Computer Hardware & Operation

Philip Bird

The Northern College Diploma Programme – Computer Studies

The microprocessor has changed our lives in so many ways that it is difficult to recall how different things were before its invention. In the 1960s, computers filled entire rooms. Their expensive processing power was available only to a select few in government labs, research universities and large corporations. The mid-1960s development of the integrated circuit had enabled the miniaturisation of electronic circuitry onto a single silicon chip.

Today’s world is being reshaped by technology in ways previously unthinkable. We now live in a digital age. Millions of people use personal computers connected in networks that form a global information system. World news, personal correspondence, educational pursuits, music, arts and business flow through this network, connecting people and ideas in distant countries.

In addition, microprocessors are improving existing products of all kinds, not just the PC. Tucked under the bonnets of today’s cars, processors control brakes and engine management, and remind you to fasten your seat belt. Processors can be found in thermostats and toys, in cellular phones, microwave ovens and alarm clocks. These processors change how existing products function and allow the creation of new ones. In the aggregate, they change how we live, how we work, how we entertain ourselves and how we are able to imagine – and thus create – the world of the future.

This module looks at the basic building blocks of a computer system. The different pieces of hardware and software needed to make a computer work together with how data is stored, how programs are run and how computers communicate with both users and other computers.

Week	Topic	Activity	Powerpoint Presentation
Week 1	Introduction – A Binary World	Number Conversion	Binary Numbers
Week 2	Logic Circuits	Logic and Truth Tables	Logic
Week 3	Processor Architecture		Architecture
Week 4	The Fetch Execute Cycle	Assembly Language	Architecture
Week 5	High Level Languages	Assessed Task 1	Languages
Week 6	Top-Down Design	Pseudo-code	Top Down Design
Week 7	Operating Systems	Assessed Task 2	Operating Systems
Week 8	The Components of a PC	Component Specification	Parts of a Computer
Week 9	Networking and Data Communications	Assessed Task 3	Data Communications
Week 10	Social Aspects of Computing

To qualify for accreditation for this module you must be able to demonstrate that you meet the assessment criteria for this module. A printable Word version of these notes can be found here.