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Certificate Courses
COMPUTER PROGRAMMING AND
OPERATING
COMPUTER FUNDAMENTALS (Information
Technology Fundamentals)
Diploma Courses
Work Based IT Courses
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COMPUTER FUNDAMENTALS (Information Technology Fundamentals)
| C1 |
Computer Concepts: Ideas of Information, Information Processing and Data. The Data Processing Cycle. Examples of computer applications. Definition of Hardware; broad classes of computers (mainframe, mini and microcomputers) and networks. Computer programs. The computer as a programmable device. Classes of software (system and application). Programming languages: purpose, facilities and common examples. |
| C2 |
Computer Hardware: The Central Processing Unit (Control Unit, Arithmetic and Logic Unit, Main Memory). Peripherals. The organisation of a simple computer. The storage of programs and data. Data and Control paths in the computer. The Fetch-execute Cycle. |
| C3 |
Data - its Representation and Input: The Stages (collection, preparation, verification, input methods). Input Devices and Media. On-line and Off-line peripherals. Verification and Validation methods. |
| C4 |
Input Devices: Description of common input devices and media (such as keyboards, light pens, mice, magnetic stripe readers, punched media, magnetic and optical character recognition, mark readers...), including simple physical principles of operation and practical applications. |
| C5 |
Output Methods, Devices and Media: Description of Displays, Printers, Plotters and Computer Output on Microfilm, including simple physical principles of operation and applications. |
| C6 |
Computer Storage: Levels of storage: register, main and backing store. Units of storage (bytes and words) and capacities (Kbytes and Mbytes). Definition of Access Time. Principles of construction of magnetic tape drives and magnetic disc drives |
| C7 |
The Binary System. Reasons for employing binary in a computer. The advantages and disadvantages of binary. The binary representation of numbers, characters and program instructions. Octal and Hexadecimal forms. Conversion between decimal, binary, octal and hexadecimal integers. Binary addition. Arithmetic overflow. Boolean logic. Simple AND, OR and NOT functions in two and three variables. Truth Tables. Half-adder and Full-adder logic. Logic diagrams. |
| C8 |
Programming Languages: Ideas of generations of programming languages, with emphasis on third generation (‘high level’), assembly and binary machine code. Suitable applications for each level; comparisons between the levels. Translator programs - compilers, interpreters and assemblers; source code and object code. |
| C9 |
Data Files: Definitions of file, record, field and character. The concepts of file organisation, file access and file processing (updating). The main types of data file such as master and transaction. Serial and sequential organisation. Direct access and serial access. Updating sequential (tape or disc) files and indexed sequential files. Concepts of a simple database.
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| C10 |
Simple Telecommunications: Serial and Parallel transmission compared Simplex, Half-duplex and Duplex modes. Modems and Multiplexors. Simple Interfaces. Character Codes. |
| C11 |
Common Applications of Computer Systems: Non-technical descriptions (purpose, hardware, data, processes, outputs, advantages and limitations) in banking, education, engineering, police, hospitals, credit reference, meteorology, airline reservation and stock control. |
Recommended Textbooks:
Glossary of Computing Terms, Ninth Ed., British Computer Society; Longmans; ISBN 0582-36967-3
Computer Studies by Graham Taylor; Macmillan; ISBN 0-333-64357-7
Structured Computer Organisation, Fourth Ed., A S Tanenbaum, Prentice Hall; ISBN 0-13-020435-8 (Tutorial Use)
Understanding Computer Science by Ray Bradley; Stanley Thornes; ISBN 0-7487-1979-2. (Tutorial Use)
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