IT 650

Catalog Data: (3:2:3) W Prerequisites: IT 241; IT 327; IT 344; IT 355; Physics 123; or instructor's consent. Technology of devices for connecting people to computers. Displays, hypersonic speaker systems, speech recognition, and biometrics for identification and authentication. Also methods for data storage, including solid state, magnetic and optical. Device design and performance.

Textbook(s):

• “The Essential Guide to Computer Data Storage: From Floppy to DVD”, by Dr. Andrei Khurshudov; 2001 Prentice Hall PTR.

Lab Textbook(s): None

Recommended Book(s):

• “Parallel I/O for High Performance Computing”, by John M. May; 2001 Academic Press.

 Reference Book(s): None yet

Class website: http://class.et.byu.edu/it650/

Class Coordinator: Barry M. Lunt

Goals: This course is designed to be taken by students who are familiar with computer organization, I/O, data communication, and physics. Prerequisite courses are IT 104 or 314, IT 327, and Physics 123. Pre-recommended courses include IT 241, 344, and 355. The main objective of this class is to acquaint students with the fields of computers-human I/O, and storage of computer data. The supporting sub-goals include:

• Learn about the limitations of current I/O devices
• Learn about potentially viable alternative methods for interfacing humans to computers
• Experiment with some potentially useful interface methods
• Learn about current methods of storing computer data
• Learn about potentially viable alternative methods for storing computer data
• Experiment with some potentially useful interface methods

Course Objectives: The goals and sub-goals of this class are supported by the following objectives:

• Understand the operation of the CRT as a computer display device, including its strengths and weaknesses.
• Understand the operation of plasma displays, including their strengths and weaknesses.
• Understand the operation of field-emissive displays, including their strengths and weaknesses.
• Understand the operation of organic light-emitting diode displays, including their strengths and weaknesses.
• Understand the operation of speaker systems and how hypersonic speaker systems differ, including the strengths and weaknesses of HSSs.
• Understand the operation and challenges of speech recognition as a computer input method.
• Know about the many biometrics available for identification, and understand the advantages and disadvantages of each for access restriction.
• Know the basic computer storage families of primary, secondary, and tertiary storage.
• Understand the primary storage families of nonvolatile and volatile memory, including ROM, PROM, UVEPROM, EEPROM, Flash EPROM, SRAM, DRAM, Shadow RAM, FeRAM, MRAM, and OUM.
• Know the advantages and disadvantages of each of the above memory types.
• Understand the operation and characteristics of magnetic computer storage, including hard-disk drives, floppy-disk drives, advanced floppy-disk drives, and tape drives.
• Understand the operation and characteristics of optical computer storage, including CD-ROMs, DVDs, and magneto-optical technologies.
• Understand the operation and characteristics of large arrays of secondary computer storage, including RAID, SAN, and NAS.
• Know about future storage technologies.

Prerequisites by topic: Basic DC and AC circuits; human-computer interface issues; Newtonian physics; wave properties; computer operating systems; computer organization; data communications.

Topics: Visual output devices (CRTs, LCDs, Plasma display panels, Organic Light-Emitting Diode displays, Field-Emission Displays); Audio output devices (speakers, ultrasonics); Speech recognition; Identification & authentication; Computer storage history & trends; magnetic recording; HDDs; Tape; Floppies & Bernoullis (Zip); Optical storage (CDs, DVDs); RAID; Semiconductor memory (ROM, PROM, UVEPROM, EEPROM, Flash EPROM, SRAM, DRAM, Shadow RAM, FeRAM, MRAM, OUM/CRAM); future storage products.

Laboratory projects: Students will work with available new I/O and storage methods.

Laboratory assignments:More possibilities than can be covered; individual choice of 7 I/O labs and 7 Storage labs.

Computer Equipment used: Open computer labs; a few dedicated computers.

Lab Equipment used: Computers; displays; identification/authentication peripherals; hard-disk drive; CD-ROM drive; computer storage test software; one field trip to campus data center.

Written and oral communication requirements: Requires two major papers (10 pages or more), one each in a specific area of computer I/O and computer storage.

Math Analysis: Calculus and algebra are used in describing some of the I/O and storage methods and circuit operations.

Lifelong Learning Exercises: No specific exercises in this area, except that the entire class will be using current literature only.

Library or other Research Projects: None

Prepared By: Barry M. Lunt

Date Revised: 3/1/04