Course Details in 2025/26 Session

Module Title	LH Computer Hardware and Digital Design
School	School of Engineering
Department	Elec, Elec & Sys Engineering
Module Code	06 38623
Module Lead
Level	Honours Level
Credits	10
Semester	Semester 1
Pre-requisites
Co-requisites
Restrictions	None
Contact Hours	Lecture-14 hours Tutorial-3 hours Practical Classes and workshops-8 hours Guided independent study-75 hours Total: 100 hours
Exclusions
Description	Students deepen their knowledge of design methods of digital systems and are introduced to Hardware Description Languages and automatic synthesis. Implementation styles (e.g. ASIC, FPGA) are introduced. The principle functional units of a modern computer system are designed. The principles of computer arithmetic and the IEEE 754 standard are introduced
Learning Outcomes	By the end of the module students should be able to: Design, model and synthesise simple systems using VHDL; ‐ Explain the key features of modern microprocessor design (e.g. superscalar, superpipelining, out‐of‐order execution, RISC versus CISC), and how they impact in processor performance; Explain the architecture of a modern computer, identify issues affecting performance, and perform quantitative analyses on performance limits imposed by bus and memory hierarchy design Explain the key features of design for test, and design appropriate test patterns and pattern generators for simple digital systems.
Assessment
Assessment Methods & Exceptions	Assessment: 50% coursework report 1000 words 50% closed book exam 1.5 hours Reassessment: Resit failed components
Other
Reading List