CS1S introduces the fundamentals of computer systems, including representation of information, digital circuits, processor organisation, machine language, and the relation between hardware and software systems.

22 lectures taught at 2 per week, Tuesday and Thursday 12pm, and a two-hour laboratory session weekly (apart from first week), in Semester 2.

CS1Q

Either CS1P or CS1CT

Examination 80%, Coursework 20%. 

Two pieces of assessed coursework, each 10% of total assessment: (1) a set of online quizzes, and (2) assembly language programming.

The aim of Computing Science 1S is to give students an understanding of the structure and function of a computer system at a range of levels, including number systems, logic gates and circuits, the organisation of a CPU, machine and assembly language, how high level language constructs are realised in assembly language, and the operating system. The emphasis is on the connections between the levels of abstraction in a computer system.

By the end of the course students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of data representation, including bits, words, binary, and two's complement;

2.  Demonstrate understanding of the main subsystems in a processor architecture, including control and data registers, memory, and input/output;

3.  Write a simple program in assembly language and run it using suitable tools;

4.  Demonstrate understanding of the representation of instructions;

5.  Demonstrate an understanding of the execution of machine language programs by the CPU in terms of the fetch-execute cycle;

6.  Design and simulate simple synchronous logic circuits, comprising logic gates and delay flip flops;

7.  Demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the architecture and high-level programming languages.