The course aims to provide the basic knowledge and the basic skills required for understanding and programming computers. The topic selection follows a well-established teaching tradition for this subject: the computer is understood as a sequence of abstraction layers each corresponding to a physical or a virtual machines, which are studied in succession. Concepts are presented with a bottom-up approach, that is, starting from the basic elements of the lower abstraction level (logic ports), and stops at the level of assembly languages. This level represents the final destination of this course, and, at the same time, the basis for further abstractions, and namely for the mid- and high-level programming languages which are the subject of the Programming courses.

More in details, the course aims to provide the following knowledge and skills:

* Introductory knowledge of the concept of abstraction levels, virtual machines, languages, instructions and operations, compilers and interpreters;

* knowledge and ability to use the formalisms normally employed to describe circuits and computer parts;

* knowledge of the methods of digital representation of numerical (naturals, integers, rationals) and textual entities, inclusive of the limits, benefits and costs of possible alternatives. Correspondingly, familiarization with the corresponding methods of encoding and decoding information (skills)

* knowledge of the fundamentals of electronic circuits, the implemented logic functions, and the basic methodologies of their design;

* ability to analyze, design, evaluate, and optimize simple combinatorial circuits, using techniques based on Boolean algebra knowledge (skill)

* ability to analyze, design, evaluate, and optimize complex combinatorial circuits (such as an ALU) using standard library components using hierarchical approach (ability)

* ability to evaluate the conflicting requirements that arise in circuit design (cost of design, component cost, processing speed) and make decisions about it.

* knowledge of the constructive principles and characteristics of electronic memories commonly used in computers;

* knowledge of the basic constructive principles and the functional features of cache memories.

* knowledge of the hierarchical structure of the memories, as a prerequisite to the ability of designing and assessing efficient and resource aware computer programs;

* knowledge of the functions delegated to Operating Systems;

* knowledge of constructive principles for CPU datapaths and control units.

* knowledge and ability to design microprogramming control units;

* knowledge of a real processor (MIPS machine); MIPS serves as a the concrete example of an Instruction Set to guide the three previous arguments;

* Basic programming skills in assembly language, using the same MIPS language;

* ability to implement algorithms to solve simple tasks in that language (skills);

Finally, the course also contributes at covers the technical language of Computer Science, with a focus on the commonly used English terminology.