Module approach

Hi Guys & Girls,

I have been busy wrestling with this module for quick sometime. I am currently busy completing assignment two. My first observation I would like to share is that the prescribe text book is a very difficult read! The amount of detail contain within a couple of pages are overwhelming to say the least I know that this book had won numerous awards, but in my humble opinion it is not an easy read for someone new to the subject matter.

I was wondering if anyone could kindly in lighten me what are the main objectives of this module? This is of course something other than the obvious of learning about computer architecture and organization. I have found that each chapter introduces some new concept and then compares it to the Intel and PowerPC CPU families. Is the concepts important to understand or should we also understand the realization of those concepts within the reference CPU's?

The other thing I have been pondering, is whether this module is very theoretical orientated or is the theory used to assist students understand the assembler side of the subject? Or is it the other way around?

I am finding the structure of the module also difficult. The first assignment covered chapters 1 - 3. Assignment 2 is based on chapters 12, 9 - 10. That is great if only the later chapters did not refer too or build upon the concept introduced in the chapters in between

Does anyone maybe have an idea what to expect in the exam? Can I expect the exam to be theory based questions, multiple choice or long? Does the exam include question requiring writing assembler code by pencil?

If anyone can provide any in sight to these questions I would greatly appreciate it.

Please bare with me regrading delayed response posting, seeing that I am based in Sydney (GMT+10). On the positive side I would like to stress that this module has really helped me appreciate the evolution of programming. I doubt I would have been an avid programmer 30 years ago. My JVM and I get along very well these days

Kind regards
Fred

Hi Fred,
I'll honest and sat that I was not enjoying this module until I really got into it in the last week or so.
I kind of ignored the references to earlier chapters when working through Chpt 12, 9 & 10.
This is not exactly my favourite module, buy I'm starting to enjoy it and find it quite interesting.

Cheers - hope you are enjoying Sydney.

I wrote this exam 2 years ago and got 40 something for it. I didn't do the re-write as I thought (obviously) that I hadn't mastered this module. If memory serves:
20% was an I/O program written in assembly
10% was theory of assembly
70% was written questions concerning pc architecture.

Needless to say, I wrote an exam out of 80 as assembly was German to me. Mein Deutsch is nicht sehr gut! This year I got the book called Assembly Step by Step by G Duntemann. It's excellent and puts assembly within anyone's grasp. The Stallings chapters also make more sense to me.

Hope this helps.

Dude,

Noways am I gonna write this subject twice to understand better, tired of unisa assignments that never seem to end.

Just want the studing to finish now.