Computer Fundamentals
Aims & Objectives •This course aims to: –give you a general understanding of how a computer works –introduce you to assembly-level programming –prepare you for future courses. . . •At the end of the course you’ll be able to: –describe the fetch-execute cycle of a computer –understand the different types of information which may be stored within a computer memory –write a simple assembly language program Recommended Reading •This course doesn’t follow any particular book exactly, but any of the following are useful: –Computer Organization & Design(4th Ed), Patterson and Hennessy, Morgan Kaufmann 2008 •also used in CST Part 1B “Computer Design” –Digital Design and Computer Architecture, Harris and Harris, Morgan Kaufmann 2007 •also used in CST Part 1A “Digital Electronics” –Structured Computer Organization(5th Ed), Tannenbaum, Prentice-Hall 2005 •good general overview book; somewhat broader in scope, and somewhat simpler to digest than above Course Outline •We’ll cover the fol...