| Aim of Module | To provide students with an understanding of how units within a computer work and the different methods of connecting them. |
| Credits | 7 |
| Knowledge Assumed From | PR630(PR230) Programming (Systems) OS610(OS210) Operating Systems (Internals) Or DE600(DE200) Digital Electronics and DE610(DE210) Digital Electronics (Applied) |
| Student Learning hours | 70 |
| Prescription Expiry Date | Nov 2007 |
| Topics | Highest Skill Level | Suggested Assessment Percentage | |
| 1 Introduction | C | 10 | |
| 2 Computer Systems Organisation | C | 30 | |
| 3 Micro Programming | C | 30 | |
| 4 Convential Machine | C | 30 | |
| 100 | |||
| 1 | Introduction |
| C | Explain the general terms and concepts used in machine architecture and how all computers can be categorised in functional levels. | |
| > | Interpretation vs translation. | |
| > | Virtual machine concept. | |
| > | Multilevel virtual machine: | |
| -digital logic | ||
| -conventional machine | ||
| -assembly language | ||
| -micro programming | ||
| -operating system | ||
| -problem oriented languages | ||
| -hardware, software, firmware | ||
| 2 | Computer Systems Organisation |
| C | Explain how the individual units within a computer system work and the different ways they can be connected to form a computer system. | |
| > | Different ways of specifying instruction operands in terms of number and addressing method. | |
| > | Single processor organisation: | |
| - single and multiple bus structures: method and consequences | ||
| - instruction execution: I-phase, E-phase | ||
| - processor types: graphics, RISC technology | ||
| > | Parallel instruction execution: | |
| - multiple CPUs | ||
| - array processors | ||
| - pipe-lining | ||
| > | Memory organisation: | |
| - word lengths, different meanings and sizes | ||
| - READ and WRITE operations on memory | ||
| - memory management, segmentation, paging, virtual memory, cache memory, look-aside buffers - their implementations with methods and reasons | ||
| - describe the Memory organisation on a range of computers eg. - on PC, explain usual and maximum memory configurations, expanded and extended memory, EMS, plug-in boards and chips used on them. | ||
| - input/output | ||
| - data and address bus sizes | ||
| - functions necessary for I/O transfer | ||
| - select or address device | ||
| - transfer data | ||
| - synchronise transfer operation - polling and interrupts | ||
| - interfaces - serial and parallel | ||
| - DMA and character based devices | ||
| - data channels: | ||
| - -multiplexer (byte, block) | ||
| - -selector | ||
| - -block multiplexer | ||
| - describe I/O implementation on a range of computers eg. On PC, explain serial and parallel cards, disk controllers: RLL, Western Digital, SCSI, multiport terminal cards: eg. - Anvil designs for 386, micro channel | ||
| - video controllers | ||
| - distributed processing | ||
| - wide and local area networks as computer system organisation | ||
| 3 | Micro Programming |
| C | 3.1 | Describe connection of the scratch pad to ALU, shifter, MAR, MDR and the latches that select them - the data path. |
| C | 3.2 | Micro-instructions: describe function of each line to control above components. |
| C | 3.3 | Micro-architecture of chosen processor - describe the components, their connection and function. |
| C | 3.4 | Macro-architecture of chosen processor - describe the instruction set to be micro-coded. |
| C | 3.5 | Micro-program - describe the micro-code of chosen processor. |
| 4 | Convential Machine |
| C | Describe the design constraints that manufacturers face in the design of an instruction set. | |
| > | instruction length - short vs long. | |
| > | Memory transfer size and rates. | |
| > | Word length. | |
| > | Instruction format consideration: | |
| -op code length, expanding op codes, instruction formats | ||
| > | Instruction fetch considerations - instruction length field. | |
| > | Operand specification - register and memory. | |