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Level 4 Diploma in Cyber Security

Applying Principles of Computer Systems in practice: case studies

CYB403 · Principles of Computer Systems — Week 12 of 16

CourseCYB403
Week12 of 16
SemesterI
TutorOnline in the course chat

This week’s topics

Applying Principles of Computer Systems in practice: case studies

  1. Case analysis
  2. Linking theory to practice
  3. Evaluating evidence

What you will be able to do

  • 1.4 Evaluate the benefits and impact of parallel processing on computing performance.
  • 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.
  • 3.4 Critically evaluate the performance of state machines and propose improvements.
  • 5.3 Analyse how higher-level programming languages are abstracted from lower-level languages and the benefits of doing so.

Activity

Start with this week’s 4 videos, then: Case-study workshop: apply the unit’s concepts to a real or realistic case and evaluate the outcome.

Study materials

Videos

  • How To Add More RAM & SSD Storage To Your Laptop - QUICK & EASY! (DDR4/DDR5 PCIE GEN 4 m.2) | AD · YouTube · PC Centric · 16 min · for registered students
  • How to Install a Hard Drive or SSD in a PC · YouTube · ECPU · 8 min · for registered students
  • Understanding Computer Specs | What Computer Specs You Need in a Computer · YouTube · blondiebytes · 13 min · for registered students
  • [2024] What Computer Specs do I Need? What do they Mean? · YouTube · Indigo Software · 5 min · for registered students

Further resources

  • Foundations of Information Systems, 4.2: Defining User Requirements · PDF · OpenStax Foundations of Information Systems (2025), 4.2: identifying users, tasks and requirements before choosing a system, pp. 128–133 · for registered students
  • Foundations of Information Systems, 4.1: Systems Analysis and Design · PDF · OpenStax Foundations of Information Systems (2025), 4.1: analysing users, tasks and the type of system needed, pp. 115–127 · for registered students
  • Requirements engineering: a roadmap · Open-access article · Nuseibeh & Easterbrook (2000), ICSE 2000: The Future of Software Engineering. Readable roadmap of gathering and analysing user requirements. · 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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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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