CODE | CCE2017 | ||||||||||||
TITLE | Computer Systems and Organization | ||||||||||||
UM LEVEL | 02 - Years 2, 3 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||||||
MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||||||
ECTS CREDITS | 5 | ||||||||||||
DEPARTMENT | Communications and Computer Engineering | ||||||||||||
DESCRIPTION | The unit covers key topics in computer organization. The topics include internal computer organization and CISC/RISC microprocessor architectures, input/output organization, and memory systems. Pipelined architecture is dealt with in some detail, and issues affecting the effectiveness of pipelining are described. The unit also covers memory issues including caching, cache hits and misses, and virtual memory. Study-Unit Aims: - To describe the internal and external organization of computer systems; - To explain design considerations of computers and how they are influenced by requirements of software. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Explain the microarchitecture of a processor; - Analyse architecture pipelining, and calculate the effectiveness of pipelining; - Explain the external organization of computer systems; - Describe memory issues, including cache and virtual memory; - Distinguish between internal and external processor bus technologies; - Illustrate the use of interrupts. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Design peripheral interfaces; - Use interrupts for interfacing; Write efficient assembly language programs. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - D.A. Patterson, J.L. Hennessy, Computer Organization and Design ARM Edition: The Hardware Software Interface, 2020. |
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RULES/CONDITIONS | Before TAKING THIS UNIT YOU MUST TAKE CCE1013 AND TAKE CCE1014 | ||||||||||||
STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture, Independent Study, Practicum & Tutorial | ||||||||||||
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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LECTURER/S | Victor Buttigieg |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |