Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology

Mombasa CBD Campus

BACHELOR OF PURCHASING AND SUPPLIES MANAGEMENT

ICS: COMPUTER ORGANISATION

Lecturer: Stephen Odindo Office Hours: Immediately after class and by

appointment

Tel: 0726773484 Email: stefanomondi@gmail.com

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Introduction
The subject provides the students with the knowledge of detailed
organization of commonly available computers in order to understand their
functionality. The objective of the course is to familiarize the students with
hardware design of computer at register and chip level and to introduce
advances in computer architecture.

Course Target

BACHELOR OF BUSINESS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY STUDENTS

Course Delivery

The instructional methods of this course consist of lectures; inquiry oriented

presentations, group work in the class, and the use of calculators and
computers in problem solving.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you are expected to be able to:

1
 • understand the components of a computer system
• explain the technological development of computers
• understand how data can be represented within a computer system
• explain the functional organization of the elements of a computer
system
• explain the functions of an operating system
• understand the organization of information using an operating
system
• manage disks using an operating system
• understand basic maintenance and troubleshooting.

Course Plan

Week Course Key Coverage Mode of Evaluation/Exerc

Topic Presenta ise
tion
One Input/outpu Structure of a computer Class • Class attendance
t methods Lecture and participation
system
and and -
devices • Input discussion
s
• Processing
• Output
• Storage
Primary Storage
&Secondary
storage
Fixed disks,
removable(e.g.
floppy, flash,
optical disks e.t.c

2
 • Input:
keying,
pointing,
scanning,
speech
recognition
devices e.t.c
Output: Softcopy and
Hardcopy devices
Two Computer 1. Hardware Class Class attendance
system lecture and participation
2. Software
organizatio and
n a. System discussion
s
Software
b. Application
Software
c. Live-Ware)

Three System 1. an ISA Bus, the oldest, Class Class attendance

buses slowest and soon to lecture and participation
and
become obsolete I/O
discussion
Bus system s
2. a PCI Bus, present on
Pentium-class systems
since the mid-1990s
3. a USB Bus, the
replacement for the
PC's serial port which
allows up to 127
devices to connected
using either a hub
device or by daisy-
chaining.
4. Network topologies

Four CAT 1 1. Class Class attendance

3
 Lecture and participation
and
discussion
s
Five Basics of • 1 Advantages 1st Group • Class
digital logic Presentati attendance and
and • 2 Disadvantages ons- participation
hardware • 3 Analog issues in Groups to
constructio digital circuits work on
n topic
• 4 Construction early.
o 4.1 Structure
of digital systems
o 4.2 Automate
d design tools
o 4.3 Design for
testability
o 4.4 Trade-offs
o 4.5 Logic
families
• 5 Non-electronic
logic
• 6 Recent
developments

Six Processor Class Class attendance

architectur 1. Registers Lecture and participation
es 2. Cache and
(reduced 3. main memory discussion
instruction 4. hard disk s
set
computer)

Seven Memory 1. Registers Class Class attendance

organizatio 2. Cache Lecture and participation
n and 3. main memory and
cache 4. hard disk discussion
principles s

Eight CAT 2 Class Class attendance

Lecture and participation
and

4
 discussion
s
Nine Complex 1. Complex instruction Facilitated Class attendance
instruction set computer. class and participation
set 2. Older processors fit debate
computer into the CISC family,
(CISC) which means they have a
large and fancy
instruction set
Ten Instruction 1. Class Class attendance
sets and Lecture and participation
addressing and
modes discussion
s
Eleven Assembly • complex instruction Class Class attendance
language set computers Lecture and participation
(CISC) and
• reduced instruction discussion
set computers s
(RISC)
• hybrid processors
• special purpose
processors
• hypothetical
processors
1.
Twelve MAKE-UP 1. 2nd Group • Class
CAT Presentati attendance and
ons- participation
Groups to
work on
topic
early.
Thirtee Unit review Class Class attendance
n and exam Lecture and participation
preparation and
discussion
s
Fourte Group Class Class attendance
en Revision Lecture and participation
and
discussion
s
Fifteen Trimester Trimester Exam
Exams
Sixtee Trimester Trimester Exam

5
n Exams

Recommended Texts
1. C. French., Computer Science:5th edition
2. N.A Saleemi & P.O.Owino, Electronic Data processing simplified, (1st
ed),1991
3. Tonny Rackham,Compter Studies: A complete Revision Course for GCSE (3rd
edition), BPP (Letts educational Ltd),1993

Assignment Referencing

All ideas that are not of your own origination must be duly referenced using the
APA method. Plagiarism is a major crime in research and academic processes.

C.A.T ONE
8/3/2011
CAT TWO
12/4/2011

Course Grading

3 CATs AVERAGING 30 marks

Semester Exam 70 marks
Total 100 marks