A computer is "just a bunch of switches". Data is just "electricity on or off". While correct in a sense, these two statements don't help us understand how computers work and how to write better code for them at all. In this course we will demystify modern computer architecture by virtually building a processor from first principles.
Some of these principles include:
- Boolean logic
- Binary Arithmetic and Operations
- Cache and Memory
- Micro processor architecture
We will finish our analysis by studying the detailed inner workings of the original Nintendo Gameboy. It being the last 8-bit (gaming)computer released on a large scale it forms an interesting practical example that is still simple enough to be fully understood by novices.
Lecturer: tom.tesch@howest.be