Data Communications and Systems Architecture

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1. Aims

On successful completion of this examination candidates should:

• understand the operation of basic computer logic elements and design simple computer elements;
  
• understand how both data and programs are internally represented in a computer.
  
• have an insight into the operation of the major components of a computer system and how the system software manages their coexistence;
  
• have an appreciation of the broad issues involved in construction of an operating system.
  
• gain an understanding of the physical process involved in data transmission;
  
• understand the basic structure and operation of common data communications systems;
  
• be able to select appropriate hardware, software and techniques to implement simple networks and access remote computer systems;
  
• appreciate the information services currently provided and to be provided by the growing world communications network;
  
• realise the potential power of global computer networks and the ethical issues this raises.
  

2. Content

2.1 System Architecture
2.1.1 Computer Hardware
2.1.1.1 Digital Logic
Number systems and computer coding, binary, 2's complement, floating point, ASCII
Combinatorial logic, truth tables, logic gates
Boolean algebra, Karnaugh maps
Construction of multiplexers, encoders, decoders and adders.
Introduction to sequential logic, flip-flops, memory cells and shift registers

2.1.1.2 Computer System Structure
The Central Processing Unit, Arithmetic/Logic Unit
Instruction sets, machine code and assembly languages,
Addressing modes
Microprocessors
CISC and RISC computers, parallel processors
Bus architecture, memory systems
Peripheral Input/Output, controllers, polling and interrupts
Serial and parallel transfers
Storage technology: magnetic media, optical media
Video systems, vector graphics, bit-mapped graphics, memory mapping
Spatial and colour resolution

2.1.2 System Software
2.1.2.1 Operating Systems
System resource management, peripherals and memory, virtual memory
File management: physical and logical
Process and task management and scheduling, interprocess communication
Concurrency issues
Graphic user interfaces (GUI's), windows as software devices
Structure of an operating system
Interaction between the operating system and applications programs
Static and Dynamic Libraries

2.2 Data Communications
2.2.1 Data Transmission
Conducted and radiated media; Media selection criteria
Signal representation; data flow; data codes
Synchronous and Asynchronous transmission
Error prevention, detection and correction
Transmission efficiency, data compression
Security and data encryption

2.2.2 Networks
Network topology; bridges and gateways
Protocols including Token Ring and CSMA/CD
Local Area Networks
Wide Area Networks
Public data networks: Packet switched telephone network; Packet-switched data networks; Circuit-switched data networks; Integrated systems data networks
ISO Open-Systems Interconnection reference model

2.2.3 Data Communications Hardware
Terminals; modems; multiplexers; concentrators; front-end processors

2.2.4 Applications
Electronic-Mail, MIME, File Transfer Protocol, World Wide Web
The Internet
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)
Voice mail, teleconferencing, multimedia applications
Data Voice/Audio and Video input/output
Analog to digital and digital to analogue conversion
Sampling theory, quantisation noise
Nyquist frequency and aliasing
Audio and video data compression: A-law, m-law, ADPCM, MPEG

3. Notes

4. Texts

5. References

5.1 System Architecture
Stallings, W., Computer Organisation and Architecture , 3rd edn., Macmillan, 1993.
Dowsing, R. D. and Woodhams, F. W. D., Computers from Logic to Architecture , Van Nostrand Rheinhold, 1990.
McCalla, T. R., Digital Logic and Computer Design , Maxwell Macmillan, 1992.
Leigh, W. E. and Ali, D. L., System Architecture: Software and Hardware Concepts , South-Western, 1988.

5.2 Data Communications
Stallings, W., Data and Computer Communications , 4th ed., Macmillan, 1994.
Hahn, H. and Stout, R., The Internet Complete Reference , Osborne, 1994.
Halsall, F., Data Communications, Computer Networks and OSI , 3rd edn., Addison-Wesley, 1992.
Stallings, W., Business Data Communications , Macmillan, 1990.
Stamper, D. A., Business Data Communications , 3rd edn., Benjamin/Cummings, 1991.