FIT9010 is a core unit introduced in the Master of Applied IT program in the Faculty of Information Technology (FIT). It is replacing existing GCO9802 unit.

This unit has been updated as part of a 2009 review and comparison of data with current Handbook, Syllabus + and Callista data.

30/11/2017 - Unit disestablished at FEC 5/17 Item 7.3.

This unit is one of the four core units in the Master of Applied Information Technology (MAIT). All IT graduates need to have exposure to this topic area as knowledge of computer architecture and operating system software, leads to greater understanding of common IT tasks, such as data storage and retrieval, the programming process and the operation of computing equipment. This allows designers and programmers to specify, develop and debug IT systems more effectively.

This unit aims to provide students with an understanding of: the basic internal architecture and operation of a computer and its peripherals; the basics of operating system software and its support for software development tools; and critical factors that affect computer performance.

At the completion of this unit students will be able to:

• understand basic Computer Structure and Operation and demonstrate use of the associated vocabulary;
• demonstrate an understanding of the concepts of Data Representation, Computer Arithmetic and Boolean Algebra using appropriate methods of implementation;
• demonstrate detailed knowledge of Internal Bus, Memory, I/O organisations and interfacing standards;
• describe the internal operation of the CPU and explain how it is used to execute instructions;
• differentiate between machine language and assembly language and write assembly language programs to solve simple problems;
• demonstrate an understanding of the basics of operating systems software using examples from File Systems, User Interfaces and Software Development Tools;
• identify factors that affect computer performance;
• use various simulators to demonstrate the operation of simple computer architectures.

031305

This unit will introduce students to basic computer hardware and operating systems software with emphasis on the concepts required to understand the low-level and internal operations of computer systems. In particular, this includes study of data representation, simple digital logic, computer organisation including CPU, memory and input/output devices, as well as machine-level and assembly language programming, and operating system concepts with examples of process management, file system structures and user interfaces.

On-campus and Off-Campus Learning(OCL)

Examination (3 hours): 60%; In-semester assessment: 40%

FIT