Computer Structure Flashcards
What does CPU stand for?
Central Processing Unit
What is the CPU?
The CPU is the main component within a computer where instructions are processed and computations carried out.
How many parts make up the CPU?
3
What are the three parts that make up the CPU?
Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)
Control Unit
Registers
What does the ALU do?
- Carries out calculations
-Performs logical operations - Deals with comparisons
Control Unit
Make sure program instructions are carried out in the correct order
Makes sure all operations are carried out at the correct time
Sends out Control Signals
What are registers
Small and fast, temporary storage locations with in the processors.
What do registers store
Data being processed
Instructions being executed
Addresses to be accessed
Where are instructions to be executed stored?
memory (RAM), before executing an instruction it must be fetch it from memory
Where instructions held after being transferred from memory?
Instructions are held in registers.
What is the speed of a processor measured by?
Its internal clock. The control bus sends out a constant, steady clock pulse.
What is the typical computer speed?
3GHz
How many actions are carried out by the processor on each clock pulse?
1
More cores =
the more cores a cpu has the more it can be programmed to do at the same time
dual core =
2 cores
quad cores =
4 cores
RAM stands for
Random Access Memory
What does RAM do
store a program whilst it is running
data and instructions in RAM are held in storage locations
Each storage location has a unique address number to identify it
What happens to data in RAM when the computer is switched off?
It is lost
ROM
read only memory
What does ROM do?
Stores data permanently
data in ROM is not lost when the computer is switched off
ROM cannot be changed
How does data travel around a computer system?
On a bus
How many buses are in a computer system?
Address Bus
Data Bus
Control Bus
Address Bus
carries memory address from the cpu to main memory.
is unidirectional (only travel from cpu to memory.
lines on the address bus work together to produce a binary number
Data Bus
USed to transfer data to main memory from the CPU.
carries instructions and data to the CPU from main memory.
The data bus is bidirectional (Data travels in both directions).
Control bus
all lines work separately/
sends out control signals.
How many types of translator programs are there?
2
What are the names of the translator programs?
- Compiler
-Interpreter
What does a compiler do?
reads and translates each line of code in turn
stores translated code as object code in a separate file
object code is the executed one line at a time
code can be run without the compiler being present because it already contains translated code
Advantages of compiler
Translator software inly needed at time of compiling
Executes faster as object code has been created
Commands within a loop are translated once, improving efficiency
Disadvantages of Compilers
More difficult to fix errors. All error messages appear at once
Slow to compile as whole program is translated at once
What does an interpreter do
Reads, translates and executes each line of code in turn
Executed line of code is then forgotten so translation required for every execution
No object code file is created so interpreter is always required to execute program
Advantages of an interepter
easy to find errors
easy for learners to use
Disadvantages of interepter
Program must be translated every time it is executed - this makes execution slow
-interpreter is always resident in memory
-commands within a loop must be translated for every repetition of the loop
How many digits does binary use?
2- 1 and 0
1 is on
0 is off
8 bits = how many byte
1
1024 bytes is how many kilobytes
1
1024 kilobytes is how many megabytes
1
1024 gigbytes is how many terabytes
1
1024 gigbytes is how many terabytes
1
1024 terabytes is how many petabytes
1
To convert a small unit to a large unit
Divide
To convert a large unit to a small unit
Multiply
ASCIII stands for
America Standard Code for Information Interchange
How many ways can graphics be represented
2
What are the ways graphics can be represented
Bitmap & Vector
