Code

COMPGC03

Year

MSc

Prerequisites

This course should be taken in conjunction with the core courses for this programme (ie GC01, GC02, GC04 and GC05)

Term

1

Taught By

Peter Rounce (100%)

Aims

To 'demystify' computers - i.e. to provide a basic understanding of how computers execute programs. To show how the basic components of the computer can be built from simple electronic components.

Learning Outcomes

Students should understand the roles of the major components of a computer system, how instructions are executed, how memory is accessed and managed. They should appreciate the main performance measures and constraints.

Major components of a computer

Processor, storage, input and output.

Information representation

Digital and analogue representation. Bits and bytes. Number Systems: binary, hexadecimal, negative numbers. Fixed length arithmetic. Fractional numbers.

The processor and main memory

General and special purpose registers. The fetch-execute cycle. Instruction formats and encoding. Assembler instructions. The bus.

Introduction to the MIPS processor

Assembler syntax. Branches. The SPIM emulator

Data and Data Structures

Characters and Floating point. Static data structures: arrays. Dynamic data structures: queues, stacks and linked lists.

Stack Usage

Parameter passing. Return addresses. Stack Frames.

Input and Output

Basic I/O, streamed I/O, polling loops. The I/O interface and its role.

Interrupts

Generation, prioritisation, Interrupt Servicing and the ISR.

DMA (Direct Memory Access)

What it does, how it's done, when it is used.

Serial I/O systems

Asynchronous, synchronous, ethernet

Disk I/O

Magnetic storage, disk capacity, organisation and performance.

How the CPU works

Internal Structure and operation of a Mips-like CPU.

Real Memory

Commercial Memory: structure, operation. Cache memory.

Making it go faster

Pipelining. Instruction and data caches. RISC vs CISC.

Memory Mangement

How paging is implemented.

Basic Electrical Theory

Current, voltage, resistance. Conductors, Resistors. Power. Simple electrical circuits.

Logic Circuits

NOT, NAND and NOR circuits.

Semi-conductors

Diodes and transistors. The transistor as an electrical switch. Transistors in logic circuits.

Data storage in digital circuits

Flip-flops, Registers and memories. Memory configuration. Memory types; RAM and ROM. Accessing I/O interfaces.

CPU operation

Clock cycles, timing diagrams, Finite State Machines, Internal CPU Structure and operation.

Lectures and web-based exercises.

The course has the following assessment components:

• Coursework Section (1 piece, 10%)
• Written Examination (2.5 hours, 90%)

To pass this course, students must:

• Obtain an overall pass mark of 50% for all sections combined

The examination rubric is:
Answer question 1 (Section A) and TWO questions from Section B.

'The Architecture of Computer Hardware and Systems Software (3rd Edition)', Irv Englander, Wiley, 2003, ISBN 0-471-0732

'Computer Organization and Design (3rd Edition)', Patterson and Hennessy, Morgan Kaufmann, 1999, ISBN 1-55860-4910-X

'Structured Computer Organisation (4th Edition)', Tanenbaum, Prenctice-Hall. 1999, ISBM 0-13-020435-8

'Computer Organisation and Architecture', B.S. Chalk, Palgrave-Hall. 1996, ISBM 0-333-64551-0

Course web page