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Level 4 Diploma in Cyber Security

Midterm evaluation

CYB403 · Principles of Computer Systems — Midterm

CourseCYB403
Week8 of 16
SemesterI
TutorOnline in the course chat

This week’s topics

Midterm evaluation

  1. Midterm assessment of the criteria taught so far
  2. Individual feedback and targets

What you will be able to do

  • 1.1 Describe the key hardware components of a computer system and their functions.
  • 1.2 Explain how data is processed and transferred within a computer.
  • 1.3 Explain how different components interact to improve system performance.
  • 1.4 Evaluate the benefits and impact of parallel processing on computing performance.
  • 2.1 Describe the Von Neumann computing paradigm.
  • 2.2 Compare the different forms of memory that computers use and their roles (primary, cache, and secondary).
  • 2.3 Analyse the impact of processor-memory separation on computing performance.
  • 2.4 Evaluate the difference between volatile and non-volatile memory in different computing contexts.

Activity

Midterm assessment task and individual feedback.

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 7Week 9
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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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