COSC-251 Computer Systems Fundamentals

Professor Squier

This course is follow-up course to COSC-250, and completes the picture the fundamentals of computer systems. The focus is on the organization, performance, and low-level software control of the elements of a complete computer system. The course begins by introducing the instruction-set architecture of a commercial CPU, and develops some basic Assembly Language programming skills. The course introduces the low-level control interfaces of some basic system hardware components; keyboards, video screens, and disk drives; and develops their low-level interrupt processing control software. Finally, the course surveys the remaining system components: their organization, performance, and low-level software interfaces to the operating system. Time permitting, the course includes a look at modern high-performance processor architecture, and non-traditional computing. Course work includes weekly programming and homework assignments, and implementation in C and assembly language of a bootable, nano operating system. Prerequisite: COSC-250. Spring.

Other academic years
There is information about this course number in other academic years:

• 2008-2009 Fall and Spring
• 2009-2010 Fall and Spring
• 2010-2011 Fall and Spring
• 2013-2014 Fall and Spring

More information
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