Computers, organized in networks, are the base of the Digital Age that is ransforming the world. Computer and Software Engineers develop the software and information technology that carries out this transformation, and they need to know the underlying hardware. Therefore, this book firstly introduces the concept of digital information and how it is processed with digital circuits. Then, the foundations of Computer Architecture are laid down, studying its three main elements: the processor, the memory and the input/output system. Finally, the basic concepts of computer networks are presented, paying special attention to local area networks and the protocols used on the internet, the most important network worldwide.
This book aims to be part of a basic bibliography in university courses of Computers and Networks in the degrees of Computer and Software Engineering, so that the students can use it as tool to acquire a basic knowledge to successfully develop their studies and their future career.