ENGINEERING PPT: Introduction to Information Technologies

Introduction to Information Technologies

Instructor
Scott MacKenzie, Associate Professor
Dept. of Mathematics and Statistics

Topics include:

· Number systems - binary, hexadecimal, octal, decimal; conversions; twos complement; floating point, coding systems

· CPU architecture - ALU, control unit, registers, buses, instruction set, addressing modes

· Peripheral devices - CRTs, keyboards, magnetic and optical disks, printers, modems, pointing devices.

· Operating systems - Windows, DOS, unix, file systems

· Programming languages - Java

· Multi-media - audio, video, animation, file formats, authoring

· Networks - components, topologies, internet, world wide web

· Communications – serial, parallel, synchronous, asynchronous, protocols

Textbook
The following is the required textbook for the course:

The Architecture of Computer Hardware and Systems Software : An Information Technology Approach (2^nd ed.), by Irv Englander, published by John Wiley & Sons, 2000.

Download slides here

Lecture Notes (Power Point files)

· 0. What is a computer?

· 1. Number systems

· 2. Data formats

· 3. Representing integer data

· 4. Floating-point numbers

· 5. Little man computer (deleted)

· 6. The CPU and memory

· 7. Input/output

· 8. I/O buses and interfaces

· 9. Computer peripherals – I

· 10. Computer peripherals – II

· 11. Computer peripherals – III

Java Notes (PDF files)

· Getting Started

· Primitive Data Types

· Operators

· Relational Expressions

· Precedence of Operators

· Keyboard Input

· Strings

· Program Flow – Choices

· Program Flow – Loops

· Organization of Java

· Wrapper Classes

· Math Class

· String Tokenizer Class

· Class Hierarchy Update

· Redirection and Pipes

· Stream Classes and File I/O

· System Class

· String Buffer Class

· Random Class

· Date and Time Classes

· Defining Methods – Why?

· Method Syntax

· Formatted Output

· Input Validation

· Recursion

· Debugging

· Pass by Reference vs. Pass by Value

· Variable Scope – Revisited

· Key Points

· Arrays

· Vectors

· Key Points – Arrays and Vectors

Introduction to Information Technologies

Course Description

Hardware and software technology for handling information; system architecture for single user, central and networked systems; telecommunications; human computer interface; storage systems; operating systems; applications software.

This course introduces the variety of contemporary information technologies involving computers, networks, and telecommunications that are commonly used to handle information flows, processing, and storage in typical organizations. Both hardware and software technologies are covered. Emphasis is on the uses of components as "black boxes": their external behavioural capabilities and use, rather than their internal construction. Assignments will involve issues of comparing, choosing among, and combining information technology components to solve particular information problems. Lab work will involve working on open-ended problems using standard applications and languages. Some programming will be required.

Topics include: