Chapter 5 (Abi) Flashcards
What is the CPU?
The Central Processing Unit which has the main role of processing programs and data.
What is the fetch-execute cycle?
The repeated process where the CPU fetches the instruction from the memory and carries it out.
What are the 3 main components of the CPU?
The Control Unit, Arithmetic and Logic Unit, Immediate Access Store
What is the control unit?
The Control Unit is a part of the CPU which manages the execution of instructions in the fetch-execute cycle, mainly one at a time in some form of order. It decides which instruction to carry out next and fetch it from the memory, decode the instruction & to execute the instruction.
What is the ALU?
The Arithmetic Logic Unit is the part of the CPU which processes data which requires arithmetic calculations, e.g. addition and division. It also performs logical comparisons using logical operators AND, OR and NOT.
What is the IAS?
The Immediate Access Store is the part of the CPU which is also referred to as the main memory. It stores all programs and data temporarily while they are in use. During the fetch-execute cycle, all instructions are fetched from their specific location in the IAS using an address.
What are CPU registers?
High speed memory locations which are all used for a specific purpose and all have a crucial role in the fetch-execute cycle.
What is the PC?
The Program Counter is the CPU register which stores the address (memory location reference) of the next instruction to be fetched. As many program instructions are ordered in sequence, the program counter is automatically incremented by one every time an instruction is fetched.
What is the MAR?
The Memory Address Register temporarily stores the address of the current instruction or data being executed.
What is the MDR?
The Memory Data Register temporarily stores data being fetched from or written to the main memory. All data transferred from the main memory to the CPU goes via the MDR.
What is the IR?
The Instruction Register temporarily stores the current instruction to be decoded and then executed after it has been fetched from the main memory.
What is the Accumulator?
The Accumulator is part of the Arithmetic and Logic Unit. When calculations take place, all results are temporarily stored in the accumulator before being transferred to and stored in the main memory. It is the default location to store any calculations performed by the ALU.
How does clock speed influence the speed of processing?
Clock speed is an indicator of what speed at which the CPU can work at. It is commonly measured GHz (gigahertz); this is a representation of how many billion instruction cycles the CPU can complete per second. In terms of the speed of processing, a greater clock speed allows for faster execution of tasks and improves system responsiveness. However, this is pointless without hardware which is of a greater speed capability.
How does cache influence the speed of processing?
Cache memory is a small capacity of memory which is situated between the processor and the RAM. This can be costly but using it can increase processor speed as it can temporarily store frequently used instructions and data. This means that the control unit of the CPU can automatically check the cache memory first when fetching an instruction. As this is quicker than checking the RAM (cache is significantly smaller), the processor speed will increase.
How do processor cores influence the speed of processing?
A core can be defined as a single processing unit which has its own control unit, ALU and registers. More advanced CPUs contain more than one core (e.g. dual core processor) which will increase their ability to run several programs at once which will therefore enhance the overall processing speed.
What is a microphone?
A microphone is an input device which records voice and sound to allow it to be inputted to the computer. A voice recognition system converts sound to text or accepts spoken commands. Microphones are also used to record music in analogue format and store it in digital format. They are also used in applications like Skype where users use VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) to speak to each other.
Give 2 advantages of a microphone:
- Faster to use voice to text rather than type out everything with a keyboard.
- It is hands free which allows users to multitask.
Give 2 disadvantages of a microphone:
1.The recognition rate of spoken words can be low if there is background noise.
2. Sound files require greater storage capacity than text.
What is a mouse?
A mouse is a device which includes 3 buttons. Typically, the left button is used to make selections (e.g. selecting an option from a menu); the right button is used display a pop-up menu at the position of the cursor and the middle button is used to scroll. When moved. the pointer is repositioned on a VDU (visual display unit), using sensors to detect movement.
What is an advantage of using a mouse?
Easy to use and requires little or no training
How does using a mouse compare to using a keyboard for selecting menus?
Quicker to select menus and icons compared to using a keyboard
What is a disadvantage of using a mouse for experienced users?
Slow compared to using ‘hot keys’
What do experienced users prefer over using a mouse for printing?
Pressing ctrl + P
What surface is required for a mouse to function properly?
A flat surface
What is a graphics digitiser used for?
Allows a user to hand-draw images or pictures
What are the main components of a graphics digitiser?
A flat surface and a stylus
What is a key advantage of using a graphics digitiser?
More natural to draw diagrams with a stylus than with a mouse
What is a disadvantage of using a graphics digitiser?
Not suitable for selecting menus and pointing at menu items
How does a touchscreen function?
Touching the screen is the same as clicking your mouse
What happens when you touch a touchscreen?
Causes a change in voltage which determines the location of the touch
What is an advantage of using a touchscreen?
Little ICT competence required compared to using a keyboard
What is a disadvantage of using a touchscreen?
Limited number of options available on screen
True or False: A touchscreen can perform drag-and-drop operations.
True
Fill in the blank: Compared to a mouse, the graphics digitiser is much more _______.
expensive
What technology does a touchscreen use to determine touch location?
Touch-sensing technologies with electrical current
What is the primary function of a computer speaker?
To output sound through a computer
What component is required for sound to be output through a speaker?
Sound card
How can the quality of sound be improved when using a computer?
By using external speakers
What are two methods to connect external speakers to a computer?
USB connections or wireless technology
What types of audio can speakers output?
- Music
- Spoken word
How do speakers assist in multimedia solutions?
By allowing sound output
What sound alert does a speaker produce?
When an error occurs or user action is needed
What is one advantage of speakers for visually impaired users?
Text or figures can be spoken by the computer
What is a disadvantage of using external speakers?
Require additional desk space
How can speakers affect other users in an office?
They can distract other users
What type of output do laser printers produce?
- High-quality text
- High-quality graphics
How does a laser printer create an image for printing?
By scanning the image onto a drum using a laser beam
What is one advantage of laser printers over inkjet printers?
Faster to print in bulk
What is a disadvantage of color laser printers?
Expensive to purchase and use
What type of stationery cannot be used with non-impact printers?
Multipart stationery
What surfaces can a 3D printer print onto?
- Ceramic
- Plastic
- Metal
How does 3D printing work?
By gradually printing a solid object one layer at a time
What software is commonly used with 3D printers?
CAD (computer aided design) software
What is the primary use of 3D printers?
To create prototypes of real-world objects
True or False: Laser printers are suitable for large volumes of data.
True
What is an advantage of 3D printers?
Time taken to produce an object is much faster than using conventional methods.
3D printing allows for rapid prototyping and faster iteration in design.
List two disadvantages of 3D printers.
- Limited form of printing as it can only print a prototype (not full scale)
- Not yet economical for large-scale manufacturing
These limitations affect the broader adoption of 3D printing in various industries.
What is a hard disc drive composed of?
A number of rigid discs stacked on a spindle and enclosed in a sealed unit.
The sealed unit protects the discs from dirt and dust.
What must be done to a hard disc before data can be stored on it?
The disc must be formatted first.
Formatting involves dividing each disc surface into tracks and sectors.
What are read/write heads used for in a hard disc drive?
To read or write data onto the disc surfaces.
Each surface of the disc has its own read/write head.
List two advantages of hard disc drives.
- The cost per gigabyte is cheaper than other forms of external storage
- Storage capacity is much greater compared to solid state storage devices
These factors make hard disc drives a popular choice for data storage.
What is a disadvantage of hard disc drives?
They are prone to breaking down due to moving parts.
This mechanical vulnerability can lead to data loss.
What technology do high-definition storage media use?
Laser technology to store and retrieve data.
This technology allows for high data transfer speeds.
What type of laser is used in high-definition storage media?
A blue laser.
The blue laser burns smaller pits onto the surface, increasing storage density.
Fill in the blank: A solid-state storage device does not contain any _______.
moving parts.
This characteristic makes solid-state devices more durable than traditional hard drives.
What is a solid-state storage device?
A device that does not contain any moving parts and uses flash memory
Solid-state storage devices are embedded as part of an electronic circuit board and are non-volatile.
What is flash memory?
A type of non-volatile memory that retains contents when power is off
Flash memory is used in solid-state storage devices.
What are USB memory sticks known for?
Being compact, portable, and having large storage capacity
USB memory sticks are also described as ‘plug and play’ devices.
What are memory cards used for?
Storing data in digital devices such as mobile phones and cameras
Memory cards include types like SD cards and mini-SD cards.
What is a SIM card?
A type of memory card used in mobile phones to store data
SIM stands for subscriber identity module.
What is a smart card?
A bank card that uses flash memory and contains an embedded integrated circuit
Smart cards are used for applications like satellite TV and door entry systems.
What are the categories of internal memory?
RAM, ROM, Cache memory
Internal memory is essential for a computer’s operation.
What does RAM stand for?
Random Access Memory
RAM is volatile and loses its contents when the power is off.
What is the characteristic of ROM?
It can be read from but not written to
ROM is non-volatile and stores permanent programs.
Fill in the blank: RAM is ______, while ROM is ______.
volatile; non-volatile
This distinction is important for understanding memory types.
True or False: Cache memory is a type of ROM.
False
Cache memory is part of internal memory but is distinct from ROM.
What is ROM?
Read Only Memory
ROM is a type of memory that can be read from but not written to, making its contents permanent.
What is a key characteristic of ROM?
Non-volatile
ROM retains its contents even when the power is turned off.
What is the purpose of ROM in a computer?
Store permanent programs
ROM is used to store essential programs like the boot program for Windows.
What is the difference between RAM and ROM?
RAM is volatile; ROM is non-volatile
RAM loses its contents when power is off, while ROM does not.
What is cache memory?
A type of memory used by the CPU
Cache memory is similar to RAM and allows instructions to be read and written.
How does cache memory compare to RAM?
Similar in function
Both cache memory and RAM allow for reading and writing instructions.
Fill in the blank: ROM is used to store programs that are frequently required by the computer, such as the _______.
boot program for Windows
True or False: ROM can be altered after it is written.
False
The contents of ROM are permanent and cannot be changed.
What happens to the contents of RAM when the power is turned off?
They are lost
RAM is classified as volatile memory.
