COS 450 Introduction to Computer Organization

This course is an introduction to computer organization with an emphasis upon viewing the computer in a hierarchical fashion, with virtual machines built on top of the features of lower level virtual machines. There will be an emphasis upon interactions among hardware, software, firmware, and operating systems. The basic organization of a computer; its central processing unit, memory, and input/output devices all tied together by a system bus, will be learned in theory, and that theory will be applied in practice to understanding the more important computer architectures of today. Students will also learn to program in assembly language as a means of communicating many of the ideas in the course. This course requires a student laptop - see Department Laptop Policy . Prerequisite(s): COS 230  or permission of the instructor. 3 hour(s).