1.1 Architecture Flashcards
What is another term for the CPU?
Microprocessor
What is software?
Software is a computer program that contains the set of instructions needed by the CPU in order to perform a specific task.
What is the difference between system software and application software?
- System software contains programs that manage the operation of the computer
- Application sofware are programs written for a specific purpose (word processing application, photo editor)
List three input devices
- Keyboard
- Mouse
- Touch screen
- Microphone
- Heat sensor
List three output devices
- Computer Moniter
- Printer
- Speakers
- Led light
Are headphones an example of an input device, an output device, or neither?
Neither, they are an accessory.
What is an embedded computer?
An embedded computer is a computer that is designed with a specific task in mind. All parts and components are usually built on a single printed circuit board.
List three benefits of using an embedded computer
- Small –> less space needed inside the equipment.
- Printed on a single printed circuit board –> much easier to replace if it breaks down
- Cheaper to produce than general purpose computers –> Overall cost of equipment in which it is embedded is reduced
- More reliable and robust that a general purpose computer –> no moving parts so they are less likely to stop working.
List 2 concerns associated with embedded computers
- If it goes wrong its likely the equipment itself with stop working
- Requires specialist skills to design them
What is a bus?
A bus is a set of wires or tracks laid down on a printed circuit board (to move data around).
Inside a 32 bit computer, how many tracks will each data bus have?
32
Name the three types of bus
- Data Bus
- Address Bus
- Control Bus
What does the data bus do?
Carries the actual data around the system.
What does the address bus do?
Carries information on where the data needs to go or come from.
What does the control bus do?
Carries singals around the system to control various components (such as the DVD drive, hard disk or graphics card).
What does the CPU do?
The CPU fetches instructions from memory (RAM), it decodes the instructions and then executes those instructions.
On a desk top computer, where is the CPU normally located?
On the motherboard.
Name the three sections inside the CPU
- Control Unit
- Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)
- Registers
What are the three main jobs of the control unit?
- It controls the way data moves around the CPU (timing signals)
- It executes the instructions provided by the program (control signals)
- It controls and monitors the flow of data between the CPU and other components (signals to memory/devices)
What is the job of the ALU?
Handles arithmetic operations and logic operations.
What are registers used for?
Registers are used to hold temporary data while a software program is running.
Why are registers used?
- It is much faster to shift data to and from the registers rather than in and out of the Cache or RAM
- So this speeds up the processing time.
Describe the relationship between memory capacity and speed.
As memory capacity increases, speed decreases (or vice versa)
What is cache memory used for?
- Cache is a very fast but small type of RAM
- Cache memory is used to store instructions or data that are either frequently used, have recently been used or are about to be used.
Which level of cache is the fastest?
Level 1 (Internal CPU cache)