Overview

Students will become familiar with the design, programming, operation, and design constraints of computing hardware.

Requisites

Prerequisites
ENG10004 Digital and Data Systems

OR
EAT10016 Digital and Data Systems
OR
ICT10001 Problem Solving with ICT
OR

Concurrent Pre-requisite
COS10009 Introduction to Programming

Assumed Knowledge
Familiarity with boolean algebra and number systems

Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Semester 1
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
03-March-2025
01-June-2025
Last self-enrolment date
16-March-2025
Census date
31-March-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
24-April-2025
Results released date
08-July-2025
Semester 2
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
04-August-2025
02-November-2025
Last self-enrolment date
17-August-2025
Census date
31-August-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
19-September-2025
Results released date
09-December-2025

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Read and write assembly language programs for a simple microcomputer
  • Identify the hardware components of a computer and the functions they perform
  • Describe the overall behaviour of compilers, assemblers, linkers and interpreters
  • Argue some of the trade-offs between hardware and software that occur in computer system design

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
On-campus
Lecture		 1.00  12 weeks  12
Online
Lecture		 1.00 12 weeks 12
On-campus
Class		 2.00  12 weeks  24
Unspecified Activities
Independent Learning		 8.50  12 weeks  102
TOTAL     150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
Assignment 1Individual 15 - 25% 1,2 
Assignment 2Individual 15 - 25% 1,2,3 
ExaminationIndividual 50 - 60% 1,2,3,4 
Laboratory PracticalsIndividual 5 - 10% 1,2 

Content

  • Assembly language programming
  • An introduction to program timing considerations and interrupts
  • Serial and parallel input /output
  • Memory types and organisation
  • Basic computer organisation: Von Neumann and Harvard architectures
  • The internals of a microcomputer using a RISC CPU
  • An introduction to interfacing to the analogue world
  • A block diagram of a complete CPU
  • An introduction to data storage technologies

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.