Computer architecture, CPU, memories, I/O devices, information encoding. Software
including operating systems. Hints about programming languages, in particular VBA applied to
Excel. Electronic sheets: data handling and data processing. Networks: basic notions, structure and
services (with particular reference to W3 and the creation of Web pages).
Computer architecture: analysis of the main characteristics and of the way the main
devices making up a processor work, according to the Von Newman architecture with particular
attention to the central processing unit, registers, cache, buffer, RAM (Random Access Memory)
and ROM (Read Only Memory). Encoding both numeral and alphanumerical informations in a
machine, analysis of the flow of operations taking place during the execution of a program.
Analysis of the characteristics and functions of peripherical components: mass memories, pointing
devices, input/output devices and other common ones. Definition of software and study of the main
characteristics and functions of operating systems with particular reference to Windows like
environments. Basic theoretical notions on the common and potential characteristics of electronic
sheets, high-level applications of Excel, including both the analysis of the system itself and the
study of the formulae available in Excel so as the creation of macro through VBA (Visual Basic for
Application). The use of VBA requires the study of classical concepts, connected to the
programming languages such as constant and variable types, their visibility, conditional instructions
and cycles, etc. Basic notions on the architecture and the topology of networks, with particular
attention to the peculiar characteristics of each of them. Analysis of different services available online
from WWW to various synchronous and asynchronous communication services and to
advanced research through search engines.
Prerequisites
none
Teaching Methods
lessons and exercises
Further information
none
Type of Assessment
written and oral exam
Course program
Computer architecture, CPU, memories, I/O devices, information encoding. Software
including operating systems. Hints about programming languages, in particular VBA applied to
Excel. Electronic sheets: data handling and data processing. Networks: basic notions, structure and
services (with particular reference to W3 and the creation of Web pages)