The education team at Arm has published a new free-to-access course on EdX, Introduction to Microprocessors:
It’s getting great reviews so far, with learners calling it "a perfect course", "excellent" and "a great experience".
The course is pitched at 16-18 year olds. It's also intended as a primer for students, who have limited formal education in Computer Science and are embarking on a degree in a Computer Engineering & Informatics discipline. Equally, for anyone who’s interested in the topic, it’s a great introduction to basic ideas that underlie computing. All you need is some familiarity with programming and a basic understanding of Boolean algebra.
The course comprises four modules, which include video explanations presented by a diverse team of young Arm engineers:
Module 1: Introduction to the CPU
An introduction to the CPU, the importance of binary in Computing, and the central components of processors.
Module 2 The ALU and Decode Unit
An exploration of the Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU), the arithmetical and logical operations it carries out.
Module 3 The Fetch-Decode-Execute Cycle
A discussion of the Fetch-Execute or Fetch-Decode-Execute cycle (FDE). Consideration of some elements which impact the performance of the CPU, the connecting types of memory, and pipelining.
Module 4 Assembly Language
A discussion of the need for machine code and the process to convert object code to machine code. Learners take their first steps in assembly language.
To explore our full range of free-to-access resources for schools, visit https://school.arm.com