Computer Systems and CPU Flashcards
Name input devices
Keyboard Mouse Touch Screen Microphone Heat Sensor
Name output devices
Monitor
Printer
Speakers
LED light
What is a data bus
It carries the actual data around the system. Each wire or track carries a single data bit
What is an address bus
It carries information on where the data needs to go or come from
What is a control bus
This carries signals around the system to control various components such as the DVD drive or HDD
What is an embedded system
It is a designed system to perform a specific task e.g Traffic lights or lift or DVD player
Describe the CPU
it is often described as the ‘brain’ of the computer
What does the CPU do
It fetches instructions form RAM and it decodes the instructions and given to a computer program
What are the 3 sections of the CPU
Registers, arithmetic logic unit (ALU) and control unit
What does the arithmetic logic unit do
Arithmetic operation -
performs standard arithmetic such as subtraction or addition
Logic Operation - It deals with logic and comparisons such as ‘if this value grater than that value the answer is always ‘true’ or ‘false’
What does the control unit do
- Controls the way the data moves around the CPU]
- It controls the flow of data between the CPU and other components
- It executes the instructions provided by the program
What do the registers do
It holds the data value e.g 8 bit CPU has 8 bit registers. They also hold temporary data while the software program is running
How does cache work
it has levels 1-3, 1 being the fastest but being smaller. level 2 is slower but bigger and level 3 is the slowest but the largest
What factors determine the performance of a CPU
clock speed, cores, cache and size of RAM
What is the process called where you can run a CPU faster than its normal design
Overclocking but you will need more cooling items
