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CGP Computer Science > 01 Section 1 - Computer Systems and the CPU > Flashcards

01 Section 1 - Computer Systems and the CPU Flashcards

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1
Q

What is a computer?

A

A computer is a machine that processes data

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2
Q

What is the purpose of a computer?

A

To take data in, process it and then output it

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3
Q

What does a computer system consist of?

A

Hardware and software

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4
Q

What is hardware? (and what are some examples)

A

Hardware is the physical stuff that makes up a computer

CPU, Motherboard, Monitor, Printer

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5
Q

What is software? (and what are some examples)

A

Software is the programs or applications that a computer system runs
(an operating system, a word processor, video game)

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6
Q

What are external pieces of hardware called?

A

Peripherals

They are external pieces of hardware like the keyboard, mouse and printers.

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7
Q

What are embedded systems?

A

Embedded systems are computers built into other devices

they are dedicated to a single task

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8
Q

What are some examples of embedded systems?

A

Dishwashers
Washing machine
Microwaves
Central heating systems

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9
Q

What are embedded systems often used as?

A

Embedded systems are often used as control systems, they monitor and control machinery in order to achieve a desired result

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10
Q

What are the main hardware components of a computer?

A 
Power supply
Case cooling fan
CPU heat sink and cooling fan
CPU
Graphics Card
Motherboard
Hard Disc Drive
RAM sticks
Ghost
Optical drive
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11
Q

What is the motherboard?

A

The main circuit board in the computer, where the hardware is connected

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12
Q

What does CPU stand for?

A

Central Processing Unit

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13
Q

What is the CPU?

A

It’s the brain of a computer system

-it processes data and instructions that make the system work

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14
Q

What does the CPU architecture describe?

A
  • the main components of the CPU
  • how the components interact with each other
  • how the components interacts with other parts of the computer system
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15
Q

What are the two main types of architecture?

A

Von Neumann

Harvard

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16
Q

What does CU stand for?

A

Control Unit

17
Q

What does ALU stand for?

A

Arithmetic Logic Unit

18
Q

What does PC stand for?

A

Program Counter

19
Q

What does MAR stand for?

A

Memory Address Register

20
Q

What does MDR stand for?

A

Memory Data Register

21
Q

What does ACC stand for?

A

Accumulator

22
Q

What are the three buses between the CPU and RAM?

A

Address bus
Control bus
Data bus

23
Q

What is the CU?

A

The CU is in overall control of the CPU.

-job is to execute program instructions by following the fetch-decode-execute cycle

24
Q

What does the ALU do?

A

All the calculations

-operations, comparisons, logic operations and binary shifts

25
Q

What is cache?

A

Cache is very fast memory in the CPU (slower than the registers, but quicker than RAM)

26
Q

What does cache store?

A

Regularly used memory, the CPU goes to cache first to look for data and then RAM if it can’t find it in cache

27
Q

What are the features of cache memory?

A

very low capacity

expensive

28
Q

What does the Program counter do?

A

holds the memory address of the instructions for each cycle

29
Q

What does the ACC do?

A

stores intermediate results of calculations in the ALU

30
Q

What does the MAR do?

A

holds any memory address about to be used by the CPU

-the address might point to data or a CPU instruction

31
Q

What does the MDR do?

A

holds the actual data or instruction

-this may have been fetched from memory or might be waiting to be written to memory

32
Q

What is in the Fetch process from the Fetch- Decode- Execute cycle?

A
  • copy the memory address from the PC to the MAR
  • carry out address location in memory from the MAR down the address bus and back out the data bus to the MDR
  • copy data in MDR to the CIR
  • increment in PC(ready for the next cycle)
33
Q

What is in the Decode process from the Fetch- Decode- Execute cycle?

A
  • the instruction in the MDR is decoded by the CU

- the CU then prepares for the next step

34
Q

What does CIR stand for?

A

Current Instruction Register

35
Q

What is in the Execute process from the Fetch-Decode- Execute cycle?

A

-the instruction is performed

this could be load, write, do a calculation, logic operation, change the address in the PC, halt the program

36
Q

What are the registers in the CPU?

A

PC
MAR
MDR
CIR

37
Q

What are registers?

A

They are on the CPU and temporarily hold tiny bits of data needed by the CPU.
-they are super-quick to read/write to

CGP Computer Science (24 decks)

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