Course details

Personal Computers

ITP Acad. year 2019/2020 Summer semester 4 credits

Current academic year

The course will provide students with up-to-date information on personal computer technique. Students will acquire the information on the principles of personal computer structure, I/O buses, elementary principles of external adapter construction and buses for the communication with peripheral devices.

Guarantor

Course coordinator

Language of instruction

Czech, English

Completion

Examination (written)

Time span

  • 26 hrs lectures
  • 16 hrs laboratories

Assessment points

  • 60 pts final exam (written part)
  • 24 pts mid-term test (written part)
  • 16 pts labs

Department

Lecturer

Instructor

Subject specific learning outcomes and competences

Students will become acquainted with the principles of PC construction and certain typical peripheral devices construction. In laboratory tutorials, the attention will be paid especially to the principles of peripheral device control.

Learning objectives

To provide students with the information on personal computer structure, parameters, its component structure and trends for the future.

Why is the course taught

The course provides students with practical information from the area of peripheral devices, their controller's construction and buses. They will use this knowledge during their studies and in praxis.

Recommended prerequisites

Study literature

  • The texts of lectures in electronic form.
  • Hans-Peter Messmer: The Indispensable PC Hardware Book, Addison-Wesley, 1997, England, ISBN 0-201-40399-4, 1384 pages.
  • Hans-Peter Messmer: The Indispensable Pentium Book, Addison-Wesley, 1995, USA, ISBN 0-201-87727-9, 496 pages
  • Scott Mueller: Upgrading and Repairing PCs, QUE, 2008, ISBN 0-7897-3697-7, 1556 pages.
  • Carl Hamacher, Zvonko Vranesic, Safwat Zaky: Computer Organization, McGraw Hill, 2002, ISBN 0-07-232086-9, 805 pages.
  • William Stallings: Computer Organization and architecture, designing for performance, Prentice Hall, 2006, ISBN 0-13-185644-8, 778 pages.
  • Jaroslav Horák: Bios a Setup, Průvodce základním nastavením počítače. Computer Press, 3. aktualizované vydání. 2010. ISBN: 9788025130353. 160 stran. (in Czech).
  • Petr Broža: Instalujeme a konfigurujeme počítač, Computer Press, 2004, ISBN 80-251-0468-0, 176 stran. (in Czech).
  • Jim Aspiwall: Osobní počítač na maximum, Computer Press, 2005, ISBN 80-251-1136-9, 254 stran. (in Czech).

Syllabus of lectures

  • The Development Stages of Personal Computers, Parameters, Concepts.
  • The Development Stages of Intel Microprocessor Architectures.
  • Scalar and Superscalar Architectures.  
  • The Implementation of CISC and RISC Architectures in Intel Microprocessors - 1. 
  • The Implementation of CISC and RISC Architectures in Intel Microprocessors - 2.
  • Memory Organization, Elements, Technologies, Memory Addressing, I/O Ports Addressing. CMOS Memory.
  • Memory Organization, Elements, Technologies, Memory Addressing, I/O Ports Addressing. CMOS Memory. 
  • Cache Memory, its Organization and Implementation.
  • The Principles of Peripheral Operations Control, PIO Modes, Interrupt Request, Direct Memory Access.
  • The Development Stages of Personal Computer Buses.
  • Centronics, Its Structure and Communication.
  • The Principles of Personal Computer Adapter Design and Construction.
  • The Buses for Peripheral Devices Control.

Syllabus of laboratory exercises

  • Communication on ISA bus and the use of BootROM.
  • PC Power Consumption. 
  • VGA interface, signals analysis.  
  • HDD and S.M.A.R.T. technology.
  • Communication on ISA bus and servicing the IRQ.
  • PCI System Bus and the address decoder.
  • VGA interface, FITkit platform.
  • PS/2 analysis.  

Progress assessment

  • Lab tutorials: 16 points.
  • Written mid-term written exam: 24 points.
  • Minimum semestral activity score is not specified.
  • Final written exam: 60 points.

Controlled instruction

Attending lab experiments, mid-term exam passing. Laboratories will be possible to be passed during the following weeks.

Course inclusion in study plans

  • Programme BIT, 2nd year of study, Elective
  • Programme IT-BC-3, field BIT, 2nd year of study, Elective
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