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Computers Flashcards

1
Q

Give examples of input devices

A

Keyboard
Mouse
Microphone
Camera

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2
Q

Give an example of a process

A

CPU

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3
Q

Give examples of an output

A

Monitor
Printer
Speakers

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4
Q

What is a computer

A

It is an electronic device that carries out logical operations on data and displays the results to the user

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5
Q

Why is the input-processing-output model important

A

All Morden computers function on the general model of input-process-output

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6
Q

What does the CPU stand for

A

Central processing unit

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7
Q

What is the job of the CPU

A

The central processing unit carries out all of the stored programs instructions

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8
Q

State the purpose of the CPU

A

The function of the CPU is to fetch and execute program instructions stored in memory

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9
Q

Give two examples of components of the CPU

A 
Control unit(CU)
Arithmetic logic unit(ALU)
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10
Q

What is the job of the CU

A

Controls all the other components of the CPU

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11
Q

What is the job of the ALU

A

Performs arithmetic and logical operations to carry out programs instructions

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12
Q

What one factor effects the performance of the CPU

A

The clock speed is one significant factor that affects the performance of the CPU

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13
Q

What other factors effect the performance of the cpu

A

Cache size, the number of cores and type of RAM and hard drive speed

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14
Q

Name the different Registers

A

Program counter
Memory data register
Accumulator
Memory address register

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15
Q

Are registers used in the fetch-decode-execute cycle

A

Yes they are

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16
Q

What is the function of the program counter

A

It holds the address of the next instruction to be fetched

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17
Q

What does the memory data register do (MDR)

A

A temporary store for anything copied from memory

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18
Q

What is the memory address register (MAR)

A

Holds the address of the memory location currently being read or written to

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19
Q

What is the job of the Accumulator

A

Stores the results of the calculations carried out by the ALU

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20
Q

List two registers of the cpu with the specific functions in the fetch-decode-execute cycle

A

Program counter

Memory address register

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21
Q

Describe the role of the control unit in the operation of the central processing unit

A

The CU coordinates the actions of the computer. The CU sends out control signals to other parts of the cpu and other components of the computer

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22
Q

Why does the CPU use the fetch-decode-execute

A

The cpu uses the fetch-Decode-execute cycle to carry our the program instructions

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23
Q

What does FDE stand for

A

Fetch decode execute

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24
Q

State what is done at each stage of the fetch-decode-execute

A

Fetch: the next instruction to be executed is transferred from the RAM to the CPU
Decode: the CU interprets the instruction
Execute: the CU then carries out the instruction, it instructs the ALU if calculations need to be performed

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25
What does RAM stand for and what is it’s job
Random access memory | This is where the computer stores data and instructions when an application is running
26
Give an advantage and disadvantage of the RAM
Data can be read from and written to the RAM | RAM is volatile- if you turn off the power, data in RAM is lost
27
What does ROM stand for and it’s job
Read only memory | Is used to store instructions that don’t need to be changed during normal use
28
Give an disadvantage and advantage of the ROM
Data can only be read from ROM | ROM is non-volatile it retains data even if the power is turned off
29
Describe the role of programs stored in ROM
Programs stored in ROM carry out specific tasks including initialising hardware components and starting the operating system when a computer is switched on
30
What is the difference between volatile and non-volatile memory
The content of non-volatile memory is not lost when the power is turned off whereas the content of volatile memory changes constantly whereas the content of non-volatile memory is fixed and cannot be altered
31
State which type memory of memory is used to store application data during execution
RAM
32
Explain the role of cache memory in a computer system
Cache memory is very fast memory usually within the process or itself
33
Give three examples of secondary storage
Magnetic discs Optical discs Solid-state
34
What is secondary sto
A secondary storage device is a non-volatile device that holds data until it is deleted or written
35
Why is secondary storage important
Because it can store data and programs permanently on the secondary storage devices
36
Why can’t the CPU access the secondary storage data
Because they need to be transferred to the memory
37
What can secondary storage also be useful for
It can also be used to transfer stored data between computers
38
What does the magnetic storage devices include
It includes a hard disc drives which can store large amounts of data
39
What do hard disc drives consist of
Hard disc drives consists of a stack of non-removable discs coated with magnetic materials
40
How does the magnetic disc work
The disc spins and read-write heads move across the discs
41
What does optical storage include
1) compact discs the store 700MB 2) digital versatile discs that store 4.7GB 3) Blu-ray discs that store up to 50GB
42
How is Digital data stored
Digital data is stored along the track by etching pits onto the surface of the discs
43
What is solid state memory made out of
NAND flash memory
44
How is data stored in magnetic hard drive
Hard disc drives use electromagnetism to store data magnetically on metal discs
45
How is data stored on a flash memory USB stick
Data is stored in flash memory by using electricity to change the state of the transistor it is made of
46
How is data in an Optical disc drive
DVDs use light produced by a loser to store data on the disc by changing its surface
47
What is solid state memory used for
Used for data storage in portable devices such as cameras and mobile phones
48
Stage one disadvantage of using flash memory
Flash memory is non-volatile storage that can be electrically erased and reprogrammed
49
Give examples of solid state memory
Solid-state drives Secure digital USB flash drives
50
What the components in the embedded system
They are on a single printed Circuit board: Processor Memory Input and output interfaces
51
What is an embedded system
It is a computer system built into another device in order to control it
52
What is a PCB
Is the base that supports the components that are soldered to it or fitted into sockets
53
Name devices with embedded systems
Washing machine Digital camera Microwave oven
54
Explain the role of embedded systems in real-time applications
Embedded systems ensures an immediate response in order for the system to react to different situations eg when the button is pressed on a camera
55
Explain one function of an embedded system on a washing machine
It monitors the water temperature so that it can turn the heating element on and off to maintain the correct temperature
56
What are embedded systems designed for
A specific function or a specific function within a larger system
57
What does an operating system do in a computer
1) manages users interactions through the user interface 2) manages peripheral devices 3) controls computing processes 4) allocates CPU and memory resources
58
What is cache(memory)
A cache memory is fast and relatively small memory, not visible to the software that is completely handled by the hardware that stores the most used main memory data
59
How does the cache affect the performance of the CPU
The cache speeds up the cpu by storing recently or frequently used instructions so that they do not have to be fetch ed from the main memory which is much slower
60
Name the special register
``` Accumulator Memory data register Memory address register Current instruction register Program counter ```
61
What special register that have a specific job in the cpu
Control unit | Arithmetic logic unit
62
What is core
1 core is a processing unit inside the cpu that can complete the FDE cycle
63
What is cache measured in
Cache is measured in hertz
64
What cache contain
It contains frequently used instructions and data
65
Does the speed of the cpu change when there are more cache
Yes, more cache you have the faster the instructions are performed
66
What is a register
A storage location inside the cpu used to hold on instructions

Computer Science (5 decks)

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