Courses - Faculty of Engineering
Computer Systems Engineering
Stage II
Fundamentals of Computer Engineering
Digital systems and binary coding; binary numbers; Boolean algebra and computer logic; combinational logic circuits; sequential logic circuits; hardware description language; digital design flow; register transfer level descriptions and design; data paths and control units; from circuits to microprocessors; basic computer organisation; introduction to modern microprocessors; timers and interfacing; C and assembly language for microprocessors; designing digital systems using microprocessors.
Prerequisite: ELECTENG 101
Object Oriented Design and Programming
A project-based course with extensive hands-on programming experience. Includes: an introduction to object oriented design including UML, sequence diagrams, use-case analysis; an introduction to object oriented programming in a modern high level language, algorithms, data abstraction and elementary data structures.
Prerequisite: ENGGEN 131 or ENGSCI 131
Restriction: MECHENG 270
Computer Systems Design
Project-based course introducing real-world design aspects of hardware and software components of computer systems using appropriate design methodology. Practical skills will be gained in computer aided design tools, printed circuit board design and construction. Professional issues introduced in ENGGEN 204 (health and safety, sustainability, cultural diversity/awareness, communication, leadership, teamwork, financial awareness) and design for repair are reinforced and developed.
Prerequisite: COMPSYS 201 and ELECTENG 202, or COMPSYS 201 and ELECTENG 291, or PHYSICS 140 and 244
Restriction: ELECTENG 209
Stage III
Design: Hardware Software Systems
An appreciation of the engineering design process as applied to computer systems. Design skills are enhanced through engineering projects which typically include elements of: computer hardware/software design, system design and control, sensing, actuation and interfacing. Professional issues introduced in ENGGEN 204 and 303 (health and safety, ethics, sustainability, cultural diversity/awareness, communication, leadership, teamwork, financial awareness) are reinforced and developed.
Prerequisite: COMPSYS 305, and COMPSYS 209 or ELECTENG 209, and COMPSYS 202 or SOFTENG 281
Design: Software Practice
A project-based course to gain experience in software design emphasising problem solving techniques and applications in computer systems engineering. The course includes practical, real-world project(s) involving a representative subset of the following topics: algorithm and data structure selection and implementation, parsing and translation, object-oriented and multi-threaded programming, scripting languages, peer-to-peer communication over internet.
Prerequisite: COMPSYS 202 or SOFTENG 281
Microcomputers and Embedded Systems
Embedded applications. Microprocessors, microcontrollers, architecture, organisation, programming memories, I/O interfacing. Sensors, actuators, analog interfaces. Hardware/Software partitioning and interfacing. Concurrency. Implementing data transformations and reactivity. Case studies.
Prerequisite: COMPSYS 201, and COMPSYS 202 or SOFTENG 251 or 281
Computer Architecture
Modern processor architectures. Principles of modern processor design; pipelining; memory hierarchies; I/O and network interfacing; compiler and OS support; embedded processors; performance; multiprocessing.
Prerequisite: COMPSYS 201
Restriction: COMPSCI 313
Digital Systems Design
Digital Systems implementation technologies with emphasis on hardware description languages and design abstraction levels; structural, architectural and behavioural modelling; register-transfer level design; datapath and control units; functional and timing simulations; FPGA-based implementation design flow and case studies.
Prerequisite: COMPSYS 201
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
Fundamentals of artificial intelligence, including topics from artificial neural networks, fuzzy models, genetic algorithms. Using machine learning as an application of artificial intelligence to use data for training and inference, including topics from convolutional neural networks, deep learning, pattern classification and recognition.
Prerequisite: COMPSYS 201, and COMPSYS 202 or SOFTENG 281
Postgraduate 700 Level Courses
Research Project - Level 9
Students are required to submit a report on project work carried out on a Computer Systems Engineering topic assigned by the Head of Department. The work shall be supervised by a member of staff.
Prerequisite: COMPSYS 301, and 45 points from COMPSCI 313, COMPSYS 302-305, ELECTENG 303, 331, 332
Restriction: COMPSYS 401
To complete this course students must enrol in COMPSYS 700 A and B
Advanced Digital Systems Design - Level 9
Advanced concepts in digital design including: System-on-Chip (system level description, behavioural and register-transfer descriptions); advanced modelling techniques and design flows; design space exploration and optimisation; hardware-software partitioning and trade-offs; component reusability; reconfigurable systems; low-power systems; case studies (speech, image, video algorithms implementation, application specific processor design); individual research projects to analyse the problem, model and implement the required hardware-software components.
Prerequisite: COMPSYS 305
Advanced Embedded Systems - Level 9
Selected advanced topics from current research in embedded systems such as: embedded systems based on formal models of computation; centralised and distributed architectures for embedded systems; static and dynamic embedded systems; languages and frameworks for distributed embedded systems; actor and agent systems; verification. Includes a significant individual research project.
Prerequisite: COMPSYS 723, and 202 or SOFTENG 281
Formal Methods for Safety Critical Software - Level 9
Formal methods for the validation/verification of safety critical software, including machine learning algorithms. Topics covered will include mathematical modelling for embedded, automation, and mechatronic systems; advanced techniques for validation and verification; techniques for formal specification; methods of verification such as Bisimulation and model checking; state space explosion problem and solutions such as BDDs, symbolic model checking, and modular verification; verification of HDL/C using model checking tools. Includes a significant individual research project.
Prerequisite: COMPSYS 202 or ENGSCI 233 or MECHENG 270 or 313 or SOFTENG 211 or 281 or 282
Special Topic
An advanced course on topics to be determined each year by the Head of Department.
Studies in Computer Systems Engineering 1
Advanced courses on topics to be determined each year by the Head of Department.
Studies in Computer Systems Engineering 2
Advanced courses on topics to be determined each year by the Head of Department.
Studies in Computer Systems Engineering 4
Advanced courses on topics to be determined each year by the Head of Department.
Studies in Computer Systems Engineering 5
Advanced courses on topics to be determined each year by the Head of Department.
Studies in Computer Systems Engineering 6
Advanced courses on topics to be determined each year by the Head of Department.
Machine Intelligence and Deep Learning
Explores essential concepts and technologies in state-of-the-art deep neural network architectures, including convolutional neural networks, decision trees, random forests, similarity learning, recurrent neural networks, and long short-term memory networks. Includes hands-on experience combining hardware components with software implementations.
Prerequisite: COMPSYS 306, and COMPSYS 302 or SOFTENG 306 or 351
Restriction: COMPSYS 726
Special Topic
An advanced course on topics to be determined each year by the Head of Department.
Embedded Systems Design
Concurrency and models of computation, task models and race conditions, real-time operating systems based approach, synchronous approach, safe state machines, key properties: determinism and reactivity, SoPC and MPSoC, cyber-physical embedded systems, static analysis techniques, case studies in smart grid, automotive, medical devices and the like.
Prerequisite: COMPSYS 303 or 304 or SOFTENG 370
Restriction: COMPSYS 402, 403, 727
Distributed Cyber-Physical Systems Design
Network layers and protocols. Packet switching. Broadband network principles. Low versus high bandwidth services. Network interfaces and instrumentation. Wireless networks in embedded applications. Industrial networking.
Prerequisite: COMPSYS 201, and 202 or SOFTENG 281
Restriction: COMPSYS 405
Robotics and Intelligent Systems - Level 9
Fundamentals of robotic and intelligent systems, including reactive and deliberative functionality, navigation techniques, planning and programming of robot actions, machine learning, artificial neural networks and may include topics in sensors and actuators, kinematic analysis, fuzzy systems, genetic algorithms. Core concepts are extended by an individual research project where a challenging robotics problem is analysed and a solution implemented and tested.
Prerequisite: 15 points from COMPSYS 302, 306, ENGSCI 331, MECHENG 313, SOFTENG 306
Restriction: COMPSYS 406, 721
Model-based Embedded Systems Design - Level 9
Traditional and advanced methods of embedded systems modelling and design, models of computation, hardware-software co-design, real-time and safety-critical systems, principles of embedded and real-time operating systems, design using the real-time operating systems approach and the synchronous approach, use of the networks in real-time embedded systems. The assessment includes a significant individual research project.
Prerequisite: COMPSYS 303
Restriction: COMPSYS 402, 403, 723
Special Topic - Level 9
An advanced course on a topic to be determined each year by the Head of Department. Includes a substantial individual research project.
Prerequisite: Departmental approval
Special Topic - Level 9
An advanced course on a topic to be determined each year by the Head of Department. Includes a substantial individual research project.
Prerequisite: Departmental approval
Robotics and Society
Explores the moral, ethical and societal impacts of increasing automation in our society, and how both work and leisure will be impacted as robots become more commonplace. Topics also include legal issues, privacy, safety, standards, and indigenous and cultural issues and opportunities.
Human-Robot Interaction
Human aspects of robotic systems, including how humans and robots can live and interact together. Cultural considerations around the perception of robots and expected robot behaviours in different domains such as agriculture, education, healthcare, and manufacturing.
Prerequisite: 15 points from COMPSYS 302, 306, ENGSCI 331, MECHENG 313, SOFTENG 306
Mobile Autonomous Robotics
Techniques and principles for designing and developing mobile robots that interact autonomously with their environment. Topics include sensors and actuators, kinematic analysis, computer vision, state estimation and planning. Includes significant hands-on experience through the design and development of a mobile robot.
Prerequisite: 15 points from COMPSYS 302, 306, ENGSCI 331, MECHENG 313, SOFTENG 306
Capstone Project
Final year team exercise with students in multi-disciplinary roles, with focus on computer systems engineering and integrating technical learning into realistic design outcomes. Comprehensive investigation of an open ended, complex, real or synthetic computer, electrical and software engineering problem with simulated professional design office constraints. Includes technical, economic and environmental impact components to complete a scheme assessment report.
Prerequisite: 75 points from Part III courses listed in the BE(Hons) Schedule for the Computer Systems Engineering specialisation
Project X - Level 9
Students are required to submit a report on a topic assigned by the appropriate Head of Department.
Prerequisite: Departmental approval
Research Project - Level 9
Students are required to submit a report on a topic assigned by the appropriate Head of Department.
Prerequisite: Departmental approval
To complete this course students must enrol in COMPSYS 788 A and B, or COMPSYS 788
Project Z - Level 9
Students are required to submit a report on a topic assigned by the appropriate Head of Department.
Prerequisite: Departmental approval
Research Project (Robotics and Automation) - Level 9
Prerequisite: CHEMMAT 751 or CIVIL 705 or COMPSYS 700 or ELECTENG 700 or ENGGEN 769 or ENGSCI 700 or MECHENG 700 or SOFTENG 700
To complete this course students must enrol in COMPSYS 792 A and B, or COMPSYS 792
Research Project (Computer Systems) - Level 9
Students are required to submit a report on a topic relevant to the specialisation, as assigned by the appropriate Head of Department.
Prerequisite: Departmental approval
To complete this course students must enrol in COMPSYS 795 A and B, or COMPSYS 795