Objectives and outcomes
The main goal of the course is to acquaint students with the computer organisation and the computer
system organisation. Students should acquire knowledge of numeral systems, the representation of
numbers in the computer, the organisation of computer functions as a whole and the organisation of
computer system components and trends in computer development. Upon completion of the course,
students should gain knowledge of the basic concepts in the field of computer organisation,
evolutionary trends in computer development and an insight into the application of data processing to
digital computers, organisation of components and ways of interconnecting computer system
components.
Lectures
Introduction to computers and computer systems. Computer evolution and development trends. History
of information technology development. Numeral systems. Data representation in a computer.
Representation and storage of fixed-point numbers. Representation and storage of integer
numbers. Representation and storage of floating-point numbers.
Representation and storage of binary coded decimal numbers. Standards for representations of integer
values, floating point numbers and symbols in computer. Arithmetic operation with fixed and floating-
point numbers. Algorithms for performing arithmetic operations. Representation and storage of non-
numerical data. Logical bases of data processing. IAS (von Neumann) machine. Principles
of digital computing. Computer data flow. Microprocessors. Microprocessors instruction
sets. Interconnection structures – bus and point-to-point interconnection. Cache memory. Internal
memory. External memory. Input/Output devices. Memory error detection and correction. Multiprocessor and multicore
systems.
Practical classes
Computer arithmetic. Central processing unit. Instruction set. Types of buses, synchronous and
asynchronous buses, operations, arbitration, examples. Internal memory: types, characteristics,
hierarchy, implementation, interleaving, linking. Cache: purpose, principles, types of mappings, write
and replace policies, enhancements. Connection with Input/Output devices: principles, techniques,
controllers, DMA, interrupt system, examples. Symbolic machine language. Translating, loading and
executing programs. Diagnostic tools and diagnostic procedures. Computer performance testing.
Installation, optimisation and upgrade of operating systems.