Computer Science - Hardware Flashcards
Keywords for Computer Science
Computer architecture
The internal logical structure and organisation of computer hardware
Hardware
The physical items within a computer system (keyboard, mouse etc)
Binary
A system of numbers using only 0’s and 1’s (base 2)
Denary
A system of numbers using ten digits, 0 and 1-9 (also called base-10 system)
CPU
Central Processing Unit of the computer containing the control unit, ALU and cache memory
Control Unit
The control unit works with the CPU to control the flow of data within the system
ALU
The ALU performs all the arithmetic and logical operations within the CPU
RAM
Random Access Memory - Main memory of the a computer that stores data, applications and the operating system whilst in use. When the power is turned off RAM loses its data
Cache Memory
Special high speed memory used by a computer
Flash Memory
Solid-state memory used as low cost secondary storage in portable devices and as removable memory
Solid State
Technology based on electronics with no moving parts, for example transistors and capacitors as used in memory chips.
Secondary Storage
Non-volatile storage used to store programs and files that need to be kept even when the power is not on.
Fetch-execute cycle
This is the process of fetching the instgructions from memory, decoding them and then executing them so that the CPU performs continuously
ROM
Read Only Memory A store for data in a computer that cannot be overwritten. Data in ROM is always available and is not lost when the computer is turned off
Clock chip
The electronic device in a computer that controls the timing of signals
Bus
A part of the computer architecture that transfers data and signals between the components of the computer
Motherboard
The central printed circuit board (PCB) that holds the crucial components of the system
Dual-core / quad-core
A CPU with multiple processors
Bit
Binary digit 0 or 1
Byte
8 bits
Kilobyte
1024 bytes
Volatile
Data lost when there is no power
Non-volatile
Data retained even when the power is off
Virtual Memory
A section of the hard disk used as if it were RAM to supplement the amount of main memory available to the computer. Used when there is not enough main memory to run the programs required.
Logic Gates
A circuit that produces an out based on the inputs…
NOT
A logic gate that outputs the opposite value to the input
AND
A logic gate that outputs 1 if both inputs are 1
OR
A logic gate that outputs 1 if either or both of the two inputs are 1
