Introduction to Computer Architecture (COMP10040)

This course provides an introduction to computer architecture and organisation. The digital electronic circuits underlying computer systems are explained, introducing the concepts of the transistor, integrated circuit, combinational circuit and sequential circuit. Based on this, the logical operation of computers is considered including logic gates, Boolean algebra and binary number systems. The architecture of modern computer systems is described. The organization of computer components is developed with special emphasis on memory systems. Finally, the fundamentals of computer technology are covered, including motherboards, storage devices, IO systems, communications and networking.