This course is a rigorous introduction to the design of digital circuits and computer architecture. It provides technical foundations for how a computer system is built from the bottom up and how the high-level programming languages you learn in other courses are translated into simple instructions the computer executes. The course introduces the different abstraction layers necessary to make a computer system work, and a key focus is the connection between hardware and software.The course introduces the predominant stored-program computer paradigm and principles of digital design and computer architecture. Students build a fully functional general-purpose computer from simple logic circuits in a digital simulator. The course also demystifies assembly code, the machine language the processor speaks, and the mapping of assembly programs to higher levels of programming abstraction. The focus is on fundamental techniques employed in the design of modern microprocessors and their hardware/software interface. This course will challenge your understanding of how computers work and what happens in them when we run a program. At the end of this course, you will be able to navigate between layers of abstraction in a computer system, from individual digital circuits to high-level software, and understand how low-level structures enable and enhance the abilities of a computer system. This course covers topics such as combinational and sequential logic design, digital building blocks such as arithmetic/logic unit and random access memory, instruction set architectures and assembly programming, input/output systems, interrupt handling, single-cycle and pipelined processor design, out-of-order execution, and hardware speculation.
Additional source review: awaiting review. Published wording is shown below.
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Requisite and Incompatibility
To enrol in this course you must be: studying a Master of Computing OR Master of Computing (Advanced) OR have completed COMP6710 OR COMP7710 OR COMP1110. Incompatible with COMP2300, ENGN2219 and COMP6719.
Referenced entries (6)
Links and code mentions retain their original context above. They may describe options, prerequisites or exclusions.
- COMP6710 · 2027
- COMP7710 · 2027
- COMP1110 · 2027 · saved source not linked
- COMP2300 · 2027 · saved source not linked
- ENGN2219 · 2027 · saved source not linked
- COMP6719 · 2027 · saved source not linked
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
Understand the basics of digital circuits and principles of digital design.
Learn how a modern computer works underneath from the bottom up.
Design and implement an advanced processor in a digital simulator following a principled approach.
Critically discuss the tradeoffs of different designs and ideas that reflect recent developments in the field.
Debug complex systems systematically at different abstraction layers.
Evaluate computer systems at abstraction levels from software to individual digital circuits and account for the implications of machine-level choices.
Write programs in assembly language and explain the relationship between high-level and assembly languages, including function calls and basic control structures.
Published offerings
Future offerings are indicative. Only recognised 2027 sessions with a published class number are offered in the enrolment demo.
| Year | Session | Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | First Semester | 5056 | 22 Feb 2027 | 01 Mar 2027 | 31 Mar 2027 | 28 May 2027 | In Person | N/A |
| 2028 | First Semester | 6464 | 21 Feb 2028 | 28 Feb 2028 | 31 Mar 2028 | 26 May 2028 | In Person | N/A |
Complete offering text
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage. The list of offerings for future years is indicative only. Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number. 2027 2028 First Semester Class number Class start date Last day to enrol Census date Class end date Mode Of Delivery Class Summary 5056 22 Feb 2027 01 Mar 2027 31 Mar 2027 28 May 2027 In Person N/A First Semester Class number Class start date Last day to enrol Census date Class end date Mode Of Delivery Class Summary 6464 21 Feb 2028 28 Feb 2028 31 Mar 2028 26 May 2028 In Person N/A
Source evidence (1 saved copy)
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assets/Courses/Computer Systems/6000/Computer Architecture/Computer Architecture - ANU.html
Published ANU page · saved page URL
SHA-256: 7e3cbb74db027dad1a9761fe1e5903bdced68b48de4dc54a8106c18804bbe7cd