Computing Systems Flashcards
In what order does the integer to binary conversion table go?
128 - 64 - 32 - 16 - 8 - 4 - 2 - 1
How many bits does extended Ascii use to store characters?
8 bits
What is a printable character?
Any character that can be displayed on the screen (!, #, A, @)
What is a control character?
A character that tells the computer to do something. (tab, enter, escape, home, page up, page down)
How are Bit-Map graphics stored?
As a 2D array of pixels.
How are vector graphics stored?
Stored as a set of objects in the computers memory. Each object is stored as a set of attributes.
What are the 4 objects I need to know?
Rectangle, Ellipse, Line, Polygon
What are the 3 Attributes of objects I need to know?
Co-ordinates, Fill colour, Line colour
What 4 things does the CPU contain?
ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit), Registers, Control Unit and the Memory Unit.
What does the Control Unit do?
Controls the other components in the computer and tells them what to do.
What does the ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit) do?
Calculate any arithmetic or evalulate a logic operation.
What do the Registers do?
They are a small, temporary, storage unit used to store data for the CPU.
What does the Memory Unit contain?
RAM (Random access memory) & ROM (Read-only Memory)
What is RAM used for?
Used to store the instructions/data of any currently running programs.
How is data stored in RAM?
In memory locations in RAM using a unique address.
What is ROM used for?
Used to store things the computer should not forget (where to load OS from)
Can instructions in RAM be deleted/edited?
Yes
Can instructions in ROM be changed/edited?
No
What is the Address Bus?
The address bus is a uni-directional bus that transfers the address (location) of the data the CPU wants to access from the CPU to the RAM.
What is the Data Bus?
The data bus is a bi-directional bus that transfers data between the CPU and RAM.
What is a Translator used for?
Used to run programs created by Humans by converting High-Level Language to Low-Level language.
What is an interpreter?
An interpreter is a translator that converts high-level language line by line into a low-level language, as the program is running.
What are the Two Advantages of interpreters?
Used during development as they are quicker at running programs. Easy to locate errors as it highlights which line(s) cause the program to fail.
What are the two disadvantages of interpreters?
Run time is slower, interpreters uses up some memory.
