Technology
Fundamentals
- Number systems basics
- Two's complement arithmetic and Binary Coded Decimal
- Logic gates
- Sequential logic
- Simple circuits
Microprocessor architecture
- Stored program, CPU, ALU, block diagram of processor and essential functions
- The processor: simple RISC-like instruction set and functions; CISC processors
- Assemblers
- Storage/Memory: RAM, ROM, cache, backing store Disc units, measures of capacity and performance Optical devices (CD and DVD)
- Peripheral devices and characteristics
- Bit-mapped graphics display (VDU); printer (different types, speeds, costs); keyboard, mouse, joystick, modem, barcode reader
- Relation between peripheral and its controller; interface to CPU
- Memory-mapped registers and interrupt line
Functions of operating systems
- Interrupts, concurrency, scheduling, memory management, resource allocation
- Input/output subsystems
Systems software
- Compilers, interpreters, filestore managers: characteristics, available facilities, resource requirements
- Electronic mail, file transfer
- The Internet: accessing procedures, World Wide Web (WWW), available information, browsing
Networks
- Communication principles; characteristics of transmission media and network topologies
- Modems: brief principles and characteristics, errors and error detection
- Networks (LANs and WANs); Ethernet, media access control, frame formats, repeaters, bridges and routers; brief coverage of datagrams and virtual circuits; addressing, switching and routing
Capacity planing, performance, reliability
- Definitions, measurement, benchmarks
- Critical factors in hardware and software performance, historical and future trends
Data management
- The nature of information; its acquisition, presentation, storage and management
- Characteristics of data; data capture and collection
- Data processing and data modellingSimple statistical measures: mean, mode, median, standard deviation
- Tabular representation of data.
- Histograms, interpolation
- Requirements analysis and prototyping
- Fact finding methods
- Security, integrity and control
- File management; organisation and access methods
- Database design issues; entity modelling, normalisation, logical/physical mapping
- Database architectures and types of database management systems
- Functions of database management systems and database administration
- Introduction to multimedia and hypermedia
System analysis and design
- The systems development life-cycle and its implications for software design, coding, testing, implementation and support
- Prototyping and systems development tools
- Structuring systems analysis and design techniques
- Hard and soft system methodologies
- Rapid application development and prototyping techniques
- Object-oriented modelling
- Human computer interface (HCI) design aspects
Organisations
- The flow of information in an organisation
- Basic idea of management functions and structure of business and other organisations
- Personnel and social considerations in the consideration of new systems
- Management of computer systems, staffing, maintenance, project management and scheduling
- Quality assurance aspects and methods