Computer Systems

Question 1

Application Software

Answer 1

Performs user oriented tasks

Question 2

System Software

Answer 2

Software used in mainting a computer system

Question 3

Types of system software: (4)

Answer 3

-Operating system
-Utility programs
-Library programs
-Translators

Question 4

Functions of operating system:

Answer 4

-Hide the complexities of the hardware from the user
-To handle interrupts
-To allocate processors to processes
-Memory management
-Manage power consumption
-Installation of new software

Question 5

Utility programs

Answer 5

Used for completing housekeeping tasks in a computer system. Such as data backup, defragmentation and encryption

Question 6

Library programs

Answer 6

Contain pre written code of frequently used functions by a program
e.g. NetFramework

Question 7

Translators

Answer 7

Pieces of software which translate between different types of languages

Question 8

3 types of translators

Answer 8

-Assembler
-Compiler
-Interpreter

Question 9

Portability of low level language

Answer 9

Not portable. Programs are written for specific hardware

Question 10

Portablility of high level language

Answer 10

Portable. Programs are not specific to any processor

Question 11

Impertive Language

Answer 11

Programming language built on the programming paradigm of using subroutines and procedures as instructions to change a program’s state and describe how a program operates

Question 12

Assembler

Answer 12

Translates assembly code into machine code. Assemblers are platform specific

Question 13

Compiler

Answer 13

Used to translate programs written in high level language into machine code. take a high level program as their source code, check it for any errors and then translate the entire program at once.

Question 14

Interpreter

Answer 14

Translates high level language into machine code line by line. Interpreters check for errors as they go, this means a program with errors can be partially translated up to an error

Question 15

Use of intermediate languages in compilers

Answer 15

Some complilers dont produce machine code straight away but rather translate it into an intermediate language, such as bytecode, which allows for platform inderpendence. Then use a virtual machine to exectute the bytecode on different processors. Each different processor instruction set will have its own virtual machine. Using an intermediate language allows the interpreter to translate the source code just once.

Question 16

Half adder

Answer 16

Logic circuit with two inputs, two outputs and two logic gates. The circuit can be used to add two boolean values

Question 17

Full Adder

Answer 17

Has three inputs and two outputs.

Question 18

Edge triggered D-type flip flop

Answer 18

Logic circuit which can be used as a memory unit for stroing the value of a single bit. Has two inputs, data and clock signal. There is one output, which always holds the value of the stored bit.