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Computing > 1 – Systems architecture, memory and storage > Flashcards

1 – Systems architecture, memory and storage Flashcards

1
Q

All computer systems must have a…

A

Central processing unit (CPU), memory (primary storage), and at least one input device.

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2
Q

What are input devices?

A

Something that retrieves data from the real world.

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3
Q

What are examples of input devices?

A

A mouse, keyboard, microphone, thermistor etc.

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4
Q

What are examples of output devices?

A

A computer screen, an actuator (moves stuff in machines), a speaker etc.

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5
Q

What is memory (primary storage)?

A

Primary storage is used for holding instructions that are currently being executed and data that is being used.

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6
Q

What is secondary storage?

A

The computer system may need to use stored data to perform the processing and, as a result of processing input, may generate data that is then stored. (eg photographs, projects, music, films, letters and spreadsheets.)

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7
Q

What is Von Neumann Architecture?

A

The Von Neumann architecture used the idea of holding both programs and data in memory. Data would then move between the memory unit and the processor.

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8
Q

What does the CPU do?

A

The central processing unit of a computer is the hardware that executes programs and manages the rest of the hardware.

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9
Q

What is cache memory?

A

Cache is very fast memory, close to the CPU, and is used to hold data or instructions temporarily that are likely to be needed by the processor in the course of running a program.

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10
Q

What three components does the Fetch-Decode-Execute cycle contain?

A

The processor contains the Control Unit (CU), the Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) and registers.

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11
Q

What does the Control Unit (CU) do?

A

The Control Unit coordinates all the activities taking place inside the CPU:
* It makes sure the instructions are executed in the correct sequence
* It decodes the instructions
* It controls timing of instructions using the clock speed
* It sends and receives control signals to and from other devices within the computer.

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12
Q

What operations does the Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU) carry out?

A
  • Logical Operations: These include AND, OR and NOT.
  • Shift Operations: The bits in a computer word can be shifted left or right by a certain number
    of places.
  • Arithmetic Operations: These include addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
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13
Q

What is a register?

A

A register is a special very fast memory location within the CPU used in the execution of instructions.

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14
Q

What special purpose registers are in a CPU?

A
  • Memory Address Register (MAR)
  • Memory Data Register (MDR)
  • Program Counter (PC)
  • Accumulator (ACC)
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15
Q

What does the Memory Address Register (MAR) do?

A

The MAR holds the address (location in memory) of the
instruction or piece of data to be fetched or stored.

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16
Q

What does the Memory Data Register (MDR) do?

A

The MDR holds data or a program instruction temporarily when it is fetched from memory or is to be sent to memory.

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17
Q

What does the Program Counter (PC) do?

A

The PC holds the memory address of the next instruction to be processed.

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18
Q

What does the Accumulator (ACC) do?

A

The ACC is a special-purpose, memory location in which results of operations carried out in the ALU are temporarily stored.

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19
Q

What are the main factors affecting CPU performance?

A
  • Clock speed
  • Cache size
  • Number of cores
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20
Q

What is clock speed?

A

The speed at which a processor operates is quoted as the clock speed, and measured in hertz.

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21
Q

What are hertz?

A

Hertz is the name for the number of cycles per second, or the rate at which the electrical current changes in the actual circuits.

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22
Q

What does a higher clock speed mean?

A

Everything the processor does occurs on the ‘tick’ of the clock - so a faster clock means that more instructions are fetched, decoded and executed in a second.

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23
Q

Will a 4GHz processor operate twice as fast as a 2GHz processor?

A

In theory a computer with a 4GHz processor should operate twice as fast as one with a 2GHz processor, but it isn’t that simple. There are many other components that contribute to the overall speed of the computer.

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24
Q

What happens if required data isn’t located in cache?

A

If the required information is not located in the cache, it has to be fetched from RAM.

25
Q

What are the different levels of cache? (and their sizes)

A
  • Level 1 cache is extremely fast but small (between 2-64KB).
  • Level 2 cache is fairly fast (still much faster than RAM) and medium-sized (256KB-2MB).
  • Some CPUs also have Level 3 data cache.
26
Q

What is parallel processing?

A

A dual-core processor has two processing units within the CPU and a quad-core has four. This means that parallel
processing can take place, with two or four instructions being executed simultaneously.

27
Q

What is a program?

A

A program is a series of instructions that need to be done in order.

28
Q

Is quad-core processing always faster?

A

Multiple cores could work on different programs that operate in parallel but unless the computer is designed to use multiple cores, a quad-core processor isn’t necessarily four times faster.

29
Q

What is an embedded system?

A

An embedded system is a small computer built into a piece of equipment designed to perform a specific function.

30
Q

What are examples of embedded systems?

A

vehicles, cameras, medical equipment, aircraft, vending machines, ovens, fridges, mobile phones, satellite navigation devices, televisions, digital clocks etc.

31
Q

What are characteristics of embedded systems?

A

The main characteristics of an embedded system are reliability and minimal resources such as ROM, timers, sensors and actuators.

32
Q

What is ROM? (4 marks)

A

Read-only memory, or ROM, is a type of computer storage containing non-volatile, permanent data that, normally, can only be read, not written to. ROM contains the programming that allows a computer to start up or regenerate each time it is turned on.

33
Q

What groups is memory divided up into?

A
  • primary storage (memory)
  • secondary storage
34
Q

What is off-line storage?

A

Off-line storage refers to storage devices which can be stored away from the computer. (eg USB sticks)

35
Q

What is RAM?

A

Random Access Memory (RAM) is the type of memory used as the computer’s main memory. Data may be written anywhere in that memory space at any time.

36
Q

What is Virtual Memory?

A

Sometimes there just isn’t enough main memory to store the whole of a large program, or all the programs which are running at the same time (multi-tasking). Computers can be configured so that part of the hard disk drive (HDD) or solid state drive (SSD) behaves like main memory. This is called virtual memory.

37
Q

What are examples of non-volatile memory?

A

HDD and SSD are designed for long term storage of files and are non-volatile memory.

38
Q

What is HDD?

A

A Hard Drive (HDD – Hard Disk Drive) is the main data storage device used with a Personal Computer.

39
Q

What is a SSD? (+6 benefits)

A

Solid State Drives (SSD) have no moving parts and don’t rely on magnetic properties, so are unaffected by magnetic fields.
* they are more reliable, being less susceptible to shock and damage as they have no moving parts
* they are considerably lighter (which makes them suitable for laptops, tablets and other modern devices)
* they have faster access times than HDDs because they don’t have to wait for the head to move and for the drive to spin
* they have lower power consumption
* they run much cooler than HDDs (both these points also make them very suitable for laptop computers)
* because they have no moving parts, they can be very thin.

40
Q

Is RAM volatile?

A

RAM is volatile so when you turn off your computer it loses its contents.

41
Q

What is the bootstrap loader?

A

A small program that loads the operating system.

42
Q

What is RAM used for?

A

RAM is only used for temporary storage of programs when they are running. RAM is read-write and volatile.

43
Q

What are examples of secondary storage?

A

Secondary storage refers to hard disk drives (HDDs), solid state drives (SSDs) and other devices and media such as Blu-ray disks etc.

44
Q

What are features of secondary storage?

A
  • It is non-volatile, generally holds much more data than main memory.
  • It is relatively inexpensive per MB.
  • Tends to have slower access speeds than main memory.
45
Q

What is Capacity?

A

Capacity: How much space there is to store files.

46
Q

What is Speed? (in terms of storage)

A

Speed: How quickly the computer read data from a storage device or write data to it.

47
Q

What is Portability?

A

Portability: How easy it is to move about and take with you.

48
Q

What is Durability?

A

Durability: How easily it is to damaged.

49
Q

What is Reliability?

A

Reliability: How long it will last.

50
Q

What is Cost? (in terms of memory)

A

Cost: Pounds per GB.

51
Q

What 6 features do you need to consider when buying storage?

A
  • Capacity
  • Speed
  • Portability
  • Durability
  • Reliability
  • Cost
52
Q

What are Magnetic Disks?

A

Magnetic disks are read with a moving head inside the disk drive. Moving parts make these media relatively slow to read from or write to and also make the disk more susceptible to damage. This is in contrast to solid state media (SSD) which have no moving parts. Magnetic media are also vulnerable to magnetic fields.

53
Q

What would Internal Solid State be used for and why?

A

PCs and laptops because they are extremely reliable and robust, have a large capacity and are fast but they are expensive and not portable.

54
Q

What would USBs / memory sticks be used for and why?

A

Personal use, moving files between computers because it is very portable, reliable, durable, cheap but they have a small capacity.

55
Q

What would Memory Cards be used for and why?

A

In phones and cameras because they are small, designed for portable devices, very reliable and very durable.

56
Q

What are examples of optical media?

A

CD, DVD and Blu-ray disks.

57
Q

How do optical storage devices work?

A

Lasers write data to the disc and read data from it.

58
Q

How big are optical storage devices?

A

CD - 640MB
DVD - 4.7- 8.5GB
Blu-Ray - 25 - 50GB

59
Q

What are feature of optical storage devices?

A

They are durable and reliable but degrade over a long time. They are also cheap and portable.

Computing (3 decks)

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