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computer science: paper 1 > components of a computer system > Flashcards

components of a computer system Flashcards

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1
Q

what happens in the fetch?

A

-copy mem. add. from PC to the MAR
-copy instruc. stored in MAR to MDR
-increment PC to point to the add. of next instruc. ready for next cycle

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2
Q

what is a processors clock speed?

A

how many instructions can be carried out per unit time (on a single individual core)
the speed at which the FDE cycle happens
-measure in Hz, 1 cycle per second

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3
Q

purpose of an electronic computer:

A

-takes input
-processes data
-delivers output

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4
Q

purpose of ALU (arithmetic logic unit)

A

performs calcs and logical decisions

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5
Q

Control Unit (CU) purpose:

A

decodes instructions
sends signals to control how data moves around CPU & memory to execute those instructions

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6
Q

what is cache?

A

-store of temp data
-provides fast access to frequently used instructions and data

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7
Q

what are registers:

A

tiny, super fast pieces of onboard memory inside CPU designed to hold temporary data during FDE cycle

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8
Q

components in a VNa (von neumann architecture)

A

-control unit (CU)
-ALU
-Memory Unit (RAM)
-inputs and outputs

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9
Q

what registers does a von neumann contain:

A

-program counter (PC)
-memory address register (MAR)
-memory data register (MDR)
-accumulator

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10
Q

what is the decode:

A

-instruction in MDR decoded by CU
-CU may then prepare for next step eg. by loading values into MAR or MDR

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11
Q

what is execute:
-eg. of what it may execute

A

-instruction performed. could be: write data to mem, load data from mem, halt program etc.

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12
Q

what is cache

A

-very fast memory in CPU, slower than registers but faster than RAM

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13
Q

characteristics that affect performance:

A

-clock speed
one GHz= 1 billion Hz instructions per sec

-cache size

-no. of cores
cores are complete copies of the CPU

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14
Q

what are embedded systems?
-advantages?

A

computer system built into another device

-easier to design, cheaper, more efficient at doing their task than general purpose comps

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15
Q

what is primary storage?

A

-RAM, ROM, registers and cache

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16
Q

why is sec storage needed?

A

-because ROM is read-only and RAM is volatile

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17
Q

uses of sec storage?

A

-storage of data and programs when power is off
-archiving files
-semi permanent storage of data that can change
-backup files

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18
Q

what is the role of a program counter

A

-holds memory address of the instruction for each cycle

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19
Q

-program counter (PC):

A

stores the memory address of the next instruction in program to be executed
-once fetched, contents incremented by 1 so it can point to next instruction

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20
Q

-memory address register (MAR):

A

holds address of where data is to be fetched or stored

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21
Q

-memory data register (MDR):

A

holds the data fetched from, or to be written to memory

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22
Q

-accumulator:

A

holds results of calculations by ALU and and value of inputs and outputs to and from CPU

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23
Q

how to work out text file size

A

bits per character x no. of characters

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24
Q

bits to bytes

A

/ by 8

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25
Q

work out image file size

A

colour depth x image height x image width

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26
Q

bytes to KB

A

/ by 1000

27
Q

sound file size calculation

A

sample rate (Hz) X duration (s) x bit depth x no. of channels

28
Q

what can you do if you run out of main memory

A

Purchase more RAM
Virtual memory
Terminate processes (close programs)

29
Q

common units of storage:

A

Bit 1 or 0
Byte 8 bits
Kilobyte (KB) (1000 bytes).
Megabyte (MB) (1000 KB).
Gigabyte (GB) (1000 MB).
Terabyte (TB) (1000 GB).
Petabyte (1,000 TB).

30
Q

features of solid state drive

A
  • medium storage capacity
  • very quick to access data
  • no moving parts, very reliable
  • no noise
  • low power
  • no need to be defragmented
  • limited number of read/write cycles
  • expensive compared to other storage
31
Q

define drive & media

A

drive: the device that reads and writes data from sec storage
media: what the data is actually stored on

32
Q

features of optical disks

A
  • low capacity compared to other types of storage
  • slow to access data
  • thin, lightweight and portable
33
Q

magnetic hard disk features

A
  • high storage capacity
  • quick to access data
  • has moving parts, which will eventually fail
  • hard disks perform better if they are defragmented
34
Q

requirement of deciding for storage device

A
  • capacity
  • speed
  • portability
  • durability (in terms of will it get damaged by shocks, scratches etc.)
  • reliability (in terms of how many times can it be used)
  • cost
35
Q

suitability of optical storage

A

suitable for:
- read only data distribution on a large scale
- small capacity situations

36
Q

suitability of magnetic storage

A

suitable for:
- when very high data capacity is required
- fast access to data
- low cost situations
- cloud storage on server farms

37
Q

suitability of solid state storage

A

suitable for:
- low power, small embedded systems
- rugged applications: portable devices
- small to medium data capacity requirements
- silent operation
- very fast access to data
- situations where the device needs to be small and lightweight

38
Q

examples of optical storage

A

CD (700 MB), DVD (4.7 GB), Blu-Ray (25 GB)

39
Q

examples of magnetic storage

A

hard disk drive
magnetic tapes

40
Q

examples of solid state storage

A

solid state drive
memory sticks
flash memory cards

41
Q

why using a CPU with a large cache capacity may increase CPU performance

A
  • cache is much faster than RAM
  • larger the cache, the more data can be stored for quick access by the CPU
    thus, better performance
42
Q

explain the difference in improving performance of CPU by increasing clock speed and increasing no. of cores

A

-inc. clock speed:
more instructions can be carried out per unit time on each individual core

-inc. no. of cores:
more instructions can be run simultaneously

43
Q

benefits of increasing core count

A

-better running multi-thread processes
-more instructions executed simultaneously

44
Q

benefits of increasing RAM

A

-allows more programs to be opened at same time
-less likely to need to use virtual memory

45
Q

differences betw an embedded system and a smartphone

A

EM: computer built into an electronic device
SM: the computer is the entire device

SM: built on open operating-systems, making them general purpose devices eg. Word

EM: limited RAM
SM: many have desktop-computer level RAM capacity

46
Q

significance of fe cycle in von - neumann architecture

A

-program/instructions stored in primary mem
-instructions can be copied into CPU before they can be executed

47
Q

Pros and cons of magnetic storage
suitable uses

A

pros
- cheaper per GB
- can have high capacity (cheaper)

cons
- slower read write speeds
- higher energy usage

uses
- main secondary storage on cheaper PC’s (HDD)
- incremental server backups (HDD)
- long term backups (tape)

48
Q

Pros and cons of solid state storage
suitable uses

A

pros
- faster read write speeds
- lower power consumption
- higher capacity (at a price)

cons
- more expensive per GB

uses
- transferable media (SD card, USB, flash device)
- main secondary storage on more expensive PC’s where speed is critical (SSD)

49
Q

Pros and cons of optical storage
suitable uses

A

pros
- thinner media

cons
- more expensive per GB
- media easily damaged
- r/w units become harder to find

uses
- distribution of data in magazines
- distribution of media (DVD, CD, Blu Ray)

50
Q

what is a character set

A

set of all characters
recognizable by a processor

51
Q

difference between Unicode and ASCII

A
  • unicode is made up of more bits per character
  • unicode has more unique values
52
Q

define resolution

A

Number of pixels (in an image)

53
Q

describe the FDE cycle

A

Fetch
- copy mem address from PC to the MAR
- copy instructions stored in the MAR to the MDR
- increment PC to point to the address of next instruction ready for the next cycle

Decode
- instructions in the MDR decoded by the CU
- CU then repairs for next step eg, by loading values into the MDR or MAR

Execute
- instruction performed

54
Q

purpose of operating system

A

provides a platform on which users can run applications

55
Q

purpose of utility software

A

used to maintain the computer system

56
Q

the two types of system software

A

operating systems
utility software

57
Q

feature of GUI (graphical user input)

A

-windows, icons, menus, pointers (WIMP)
-visual
-interactive
-intuitive
-optimised for mouse and touch gesture inputs

58
Q

features if CLI (command line interface)

A

-text based
-less resource heavy than GUI
-more commands than GUI
-efficient
-for advance users
-useful for automating processes w/ scripts

59
Q

features of a MI (menu interface)

A

-successive menus presented to user
-single options chosen at e/ stage
-often w/ buttons on a keypad

60
Q

features of NLI (natural language interface)

A

-responds to spoken language
-not always reliable
-getting better

61
Q

multitasking in computing

A

-run multiple applications at same time by giving each a small time-slice of processor time
-allows more than one program to be held in memory at a time, data shared betw/ them

62
Q

memory management in computing

A

-when programs loaded, OS decides where they’re held in memory
-as programs closed and and loaded, memory becomes fragmented as they used diff amounts of memory
-when memory full, OS uses virtual memory

63
Q

device drivers functions

A

Translates OS instruction into commands hardware will understand
-each peripheral needs device driver
-many already built into OS

64
Q

Ways to make use of file management facility:

A

 He can place his files into folders/directories
 He can (re)name files/folders
 He can move his files/folders
 He can delete his files/folders
 He can search for files
 He can create files/folders
 He can open files/folders

computer science: paper 1 (4 decks)

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