3. Computer Hardware and History Flashcards
First-generation computers used _____ for circuitry and _____ for memory.
vacuum tubes, magnetic drums
The first generation of computers relied on what type of languages to operate?
Machine languages
The first generation of computers relied on ____ for input and produced ____ output.
Punch cards, printed
What replaced vacuum tubes in the second generation of computers?
Transistors
Second-generation computers relied on ____ for input and produced ____ output.
Punch cards, printed
What languages were developed to program second-generation computers?
Higher-level languages like early FORTRAN and COBOL
In second-generation computers, machine languages representing instructions in binary (0s and 1s) were replaced by ____ languages that specified instructions using ____.
assembly, words
The technological development that ushered in the third generation of computers was the invention of ____.
integrated circuits
In the third generation of computers, integrated circuits miniaturized ____ and placed them on silicon chips called ____.
semiconductors
Third-generation computers used ____ and ____ to communicate with other components of the system.
keyboards, monitors
What made it possible for third-generation computers to run multiple programs at once and share memory and other resources?
Operating systems
What innovation made the fourth generation of computers possible?
Microprocessors, which include thousands of integrated circuits on a single silicon chip.
What other innovations accompanied the fourth generation of computing besides microprocessors?
Graphical user interfaces, the mouse, and handheld devices.
What innovation marked the beginning of the fifth generation of computing?
Artificial intelligence
Fifth-generation computers are based on ____ processing and ____ software.
parallel, AI
_____ computing is said to be more efficient than modern computing because of its use of _____.
Quantum, quantum tunneling
_____ computing is said to be more efficient than modern computing because of its use of _____.
Quantum, quantum tunneling
____ and ____ manufacturing involves the use of ____ (extremely small) tools and ____ processes to build structures, devices, and systems at the molecular level.
Nanotechnology, molecular, nanoscale, nonbiological
What hardware component is responsible for processing all information from programs run by a computer?
CPU
The speed at which the processor processes information is measured in ____.
gigahertz (GHz)
What hardware component temporarily stores information created by programs and does so in a way that makes this data immediately accessible?
RAM (Random Access Memory)
The ____ is a storage device responsible for storing permanent and temporary data.
hard drive
What are the two types of storage devices?
HDD: Hard Disk Drive, writes binary data on spinning magnetic disks called platters
SSD: Solid State Drive, stores data by using static flash memory chips
This hardware component processes huge amounts of graphical data. They focus almost exclusively on graphics rendering but can also extend the CPU.
GPU (Graphics Processing Unit)
This is a printed circuit board that can add functionality to a computer system via the bus that bears its name.
Expansion card. (The bus is called the expansion bus.)
The ____ bus is a computer bus that moves information between the internal hardware of a computer system (including the CPU and RAM) and peripheral devices.
expansion
Generally, computer hardware contains what three major components?
- CPU (Central Processing Unit)
- Storage
- Peripheral devices
Another name for the IPOS model of computing systems is the _____ architecture of a computer system.
Von Neumann
What are the three parts of the CPU, and what do they do?
- Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU): contains circuitry that performs operations on data (such as addition and subtraction).
- Control unit: contains the circuitry coordinating the machine’s activities.
- Processor register: contains data storage cells called registers
____ hold the inputs to the ALU and store the results.
Registers
What four activities does the control unit perform?
- Transfers the data from the main memory into the registers.
- Informs the ALU which registers hold the data.
- Activates the ALU.
- Tells the ALU which register should receive the result.
What does the Memory Address Register (MAR) do?
It holds the memory location of data that needs to be accessed.
What does the Memory Data Register (MDR) do?
It holds data that is being transferred to or from memory.
What does the Accumulator (AC) do?
It holds the ALU results.
What does the Program Counter (PC) do?
It holds the address of the next program instruction to be executed.
What does the Current Instruction Register do?
It holds the current instruction during processing.
RAM is split into ____. Each of these consists of a(n) ____ and its ____, all in ____ form.
partitions, address, contents, binary
Read-only memory (ROM) stores instructions for what kind of system activities?
Crucial system activities like booting up the system and initializing different computer components.
Various units that support the input and output functions of a computer are called ____.
peripheral devices
What computer components are the wires that transmit information between the CPU and other components?
Buses or bus lines
What are the three different types of buses?
- Address buses
- Data buses
- Control buses
The ____ bus carries the destination address of where the data is assigned to be processed.
address
The ____ bus carries data between the processor, the memory unit, and the input/output devices.
data
The ____ bus carries control signals (commands) from the CPU (and status signals from devices); controls and coordinates all activities within the computer system.
control
What are two other names for the system unit?
- Tower
- Chassis
The motherboard is the main ____ for the computer containing both ____ components that cannot be removed and ____ or ____ for components that can be removed.
circuit board, soldered, sockets, slots
The ____ sends out a pulse of electricity at regular intervals and makes it possible for the electronic components of the computer to operate.
system clock
How many instructions get processed per pulse of the system clock?
One
One ____ is equivalent to a million pulses per second.
megahertz (MHz)
One ____ is equivalent to one billion pulses per second.
gigahertz (GHz)
What are three examples of types of expansion cards?
graphics cards, sound cards, and network cards
What are ports? What are three examples of ports?
Ports are sockets that allow cables to be plugged in without opening the system unit. Some examples are serial, parallel, and Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports, which are recognizable by their distinct shapes.
RAM is also known as ____ storage, while devices such as HDDs, SSDs, and flash drives are known as ____ storage.
primary, secondary
A ____ is the smallest unit of storage. Eight of them equals one ____, which is enough information to store a single character.
bit, byte
How many bytes are actually in a kilobyte?
1,024 (2^10) bytes
What are the most common output devices?
Monitors and printers
____ are the biggest and fastest computers, designed to process huge amounts of data. They are built as a system of thousands of interconnected processors and are particularly useful in scientific and engineering applications such as weather forecasting, scientific simulations, and nuclear energy research.
Supercomputers
____ computers are designed to support hundreds or thousands of users simultaneously. They also support multiple programs at the same time, making them useful to big organizations that manage and process high volumes of data.
Mainframe
A ____ is a single-user computer designed for technical or scientific applications. It has a faster microprocessor, a large amount of RAM, and high-speed graphics cards. It generally performs a specific job with great expertise. Graphics, music, and engineering design departments often use this type of system.
workstation
A ____ is more commonly known as a personal computer. It is a general-purpose computer for individual use.
microcomputer
