References

These resources are available to students. Level 1 is a basic scratch the surface explanation of the topic. Level 2 is an intermediate level of explanation. Level 3 is an in-depth explanation of the topic.

History of Computers

Tools of the Craft

Survey of Hardware Components

What is a CPU, and What Does It Do?	1	Article	Easy to read article that explains CPUs and their use. Also touches on “buses” and GPUs.
Processors Explained for Beginners	1	Video	Video that explains what CPUs are and how they work and are assembled.
The Central Processing Unit	1	Video	Video by Crash Course that explains what the Central Processing Unit (CPU) is and how it works.
Input/Output Device	1	Article	Easy to read article that explains what an I/O device is. Touches on troubleshooting I/O Errors and examples of I/O devices.
Computer Bus	1	Article	Article that explains what computer buses are and how they work. Talks about the different types of buses and bus speeds.
What is a GPU?	1	Article	Defines a GPU in simple terms. Explains the difference between a CPU and a GPU. Also touches on how it works and its uses.
What Are Parallel Processing Systems	2	Article	Explains what a parallel processing system is and how it works.
Logic Gates	1	Video	Crash Course video that explains boolean logic and their respective gates in a visual and easy to understand way.
[What are derived logic gates?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGilEPBfcT8	1	Video	Video that explains what the derived logic gates are (NAND, NOR, XOR, XNOR). Uses simple, easy to understand real-world examples such as light switches in a room.
Registers and RAM	1	Video	Crash Course video that explains what registers are and how RAM works.

Software Infrastructure

Operating Systems: Crash Course	1	Video	Very basic introduction to operating systems and the history of how they began.
Files and File Systems	1	Video	Crash Course video that gives a very basic introduction to files and file systems.
Abstraction Layers Explained	1	Video	Video that gives the basics of how abstraction layers are organized.
The Linux File System Explained	1	Video	Video that explains the Linux file system. Explains by showing.
Programs, Processes, and Threads	1	Article	Article that explains the differences between programs, processes, and threads. Has helpful diagrams that show the differences and how each one works.
Cache Memory in Computer Organization	1	Article	Explains how cache memory works and how it is accessed by the CPU. Also talks about cache mapping, types of cache, and cache performance.

Number Systems

Representing Numbers and Letters with Binary	1	Video	Basic intro to how numbers and letters are represented using binary.
Binary, Octal, and Hexadecimal	1	Text	Explains the three different types of number representations used in computer memory. Explains which ones are more efficient for storing information.
Numeral Systems	1	Text w/ chart	BRIEFLY explains how each numeral system works (binary, octal, decimal, and hex). Shows examples of each numeral system would work. Has a conversion table at the bottom of the page.

Machine Representation of Data

What is a Bitwise Operator and How to Use Them	2	Video	Presentation that explains what bitwise operators are and how they work. The presentor gives examples of their use and shows them in action.
Why Your Storage or RAM Size Doesn’t Add Up	1	Article	Talks about the difference between base-10 and base-2 storage options. Table that visualizes the differences between the two number systems.
Integer and Floating-Point Number Representation	2	Text	3.0-3.10 for information on integer representation and 1’s and 2’s complement. 4.0-4.4 for information and exercises on Floating-Point Numbers.
What are Overflow and Underflow?	1	Article	Explains what overflow and underflow are. Each is explained using an example.