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Computer Science > Chapter 7 Computer Artitecture > Flashcards

Chapter 7 Computer Artitecture Flashcards

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1
Q

how are HDD disks read?

A

The disk is continuously spinning and data is read/ written as the correct sector passes under read/ write head

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2
Q

How do HDD disks work

A

The disks are coated with a thin magnetic material changes in the direction of magnetism represent 0s and 1s

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3
Q

How is a HDD disk split up?

A

The disk is divided into tracks and sectors
(tracks are concentric circles, sectors are blocks)

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4
Q

How do optical disks store data

A

data is stored as a series of bumps/ pits within the track

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5
Q

How is an optical disk protected?

A

A protective layer is put over the surface to prevent corruption

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6
Q

How is optical disks read?

A

A laser reads the pits and lands which then interprets an electrical signal

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7
Q

What 3 things do you need to say when asked to describe the “principles of operation” of an SSD.

A

It uses NAND flash memory

and floating gate transistors which are used to trap and store charge

Data must be read in pages and written/erased in blocks

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8
Q

Secondary Storage definition:

A

Permanent memory not connected to the processor, used to store data when the computer is turned off.

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9
Q

How does a bar code scanner work?

A

An infered light is shone at a bar code
The light is reflected back
Black/ white bands on the bar code reflect difference amounts of light (black less and white more)
Light sensor measures the amount of reflected light. This light is convereted into an electrical signal.
Electrical signal analyed to determine the vlaue encoded in bar code.

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10
Q

Positives of barcodes

A

Cheap, quick to read and can be read at different angles

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11
Q

Negatives of barcodes

A

Limited amount of data can be stored

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12
Q

How does an RFID reader work?

A

Read emits electromagnetic waves
The RFID tag is energised by the waves
The tag sends back the data signal via radio waves
The reader receives the radio signal

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13
Q

Positives of RFID readers

A

Can be read without physical contact

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14
Q

Negatives of RFID readers

A

Multiple RFID cards together can interfere with signal, thieves can interfere with your card without contact, more expensive to produce than bar codes

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15
Q

How does a digital still camera work?

A

The shitter opens and lets light in through the lens,
the light is focused onto a sensor usually a charge coupled device CCD
the sensors are made up of millions of transistors, each stores the data for a pixel
as the light hits the sensor the amount of charge is recorded for each pixel as binary
If it is a colour camera then the camera can use three different sensors for (R, G and B)

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16
Q

Positives of Digital still cameras

A

You can see the images before developing them

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17
Q

Negatives of Digital still cameras

A

THe quality of traditional photos is better than digital photos

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18
Q

How does a laser printer work?

A

A rotating drum inside the printer is coated in a chemical which holds and electrical charge
The laser is reflected onto the drum via a rotating mirror
The laser neutralises the electric charge on the drum where the image should be black
Toner is given a positive charge and the drum picks up this toner
Drum is rolled onto the paper, the toner is transfered to the paper
The paper is heated to fuse the toner onto the paper.

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19
Q

How do you create a for loop in assembly?

A

First write down a word to bridge to
Then add #1 to a register
then do what you want to be looped
then compare the register to the number of times you want it looped + 1 and if they arent equal bridge to the word

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20
Q

What is the opcode?

A

The operation e.g. ADD, LDR

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21
Q

What is the Operand

A

THe data being used e.g. a number or an address

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22
Q

What is a low level langauge?

A

A language that is very similar (or based upon) the instruction set of the computer requiring very little translation

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23
Q

What is a high level language?

A

High level languages are similar to human language.

24
Q

What is the definition of an algorithm?

A

A series of instructions to solve a problem that always terminates

25
Q

What is the definition of encryption

A

Make a file not be able to be read without a key.

26
Q

What is a utility program

A

A prgram that helps manage the hardware i.e firewall

27
Q

What is a complier

A

Translates high level code all at once into machine code

28
Q

What is an interpreter?

A

Translates high level code line by line into machine code

29
Q

What does multi-core mean

A

A computer with more than one processor this increase system performance and the number of instructions executable per second

30
Q

What is cache memory

A

Temporary memory that is separate from main memory so it can be accessed quicker due to its closer proximity. Increasing cache is likely to increase system performance and the speed at which stuff can be accessed

31
Q

What is word length in terms of processor performance?

A

The number of bits in a binary word.

32
Q

What is bus width?

A

The number of signal wires allocated to the bus

33
Q

What impact would increasing the word length have on the processor performance?

A

The greater the number of operations and the larger the range of results

34
Q

What impact would increasing the data bus length have on the processor performance?

A

Increases the number of bits sent at once.

35
Q

What impact would increasing the address bus length have on the processor performance?

A

Increases the number of addressable memory locations

36
Q

What is recursion

A

THe process of a subroutine calling itself

37
Q

What is the control unit?

A

Fetches program instructions from meomory and decodes them one at a time

38
Q

What is the arithmetic and logic unit?

A

The ALU performs all arithmatic and logic functions

39
Q

What is a registeR?

A

Fast memory locations inside the processor

40
Q

What is the internal clock

A

Derives from system clock works to synchronise the components of the computer

41
Q

What are the internal buses

A

Several internal buses link all the components

42
Q

WHat does the program counter register do?

A

Points to the next instruction to be fetched

43
Q

What does the status register do?

A

Holds condition codes to indicate the outcome of operations

44
Q

What does the current instruction register do?

A

Holds the current instruction to be executed

45
Q

What does the memory address register do?

A

Holds the address of the memory being currently accessed

46
Q

What does the memory buffer register do?

A

Holds the data item currently being accessed

47
Q

Which bus can everything read and write to?

A

The control bus

48
Q

Which bus can only the processor write to?

A

The address bus

49
Q

Which bus do input devices usually only write to?

A

The data bus

50
Q

Which bus do output devices usually only read from?

A

The data bus

51
Q

Which bus can both the processor and the storage devices can read and write to?

A

The data bus

52
Q

What is an I/O controller?

A

An electric circuit that connects to a system bus and an I/O device and interfaces between them
Allows the processor to communicate with a peripheral without having to redesign the processor.

53
Q

What happens in the fetch stage of the fetch, decode and execute cycle?

A

Contents of the PC are transferred to the MAR
Address bus transfers this address to main memory, contents of the addressed memory transferred to the MBR via data bus.
At the same time, PC counter incremented by 1
Contents of the MBR transferred to the CIR

54
Q

What happens in the Decode stage of the fetch decode execute cycle?

A

Instruction held in CIR is split into opcode and operand and is decode by control unit

55
Q

What happens in the execute stage of the fetch decode execute

A

If necessary, data is fetched. Relevant part of processor executes instruction, status register is updated, result stored in accumulator.

Computer Science (6 decks)

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