In 2023, this course is on campus with remote adjustments only for participants with unavoidable travel restrictions/visa delays.
This is the course where you learn how your computer actually works: you’ll learn how a CPU is constructed, how the parts of your computer work together, and how the high-level programming languages that you have learned in other courses can be translated into assembly language and CPU instructions.
The course is focussed on the connection between software and hardware; you will create programs in assembly language and link the program running on a CPU to its input/output interactions with the real world. You will learn how high-level programming constructs such as control structures, functions, variables, and data structures are represented at the assembly language level. You will explore topics that form a foundation of computer systems knowledge: CPU architectures, networks, operating systems, and concurrency.
This course will challenge your understanding of how computers work, and what happens in our computer when we run a program. At the end of this course, you will be able to navigate between layers of abstraction in a computer system from individual digital circuits to high-level software and understand how low-level structures enable and enhance the abilities of computer systems.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Describe the foundational concepts of computer systems.
- Explain the relationship between high-level languages and assembly languages, including function calls and basic control structures.
- Design, construct and analyse programs in assembly language.
- Evaluate computer systems at abstraction levels from software to individual digital circuits and account for the implications of machine-level choices.
Indicative Assessment
- Labs and Quizzes (10) [LO 1,2,3]
- Assignments (40) [LO 2,3]
- Exams and/or Final Project (50) [LO 3,4]
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
12 2-hour lectures and 12 3-hour laboratory sessions
Inherent Requirements
Not applicable
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
None
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 2
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2023 | $4860 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2023 | $6180 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
First Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4458 | 20 Feb 2023 | 27 Feb 2023 | 31 Mar 2023 | 26 May 2023 | In Person | View |
