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Level 4 Diploma in Cyber Security

Information representation: binary, decimal and hexadecimal; logic operators

CYB403 · Principles of Computer Systems — Week 6 of 16

CourseCYB403
Week6 of 16
SemesterI
TutorOnline in the course chat

This week’s topics

Information representation: binary, decimal and hexadecimal; logic operators

  1. Information representation: binary, decimal and hexadecimal
  2. Propositional logic, AND/OR/NOT, NAND/NOR/XOR/XNOR and truth tables

What you will be able to do

  • 4.1 Describe the representation of information in binary in computer systems.
  • 4.2 Explain the common types of logic operation and corresponding logic gates.

Activity

Start with this week’s 4 videos, then: Seminar, guided reading and a short written task: describe the representation of information in binary in computer systems.

Study materials

Videos

  • Boolean logic and logic gates · Oak National Academy, Key Stage 4 (GCSE level) · for registered students
  • Representing text using ASCII and Unicode · Oak National Academy, Key Stage 4 (GCSE level) · for registered students
  • Understanding Binary, Hexadecimal, Decimal (Base-10), and more · YouTube · Corey Schafer · 11 min · for registered students
  • Binary, Decimal and Hexadecimal Number Systems · YouTube · Khan Academy · 12 min · for registered students

Further resources

  • Introduction to Computer Science, 5.3: Machine-Level Information Representation · PDF · OpenStax Introduction to Computer Science (2024), 5.3: binary integers and character codes (ASCII, Unicode), pp. 205–210 · for registered students
  • The Elements of Computing Systems, ch. 1: Boolean Logic · PDF · Nisan & Schocken, The Elements of Computing Systems 2e, ch. 1 (2nd ed.): Boolean operators, truth tables and Boolean functions; 22 pp. · for registered students
Materials marked “for registered students” open in the student portal, which is set up as soon as you receive final acceptance.
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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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