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GCSE OCR Computer Science > 1.1 System Architecture > Flashcards

1.1 System Architecture Flashcards

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1
Q

Hardware

A

Physical stuff in a computer system, e.g. CPU, keyboard, etc.

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2
Q

Software

A

Programs that a computer system runs, e.g. operating systems, games, etc.

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3
Q

Embedded systems

A

Computers built into other devices, usually as control systems. E.g. Dishwashers, microwaves.
- Easier to design
- Cheaper to produce
- More efficient at their task than general-purpose systems

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4
Q

What are the four common CPU components?

A
  • Control Unit (CU)
  • Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)
  • Cache
  • Registers
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5
Q

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

A

Where a computer processes all data and instructions

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6
Q

Control Unit (CU)

A

Controls the flow of data in and out of the CPU. Manages the fetching, decoding and execution of instructions

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7
Q

Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)

A

Does basic calculations, binary shifts and logic operations

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8
Q

Cache

A

Stores regularly use data for quick access. Low capacity and expensive. 3 levels of cache memory: L1 -> L3, decreasing speed but increasing capacity

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9
Q

Registers

A

Temporarily hold small amounts of data. Very quick to read/write to

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10
Q

What are the 3 factors affecting CPU performance?

A
  • Number of cores
  • Clock speed
  • Cache size
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11
Q

How does the number of cores affect CPU performance?

A
  • Each core process data independently
  • More cores -> more instructions carried out per second
  • Some software takes advantage of multicore processing
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12
Q

How does clock speed affect CPU performance?

A

Number of instructions a single processor core can carry out per second

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13
Q

How does cache size affect CPU performance?

A

Larger CPU cache -> faster access to more data

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14
Q

What is in the Von Neumann Architecture?

A
  • Control unit -> Program counter (PC)
  • Arithmetic Logic Unit -> Accumulator
  • Registers -> Memory Address Register (MAR) and Memory Data Register (MDR)
  • Memory
  • Input and output device
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15
Q

Program Counter (PC)

A

Holds the memory address of the instruction for each cycle

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16
Q

Memory Address Register (MAR)

A

Holds any memory address about to be used by the CPU. The address could point to data or an instruction

17
Q

Memory Data Register (MDR)

A

Holds the actual data or instruction, either fetched from memory or waiting to be written to memory

18
Q

Accumulator

A

Stores intermediate results of calculations in the ALU

19
Q

Fetch (FDE cycle)

A
  • Memory address copied from the PC to the MAR
  • Instruction copied from memory to the MDR
  • PC incremented to point to the next instruction
20
Q

Decode (FDE cycle)

A
  • Instructions in the MDR decoded by the CU
  • CU prepares for the next step, e.g. loading values into the MAR or MDR
21
Q

Execute (FDE cycle)

A

Decoded instruction carried out. E.g.
- Load data from memory
- Write data to memory
- Do calculation or logic operations (using the ALU)

22
Q

Primary storage

A

Memory that the CPU can read/write to quickly, e.g. RAM

23
Q

Volatile

A

Power is required for the component to retain data

24
Q

Non-volatile

A

Component retains the data even when the power is turned off

25
Q

Random Access Memory (RAM)

A

The main temporary memory in a computer
- Volatile memory
- Can be read from and written to
- Programs and files are copied here from secondary storage while in use
- Slower than the CPU cache, but faster than the secondary storage

26
Q

Virtual Memory

A
  • Used when RAM is filled up
  • Some data is moved to a location in secondary storage
  • Data is moved back to RAM when the CPU needs it
  • Data transfer is slower on secondary storage -> slows performance
27
Q

Read Only Memory (ROM)

A

Main permanent memory in a computer
- Non-volatile memory
- Can only be read from, not written to
- Small amount of memory built into the motherboard
- Contains BIOS (Basic Input Output System) -> instructions needed for the computer to boot up

28
Q

Secondary Storage

A

Non-volatile storage where programs and data are kept for later use

29
Q

Examples of internal storage

A
  • Optical Disk Drives (ODDs)
  • Hard Disk Drives (HDDs)
  • Solid State Drives (SSDs)
30
Q

Hard Disk Drives

A
  • High capacity
  • Quick access to data
  • Moving parts -> will eventually fail
  • Stores data magnetically on metal disks
  • Can be noisy
31
Q

Solid State Drives

A
  • Medium capacity
  • Very quick access to data
  • No moving parts
  • Use flash memory for faster read/write times
  • Usually quiet/silent
32
Q

Examples of external storage

A
  • Flash drives & memory cards
  • Optical discs
  • Magnetic tape
  • External HDDs & SSDs
33
Q

Flash drives & memory cards

A

Solid-state storage used to expand the capacity of small devices

34
Q

Optical discs

A

e.g. CDs. Can be read-only, write-once or rewritable

35
Q

Magnetic tape

A

Used by organisations to store huge amounts of data

36
Q

External HDDs & SSDs

A

Portable versions of internal storage. Often used for backups

37
Q

What are the 5 functions of an operating system (OS)

A
  • Peripheral management and drivers
  • Providing a user interface
  • Memory management and multitasking
  • File and disk management
  • User management
38
Q

Peripheral management and drivers

A
  • Communicate either internal hardware and peripherals connected to the system, using drivers
  • Chooses correct drivers for connected hardware on startup
  • Installs drivers for new hardware and update drivers automatically
39
Q

Providing a user interface

A

Allows user to interact with a computer. Different interfaces are designed for different types of user:
- Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) -> windows, icons, menus and pointers. Designed for everyday users
- Command-Line Interfaces -> text-based and use fewer system resources than GUIs. Used by advanced users

GCSE OCR Computer Science (11 decks)

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