1. Fundamentals Of Computing Flashcards
How do computers affect our safety?
- Planes
- Traffic Lights
- Signal Trains
- Nuclear Power Plants
- Hospitals - Monitoring, Alerts, Robot operations, Scanning
How do computers affect our communication?
- Smart Phones
- Internet
- GPS Systems
How do computers affect business?
- Ordering
- Manufacturing
- Accounting
- Payroll
- Stock Control
- Online Stores
- Call Centres
How do computers affect entertainment?
- DVD Players
- Smart TV Sets
- MP3 Players
- Games Consoles
How do computers affect education?
- VLE
* Internet Searches
How do computers affect government?
- Getting and giving information
- Paying Taxes
- The government is moving online: Housing, Benefits, Bill Paying, Tax Info
How do computers affect science?
- Working with larger data-sets
- Calculations
- Discovering patterns and proofs
What is a system?
A collection of parts that work together to achieve some goal.
What is a COMPUTER system?
A combination of hardware and software components that allow input, processing and output of data.
What are the 4 components of a computer system?
1) Input
2) Output
3) Processing
4) Storage
How does a computer receive an input?
Real-world action -> Analogue to digital conversion -> Binary data to computer
How does a computer send out an output?
Binary data from computer -> Digital to analogue conversion -> Real-world effect
How is reliability measured in a system?
Availability: The percentage of time a system is available for (e.g. 1hr of down-time per 100hrs gives 99% availability)
Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF): The average time between failures
What is a system boundary?
Where one system ends and perhaps another begins.
Can a system be made out of smaller systems?
Yes, a system can be made up from sub-systems
What is a “dedicated” system?
One which is used for a single purpose (e.g. Engine management in a car)
What is a “General Purpose” system?
One that is used for many things (e.g. A PC)
What is an “Embedded System”?
A system which is built into a device that it controls.
What is a “Micro Controller”?
- Basically a computer on a chip
- It has inputs, processing ability, some memory and can produce outputs
- It is usually used in an embedded system
What are the four main standards?
1) Proprietary
2) Industry
3) De-Facto
4) Open
What is hardware?
The physical components that make up a computer system.
What is software?
The programs that run on a computer system.
What is an input device?
Hardware that accepts data into the computer.
Examples: keyboard, mouse, microphone, webcam
What is an output device?
Hardware that presents the results of processing to the user or actuators that perform a task automatically.
Examples: monitors, printers, speakers, projectors, actuators (motors)
What is a storage device?
Hardware that is used to store files long term and is not volatile.
Examples: hard disks, memory sticks, magnetic tapes, CDs
Name some examples of how computers have become important in recent years.
- Safety - Planes, Traffic Lights, Trains, Nuclear power stations, Hospitals
- Communication - Phones, Email, Internet, GPS
- Business - Ordering, Manufacture, Accounting, On-line stores
- Entertainment - DVD players/recorders, Smart TV, MP3 players, Games consoles
- Education - VLE, Internet
- Government - Getting and giving information (e.g. Paying Tax)
- Science - Scientists can work with larger data-sets, Calculations
Define reliability.
How far you can depend on the computer system being available when you need it. Usually measured in availability.
Define availability.
The proportion of time that a system is operational, usually expressed as a percentage over a period of time.
What is a proprietary standard?
- Standards set and owned by a single company that adheres to them
- Others can’t amend or add to them
What is an industry standard?
- Set out and owned by industry bodies
* Followed by all who make hardware or software to be used in a given way
What is a de-facto standard?
- Not written down or enforced
* Standard because they are popular
What is an open standard?
- Published and not copyrighted
- Anyone can use and add to them
- Could be interfaces or formats that have been accepted by de-facto or formal processes
Give an example of a proprietary standard.
Windows has proprietary standards.
Give an example of an industry standard.
- The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers publish standards for electronic equipment.
- The Universal Serial Bus (USB)
Give an example of an open standard.
• HTML
What is MTBF?
Mean Time Between Failures - A measure of reliability. It is the average time between a failure of that system.
Define redundancy.
Spare hardware components are built into a system so that, in the event of a component failing, the system can swap over to the spare one.
Define disaster recovery.
Where a company has plans to replace a system quickly if there is a catastrophe. Designed to minimise the time the system is down for.
What is the Waterfall Model?
- A model which defines the specific steps in the development of a computer system.
- Each step has outputs which lead on into the next step.
- You can return to a previous stage but then you have to work back down through the following stages.
What is Rapid Application Development (RAD)?
- A model for system development where the client is much more involved.
- It starts with a prototype that is developed gradually into a full solution with customer feedback at each stage.
Name some de facto standards in coding?
- Use of code comments
- Indents in code (to indicate loops, etc.)
- Meaningful identifiers (using “total” instead of “x”)
What is intellectual property?
Intangible property that is the result of creativity, such as patents, copyrights, etc.
Which organisation attempts to enforce copyright laws and protect programmers’ rights?
Federation Against Software Theft (FAST)
What are some laws which developers must abide by when developing a system?
- Data Protection Act
- Copyright, Designs and Patents Act
- Health and Safety at Work Act
What is the Data Protection Act?
An act that states:
• Anyone who stores personal details must keep them safe
What is the Health and Safety at Work Act?
An act that states:
• Employers are responsible for their staff
What is the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act?
An act that states:
• It is illegal to use software without buying the appropriate license
• It is illegal to copy and pass off work as your own when it belongs to someone else
What is the Computer Misuse Act?
An act to protect the integrity of computer systems by deterring hackers. It created 3 new offences:
• Unauthorised access to computer programs or data
• Unauthorised access with a further criminal intent
• Unauthorised modification of computer material
What is hacking?
Accessing a computer either physically or remotely without the user’s permission.
What are ethical considerations when developing computer systems?
They are all about fairness. They may include where call centres are located and where programming work is done.
What ray environmental considerations when developing computer systems?
The environmental impact caused by the manufacturing of computer systems, etc.
