FLYNT251 ABOUT BLOG RESOURCES PROJECTS

CS132 - Organisation and Architecture

If you did A-Level (or even just GCSE) Computer Science, some of the content will be familiar to you. This module talks about how computers work on a low level, with the start focussing on logic circuits, building up to the tail end, which talks about the components of a processor.

The 8-Bit Guy - YouTube

I've been following this channel since before doing my GCSEs. While lots the content in this channel is not relevant to the module, the Commodore Documentary series talks about various aspects of hardware, including the 6502 processor. While watching this channel's videos, you may notice familiar circuits such as a DMAC or Shift Register, so this is a good way to apply your knowledge. There are also lots of videos explaining how older computers worked, too, which may help you to understand how everything comes together!

W3Schools []

W3Schools has a tutorial for C, which is taught in this module. While syntax is covered in the lectures, it is covered briefly, so this is a good resource if you want to refresh or extend your knowledge. One of the great things about C is that you can develop programs on just about any device, as you can almost guarantee that whatever computer you use has a C compiler preinstalled.

Knowt Flashcards []

If you're not familiar with Knowt, it's a free alternative to Quizlet, with all of the same features. I'd highly recommend using it! You can even import your flashcards from Quizlet. These flashcards are written by me and cover all of the content.

Personal Tips

Of all of the modules I did this year, this one is the most varied in content, so I can't give much concentrated advice here. However, I would not worry about revising C or Assembly much, as these are really only used for the coursework (You may still be asked about them in the exam).

Much of the content is dependent on your understanding, so I would recommend using the above resources, as well as question sources such as problem sheets and past exam papers.

My Thoughts

This is a well taught module, mainly because of the organiser's clear wealth of knowledge and interest. The variety of content also makes lectures very engaging. The first few lab sessions were not assessed and served to helped understanding of logic circuits, and were quite fun. However, the last few lab sessions were assessed and made up the second half of the coursework, and were confusing. The hardware I used in my chosen project was hard to understand, and as a result, I did not do particularly well.

The exam was of good difficulty, and even somewhat enjoyable in my opinion. It is similar in difficulty to past papers.