VNUHCM-UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE

FACULTY OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

COURSE SYLLABUS
CSC10009 – COMPUTER SYSTEM
1. GENERAL INFORMATION

Course name: Computer System

Course name (in Vietnamese): Hệ thống máy tính

Course ID: CSC10009

Knowledge block: Basic professional knowledge

Number of credits: 2
Credit hours for theory: 30

Credit hours for practice: 0

Credit hours for self-study: Unlimited

Prerequisite:

Prior course: Introduction of Information Technology,

Discrete Mathematics, Introduction of
Programming
Instructors:

2. COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course covers computer system hardware organization and the factors influencing the
design of hardware and software elements of a computer system, assembly language
programming. The programmer interface with the goal of improving students’ abilities to
reason about the execution of their programs, enhance the performance of their program.
After this course, the student should be able to understand what happens inside a computer
when it executes a program, how the software and hardware interact.

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 VNUHCM-UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE
FACULTY OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

3. COURSE GOALS

At the end of the course, students are able to

ID Description Program LOs

G1 Use the specialized English terminology about 2.4.3, 2.4.5

information technology, especially relating to computer
system.
G2 Describe the basic organization and operation of a 1.3.3
computer, including the processor, storage hierarchy, and
input/output architecture.
G3 Explain the binary representation and operations of 1.1.1, 1.2.2
integers, floating point numbers and some other types of
data on computers.
G4 Construct and illustrate digital circuits at the logic level 1.2.1, 1.3.3, 1.3.7,
(logic gates) using simulation tools. 2.1.1, 2.2.1, 2.2.4,
2.3.2
G5 Simulate and analyze the process of instruction execution 1.3.7, 1.1.3, 1.3.3,
on logic circuit of LEGv8 CPU. Then, explaining the 5.1.1, 5.2.2
difference in design perspective between RISC and CISC
instruction set architectures in general, between
LEGv8/ARMv8 and x86 architectures in particular.

4. COURSE OUTCOMES

CO Description I/T/U

G1.1 Use specialized English terminology. T

G1.2 Explain English materials related to lectures. U
G2.1 Describe the structure and operating principles of personal I, T
computer components, significant CPU functions,
input/output devices, and memory system (especially cache

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 VNUHCM-UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE
FACULTY OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

memory).
G3.1 Explain binary representation of integers (unsigned, sign- I, T
magnitude, one's complement, two's complement, biased),
floating-point numbers (IEEE standards) and representation
principles of some other data types such as characters, colors,
…

G3.2 Explain and perform basic binary operations on unsigned, I, T

two's complement integers and IEEE floating-point numbers.

G4.1 Design, construct and experiment by simulation software T, U

some basic combinational logic circuits and describe the
basic operation of sequential logic circuits.
G5.1 Explain the LEGv8 architecture (a simple subset of the I, T
ARMv8 AArch64 architecture) design point of view.
G5.2 Translate back and forth between programming language
(basic arithmetic/logic statements, control flow, procedures,
stacks, etc.) and LEGv8 assembly language / machine code. I, T, U
Then, describe the process of translating and executing the
program on the computer.
G5.3 Simulate and explain the process of executing LEGv8
I, T
instructions on its CPU logic circuit.
G5.4 Differentiate design perspectives between LEGv8/ARMv8 I, T
and x86 as well as between RISC and CISC architectures.

5. TEACHING PLAN

ID Topic Course Teaching/Learning Assessments

outcomes Activities (samples)

1 Overview of computer G1.1, Prepare: ● FE

systems. G1.2, ● Self-studying the
lectures.

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 VNUHCM-UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE
FACULTY OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

G2.1 Activities:
● Discussion, Q&A.

2 Data representation on G1.1, Prepare: ● TE#1

computer. G1.2, ● Self-studying the ● FE
G3.1, G3.2 lectures (videos).
Activities:
● Discussion, Q&A.
● Exercises.

3 Microprocessor’s G1.1, Prepare: ● FE

organization and operation. G1.2, G2.1 ● Self-studying the
lectures.
Activities:
● Discussion, Q&A.

4 Digital logic circuits. G1.1, Prepare: ● TE#2

G1.2, G4.1 ● Self-studying the ● FE
lectures (videos).
Activities:
● Discussion, Q&A.
● Simulate
(combinational
and sequential)
logic circuits
(using Logisim).
● Exercises.

5 LEGv8 architecture. G1.1, Prepare: ● TE#3

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 VNUHCM-UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE
FACULTY OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

G1.2, ● Self-studying the ● FE

G5.1, lectures, textbook.
G5.2, G5.4 Activities:
● Teaching
● Case study
● Demonstration of
LEGv8 assembly
program.
● Discussion, Q&A.
● Exercises.

6 Translating and running the G1.1, Prepare: ● FE

program on computer. G1.2, G5.2 ● Self-studying the
lectures, textbook.
Activities:
● Illustrating about
static/dynamic
linking.
● Discussion, Q&A.

7 Basic implementation of G1.1, Prepare: ● FE

LEGv8 CPU. G1.2, ● Self-studying the
G5.1, G5.3 lectures, textbook
about the
principals/steps of
designing and
implementing a
logic circuit of

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 VNUHCM-UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE
FACULTY OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

CPU based on its

instruction set
architecture.
Activities:
● Teaching.
● Simulate the
execution of
LEGv8
instructions on its
CPU logic circuit
using simulation
tools.
● Case study.
● Discussion, Q&A.
● Exercises.

8 Compare architectures of G1.1, Prepare: ● FE

x86 and LEGv8/ARMv8. G1.2, G5.4 ● Self-studying the
RISC vs CISC. lectures (videos).
Activities:
● Discussion, Q&A.

9 Memory Hierarchy. G1.1, Prepare: ● TE#4

G1.2, G2.1 ● Self-studying the ● FE
lectures (videos).
Activities:
● Discussion, Q&A.

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 VNUHCM-UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE
FACULTY OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

● Exercises.

10 I/O System. G1.2, Prepare: ● FE

G1.2, G2.1 ● Reading
documents.
Activities:
● Discussion, Q&A

11 Review G2.1, Activities:

G3.1, ● Discussion, Q&A.
G3.2,
● Exercises.
G4.1,
G5.1,
G5.2,
G5.3, G5.4

6. ASSESSMENTS

ID Topic Description Course Ratio (%)

outcomes

TE Test 40%
TE#1 Digital data Conversion of numeral G1.1, G1.2, 40 / (#TE)
representation on the system (decimal, G3.1, G3.2 %
computer. binary, hexadecimal).
Representation of
integers and IEEE
floating-point
numbers.
Calculation on
integers.

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 VNUHCM-UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE
FACULTY OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

TE#2 Design combinational Simplify bool functions G1.1, G1.2, 40 / (#TE)

logic circuits. using boolean algebra or G4.1 %
Karnaugh map.
Design circuits according to
bool algebraic function or
given true table or
requirements.
TE#3 LEGv8 instruction set. Read and understand a G1.1, G1.2, 40 / (#TE)
simple LEGv8 assembly G5.1, G5.2, %
language program. G5.4
Translate back and forth
between simple C
programming language and
LEGv8 assembly language.
TE#4 Cache memory. Organize cache in direct- G1.1, G1.2, 40 / (#TE)
mapping, fully associative, G2.1 %
or set-associative.
Cache memory accessing.
AA Advanced Assignments 10%
(bonus mark)
AA#1 LEGv8 assembly language Write small programs using 5%
LEGv8 assembly language
AA#2 x86 assembly language Write small programs using 5%
x86 assembly language
Exam Final Exam Quiz G1.1, G1.2, 60%
G2.1, G3.1,
G3.2, G4.1,
G5.1, G5.2,
G5.3, G5.4

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 VNUHCM-UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE
FACULTY OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

7. RESOURCES

● Textbooks
[1]. David A. Patterson, John L. Hennessy. (2016). Computer Organization
and Design ARM Edition: The Hardware Software Interface (1st ed.).
Oxford: Morgan Kaufmann.
[2]. Randal E. Bryant, David R. O'Hallaron. (2016). Computer systems : a
programmer's perspective (3rd ed.). Boston, Mass. ; London: Pearson.
● References
[1]. Nguyễn Minh Tuấn , 2007, Kiến trúc máy tính, ĐH KHTN TpHCM
[2]. Paul A. Carter , 2019, PC Assembly Language
[3]. W. Stallings, Prentice Hall, 2018. Computer Organization and
Architecture: Design for performance (11th ed), NewYork: Pearson
[4]. Patterson, David A., author. Asanović, Krste, contributor. (2019).
Computer Architecture: A Quantitative Approach (6th ed.). Cambridge,
MA: Morgan Kaufmann

● Tools
[1]. Visual Studio .NET
[2]. Logisim
[3]. Graphical-Micro-Architecture-Simulator
[4]. Zoom
[5]. Kahoot
[6]. Slack

8. GENERAL REGULATIONS & POLICIES

● All students are responsible for reading and following strictly the regulations and
policies of the school and university.
● Students who are absent for more than 3 theory sessions are not allowed to take the
exams.

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 VNUHCM-UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE
FACULTY OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

● For any kind of cheating and plagiarism, students will be graded 0 for the course. The
incident is then submitted to the school and university for further review.
● Students are encouraged to form study groups to discuss the topics. However,
individual work must be done and submitted on your own.
● Students prepare lessons, preview documents according to regulations.
● Students need to actively interact in online discussion environments.
● All online accounts must be registered by student email, using the student-ID and full
name, the real avatar in online workspace.
● The number of assignments may vary depending on the classroom situation.

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