Fundamentals of Computer Systems

Question 1

Hardware

Answer 1

All of the electrical and electro-mechanical parts of a computer and its input and output storage devices as well as peripherals

Question 2

Software

Answer 2

All of the systems needed to make a computer function, all the collections of instructions/ programs that can be run and processed by a computer system

Question 3

System software

Answer 3

All of the software needed to run the computers hardware and application programs

Question 4

Operating system

Answer 4

A set of programmes that lie between applications software and the computer hardware like resource management

Question 5

Utility programs

Answer 5

Program made to perform a generic task that is routinely executed by user, related to analysing or configuring data ((de)compression, providing firewall, backing up files and encryption before data transmission)

Question 6

Libraries

Answer 6

ready-compiled programs that can be run when needed

Question 7

Translators

Answer 7

A program which converts code from one computer language to another

Question 8

compiler

Answer 8

A translator that converts high level language to machine code

Question 9

Interpreters

Answer 9

A translator which checks a source program for syntax errors line by line, translates it to machine code and executes the line

Question 10

Assembler

Answer 10

A translator in low level language which converts assembly language into machine code

Question 11

Low-level language

Answer 11

A programming language with little to no abstraction from a processor’s internal instruction set such as machine code or assembly language

Question 12

High-level language

Answer 12

A programming language with a strong abstraction from a processor’s internal instruction set that is much more human-readable with natural-language keywords

Question 13

Machine-code

Answer 13

A low level language written in binary which is directly understood by CPU

Question 14

Imperative language

Answer 14

A programming language built on the programming paradigm of using subroutines and procedures to change a program’S state and describe how the program operates

Question 15

General-purpose application software

Answer 15

word-processor, spreadsheet graphics package

Question 16

special-purpose

Answer 16

Performs a single task/set of task like fingerprint scanner. off-the-shelf or bespoke

Question 17

Resource management

Answer 17

The collective efficient management of the available hardware and software to optimise the performance of the computer system

Question 18

Scheduling

Answer 18

Allocating processor time to each applications to ensure processor time is used as efficiently as possible when multitasking

Question 19

Memory management

Answer 19

Manages memory used by the different applications running at once, uses virtual memory where hardware is used as an extension of memory

Question 20

Processor scheduling

Answer 20

Maximise throughout, be fair to all users in multi-user system, provide acceptable response times to all users, ensure hardware resources are kept as busy as possible

Question 21

Backing store management

Answer 21

when files and applications are loaded are they moved from backing storage into memory, backing store keeps a dictionary with where files are stored for quick accesing

Question 22

Peripheral management

Answer 22

Ensures that peripherals are allocated to processor without causing conflict

Question 23

Interrupt handling

Answer 23

Handles interrupt signal sent from software programs or peripherals to stop processing current list of instructions and what to do next

Question 24

Code names assembler

Answer 24

Input code is source code and the machine code output is called object code

Question 25

Bytcode

Answer 25

An intermediate instruction set used to write the final output of some compilers since it can be executed on any computer via a virtual machine

Question 26

Bytecode advantages

Answer 26

Platform independence and added layer of security

Question 27

Advantage compiler over interpreter

Answer 27

-object code can be saved on disk and run without the need to recompile, but if error discovered entire code needs to be recompiled
-object code executes faster than interpreted code
-the object code produced by a compiler can be distributed without having to have the compiler present
-object code more secure, needs a lot of reverse engineering to be read

Question 28

Interpreter advantages over compiler

Answer 28

-useful for program development as there is no need for lengthy recompilation each time an error is discovered
-easier to partially test and debug programs

Question 29

NOT

Answer 29

inverts input, symbol is triangle with little circle after, in boolean algebra a overbar

Question 30

AND

Answer 30

Symbol: round tip straight line in back, boolean algebra: fat dot, output true only if both inputs true

Question 31

OR

Answer 31

Sharp tip and curved line at back, output true if either input or both inputs true, boolean algebra symbol +

Question 32

XOR

Answer 32

Symbol is like OR gate with extra curved line infront, only true if wither input is true but not both, boolean algebra symbol + in circle

Question 33

NAND gate

Answer 33

Same symbol as and gate with circle infront, true for all except both inputs true, boolean algebra symbol like AND with overhead bar over the two inputs AND together

Question 34

NOR Gate

Answer 34

Same symbol as or gate with circle input and same boolean algebra symbol as OR with overhead bar overtop, true only if neither input true

Question 35

Boolean expression

Answer 35

A combination of boolean variables and logical operators which evaluates either TRUE or FALSE depending on the input

Question 36

Boolean Logic

Answer 36

A type of algebra with logical operators where all values and expressions ultimately reduce to TRUE or FALSE

Question 37

General rules

Answer 37

X.0 = 0
X+0 = X
X.1 = X
X+1 = 1
X.X= X
X+X = X
X.[X] = 0
X+[X] = 1
[[X]]= X
where im using [] to represent not

Question 38

commutative rules

Answer 38

X.Y = Y.X
X+Y = Y+X

Question 39

Associative rules

Answer 39

X.(Y.Z) = (X.Y).Z
X+(Y+Z) = (X+Y)+Z

Question 40

distributive rules

Answer 40

X.(Y+Z) = X.Y + X.Z
(X+Y).(W+Z) = X.W + X.Z + Y.W + Y.Z

Question 41

Absorption rule

Answer 41

X+(X.Y) = X
X.(X+Y) = X

Question 42

De Morgans Laws

Answer 42

[A.B] = [A]+[B]
[A+B] = [A].[B]