H.N.D. ENGINEERING (SOFTWARE)

Here is an outline of the Higher National Diploma course which Hugo Moule took at Cambridge College of Arts and Technology (now Anglia Polytechnic University) together with the grades he got.

For further information Higher National Diplomas in Software Engineering download this pdf file about computer HNDs from Edexel.

BALANCING UNITS

DIGITAL TECHNIQUES - merit
binary number representation, boolean algebra, latches, clocked bistables, synchronous and asynchronous counters, logic families.

INTRODUCTION INTO MICROPROCESSOR BASED SYSTEMS - merit
8085 programming, block diagram of a computer, stack, subroutines, microprocessor types.

ANALOGUE CONCEPTS - pass
AC and DC concepts, components, Op-Amps, Power supplies, AC supplies, ADC and DAC.

MATHS - merit
Algebra, Errors, Set notation, Functions and Polynomials, Solution of equations by machine; Arrays.


E.I.T.B. CERTIFICATE - certificate awarded

GENERAL ENGINEERING APPLICATIONS - Health and safety, Communications, Materials and their processing, Electrical and electronic circuits; Hydraulic and pneumatic systems; Measurement in engineering; Hand and power tools; Computers and microprocessors in engineering.

ENGINEERING SOFTWARE APPLICATIONS - Health, safety and security; Electrical principles; Computer interface components; Analogue and Digital concepts and circuits; Computer control; Software drawings and documentation; Software tools; Computer languages; Peripheral devices; Software packages; Software testing.


B.T.E.C. H.N.D

MANAGEMENT OF PRODUCTS AND PROJECTS - level FS - 1 unit - distinction Develop an understanding of the procedures and techniques essential to the evaluation and control of product development. Develop an awareness of legal and environmental factors influencing the commercial viability of projects.

PASCAL - level IV - 1.5 units - merit
Features of ISO-Pascal; Devise well written programs in Pascal; Understand the limitations of ISO-Pascal and the usual extensions.

"C" - level IV - 1 unit - merit
Features of "C"; Design and write programs in "C"; Understand the standard and extensions to "C".

FORTRAN 77 - level IV - 0.5 units - merit
Understand basic features of Fortran 77 in order to maintain programs; Use interface between Fortran 77 and the NAG library; Write programs in Fortran 77.

ASSEMBLY CODE PROGRAMMING - level IV - 1 unit - merit
Write well structured and documented 68000 programs; Understand basis for writing in assembly code; Understand facilities offered by assemblers; Introduction into the 8051 single chip processor.

OPERATING SYSTEMS A - level IV - 1 unit - pass
Introduction into Operating Systems : Unix, VMS and MS-DOS.


OPERATING SYSTEMS B - level V - 1.5 units - pass
Concurrent programming, Occam, scheduling, virtual machine, hardware, kernal, memory management, I/O procedures, multitasking, security, Minix.

SYSTEM SPECIFICATION - level IV - 1 unit - pass
Software lifecycle; basic sequence in specifying and developing a system; Use JSD process; identify application areas of software, firmware and hardware.

SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT A - level IV - 1 unit - pass
Apply JSP software design method to a variety of problems; Document the design and development of a software system; Write appropriate documentation for various users of a software system.

SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT B - level V - 1 unit - merit
Use JSP to solve data clashes and real time problems; devise software to cope with a variety of errors; criticize methods of software design.

SOFTWARE TESTING AND EMULATION - level V - 1.5 units - pass
Understand the importance of testing of realtime and other systems; apply the verification process; design a test routine and use test tools to remove errors from a program; use an MDS system and logic analyser.

HARDWARE INTERFACING - level IV - 1 unit - pass
Understand the interconnection of the 8085 and Z80 microprocessor and the devices connected to it; the interface with peripheral devices; the organisation of simple I/O operations.

MICROPROCESSOR SYSTEMS - level V - 1.5 units - pass
Understand 68000 microprocessor family and support devices; choosing a microprocessor; features on system design; interrupt and exception handling; coprocessors; memory management techniques; DMA, I/O devices; multiprocessor systems; bus standards.

COMPUTER COMMUNICATIONS A - level III - 0.5 units - merit
General structure of a communications system; baseband data transmission; standards associated with data transmission.

COMPUTER COMMUNICATIONS B - level IV/V - 1 unit - merit
Open Systems(OSI), multiplexing, data networks, packet switching, packet switched networks, Local area networks.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY - level IV - 1 unit - merit
Information Technology in society, information storage and retrieval, man machine interface, information manipulation and dissemination.

QUALITY MANAGEMENT - level IV - 1 unit - merit
Necessity and benefits of quality assurance; configuration management; BS 5750, AQAP 13, mechanisms of QA schemes; Make, SCCS, Software metrics.

PROJECT - level V - 2 units - merit
Develop knowledge, skills and attitudes associated with the process of software development including practical problem solving and working as a member of a team.