How Computers Work: Demystifying Computation
CO206 Online course
Explore the fundamentals of computing - computer architecture, binary logic, data processing, circuits, and more.
Skip to course bookingOn this course, you’ll gain an understanding of how computers work at a fundamental level.
You’ll explore system architecture, along with how computers use binary and logic. Once you’ve examined the von Neumann model of computer architecture and the Fetch-Execute cycle, you’ll learn to build a range of simple circuits for maths, and then simulate various logic gates.
Ultimately you’ll complete the course with an understanding of the processes that underpin every modern computer - from supercomputers to smartphones, and everything in between.
Outcomes
You will:
- Explore how transistors can act as digital switches and be combined to create logic gates.
- Produce truth tables for AND, NOT and OR gates, individually or combined
- Explore how computers use binary arithmetic
- Explore how logic gates can be combined to produce digital circuits that can perform a calculation
- Investigate Von Neuman Architecture and the Fetch-Execute cycle
This course is part of the Subject knowledge certificate
Subject knowledge certificate
Our professional development programme, Computer Science Accelerator, is designed to help you develop or refresh your subject knowledge and leads to a nationally recognised certificate.
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