RISC) issues.
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The information contained in the 2016 CSU Handbook was accurate at the date of publication: 06 September 2016. The University reserves the right to vary the information at any time without notice.