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Level 4 Diploma in Cyber Security

Final assessment and submission

CYB403 · Principles of Computer Systems — Final

CourseCYB403
Week16 of 16
SemesterI
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This week’s topics

Final assessment and submission

  1. Final coursework submission
  2. Assessment against all criteria

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.
  • 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.
  • 3.3 Implement basic state machines using programming languages and/or logic design tools.
  • 3.4 Critically evaluate the performance of state machines and propose improvements.
  • 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.
  • 4.3 Explain how logical operations are implemented using transistors in electronic circuits.
  • 4.4 Explain how complex arithmetic operations can be built up from basic logic.
  • 4.5 Implement basic arithmetic operations using logic gates.
  • 5.1 Describe the role of assembly language in performing low-level computer operations.
  • 5.2 Explain the different assembly languages that exist and evaluate their differences.
  • 5.3 Analyse how higher-level programming languages are abstracted from lower-level languages and the benefits of doing so.
  • 5.4 Implement basic routines in ARM assembly language.

Activity

Final assessment week: submission of the unit assignment.

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.
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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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