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Level 4 Diploma in Cyber Security

Principles of state machines: finite state machines, Mealy and Moore models, state diagrams for scenarios such as vending and washing machines

CYB403 · Principles of Computer Systems — Week 4 of 16

CourseCYB403
Week4 of 16
SemesterI
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This week’s topics

Principles of state machines: finite state machines, Mealy and Moore models, state diagrams for scenarios such as vending and washing machines

  1. The principles of state machines and their role in computer systems
  2. State diagrams for a range of processing scenarios

What you will be able to do

  • 3.1 Describe the principles of state machines and their role in computer systems.
  • 3.2 Design state diagrams for a range of processing scenarios.

Activity

Seminar, guided reading and a short written task: describe the principles of state machines and their role in computer systems.

Study materials

The teaching notes, exercises and videos of this week are in the student portal. Your portal is set up as soon as you receive final acceptance, so you can open them before the semester starts.
Week 3Week 5
Course chat

Admitted students ask questions on this week’s page in the student portal: an AI assistant trained on the course answers first, and during the course’s timetabled classes Connect to your tutor brings your tutor into the chat, who may start a call if needed.

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Course plan
  • Week 1: Computer components: CPU, memory, buses, input/output devic…
  • Week 2: How components work together: the fetch-execute cycle, buse…
  • Week 3: Memory: the Von Neumann model, registers, cache, RAM and RO…
  • Week 4: Principles of state machines: finite state machines, Mealy …
  • Week 5: Implementing state machines in Python and Verilog
  • Week 6: Information representation: binary, decimal and hexadecimal…
  • Week 7: Logic gates and circuits: transistors as switches, half-add…
  • Midterm: Midterm evaluation
  • Week 9: Machine code, assembly and high-level languages: abstractio…
  • Week 10: Assembly instruction sets compared: ARM, MIPS, x86, x86-64,…
  • Week 11: Programming in ARM assembly: essential instructions, contro…
  • Week 12: Applying Principles of Computer Systems in practice: case s…
  • Week 13: Assignment workshop: research, planning and referencing
  • Week 14: Assignment workshop: drafting, feedback and improvement
  • Week 15: Review and coursework completion
  • Final: Final assessment and submission
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