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Resit notes > Hardware > Flashcards

Hardware Flashcards

1
Q

What factors can increase the performance of a computer system when running programs?

A
  1. Increase speed of processor (processor speed)

2. Decrease the time it takes for the process to access the stored program (access speed)

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2
Q

Why are computers struggling to perform at their highest?

A

The access speed cannot match the processor speed

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3
Q

State the usages of a computer

A
  1. Run programs

2. Store data

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4
Q

What factors impact the storing of data?

A
  1. Capacity

2. Cost

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5
Q

State what is meant by computer memory?

A

It is what the processor accesses directly, and is used to store files and data

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6
Q

List the different components of memory

A

Register, Cache Memory, Main Memory, Hard Disk, Auxiliary Storage

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7
Q

List the category for the register component

A

processor component

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8
Q

List the category for the cache memory and main memory

A

Primary storage

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9
Q

List the category for the hard disk and auxiliary

A

Secondary Storage

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10
Q

List the components in order (slowest to fastest) in terms of access time

A

Auxiliary, Hard Disk, Main Memory, Cache Memory, Registers

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11
Q

List the components in order of (smallest to largest) in terms of capacity

A

Register, Cache memory, Main memory, Hard disk, Auxiliary storage

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12
Q

List the components in order of (smallest to largest) in terms of size..

A

Auxiliary Storage, Hard Disk, Main memory, Cache memory, Register

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13
Q

Where are the registers contained?

A

in the processor

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14
Q

State what is meant by random access memory?

A

volatile memory that can be read from or written to any number of times

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15
Q

State what is meant by read only memory

A

non-volatile memory that cannot be written to but can be read from any number of devices

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16
Q

How is RAM accessed?

A

At any location independently of which previous location was used

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17
Q

State the two different types of RAM

A

SRAM and DRAM

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18
Q

How is DRAM constructed?

A

From capacitors which leak electricity and therefore need regularly recharging every 15 milliseconds to maintain the data stored.

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19
Q

How is SRAM constructed?

A

Using flip-flops which store data indefinitely while the computer system is turned on

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20
Q

State the differences between SRAM and DRAM

A
  1. SRAM has shorter access time than DRAM
  2. DRAM is less expensive to make
  3. DRAM can store more bits per chip
  4. DRAM requires less power to operate
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21
Q

How do computers use SRAM and DRAM together?

A

SRAM is used for cache memory, DRAM is used for main memory

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22
Q

State how ROM can be changed?

A

Through programmable methods (PROM); erased (EPROM); electricically charged (EEPROM)

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23
Q

When is PROM, EPROM, EEPROM done to ROM?

A

During manufacturer and installation of ROM

24
Q

State what is meant by a device driver

A

Software that allows hardware to operate effectively

25
Q

State what is meant be magnetic media

A

File storing technology

26
Q

Give examples of magnetic media

A

Magnetic tape, magnetic hard disk drive

27
Q

How does magnetic media interact?

A

Magnetic tape, magnetic hard disk drive

28
Q

Explain how read/write head works

A

Read head uses magnetisation which affects electrical properties.
Write head usesthe reverse law of read. The two heads are combined. 1 or 0 is used depending on magnetism state.

29
Q

Explain how the hard disk drive is constructed

A

Several platters.
Each platter has a read/write head for each side.
Platters spin in unison.
The read-write heads are attached to an actuator arm.
The actuator arm moves the heads over the surfaces of the platters.
The motion of the actuator heads are synchronised with the motion of the other heads.
Air cushion means head does not touch platter surface.

30
Q

How is data stored on a hard disk drive?

A

Concentric tracks which consist of a sequence of bits, which are formatted in sectors.
Each sector contains a defined number of bytes.
The sector becomes the smallest unit of storage.
To store a file, a number of sectors will need to be allocated, and these may not be next to each other

31
Q

How are sectors affected by creating/editing/deleting data?

A

The sectors become more fragmented which degrades the performance of the disk.

32
Q

What software program can help with hard disk fragmentation?

A

Disk Defragmentation - reorganises allocation of sectors

33
Q

What type of access does a hard drive have?

A

Direct access - read/write. Any sector can be chosen for reading/writing

34
Q

How is data read on a hard drive?

A

Sectors in sequential order

35
Q

What is an issue with hard drive performance for developers?

A

The physical length of a track increases from the innermost track to the outermost track - this means that data storage capacity will be less than its potential.
THe other issue is that storage capacity of disk drives continue to improve and sizes of hard drives shrink.

36
Q

Why would you need to remove a storage device from a computer?

A

For organisation security and the need for suitable back-up procedures.
For individuals it may be to store personal data/programs so you can use them anywhere or transfer them to another computer (i.e. sharing files from a USB flash drive to a computer with work on it).

37
Q

Give examples of different types of optical storage devices

A

CD, DVD, Blu-Ray, CD-RW, CD-R, DVD-R, DVD-RW

38
Q

What are the principles of operation for optical media?

A

The disc spins and the laser beam is reflected from a surface, sandwiched between a substrate and a protective outer coating.

39
Q

What are the principles of operation for CD-ROM?

A

The reflective surface uses lands and pits.
When the data is read, the laser beam travels differently to a pit which causes different reflections to lands. This is recognised by the photodiode detector and attached circuitry and interpreted as a 1 or 0.

40
Q

What is the storage capacity like for optical storage?

What is another name of solid state memory?

A

Flash Memory

41
Q

How is a flash drive/solid state constructed?

A

It is a semiconductor technology with no moving parts. The circuits consist of arrays and transistors which act as memory cells.
The most frequently used technology is called ‘NAND” as its circuits is like a NAND logic gate - and the memory cells are connected in series.

42
Q

What is the principles of operation for solid state?

A

Blocks of memory cells can have their contents erased all at once (flash!).
Data can be writtent o a block of cells in the memory the data in the block first has to be erased. When data is read, a whole block of data has to be read in operation.

43
Q

What is the future of solid state?

A

Now being used as solid state drives instead of hard drives.

44
Q

What is meant by a USB flash drive?

A

Flash memory that has a memory chip connected to a standard USB connector.

45
Q

What type of memory is solid state?

A

EEPROM - programmable for normal use

46
Q

What is the issue with displaying computer graphics as a print out?

A

A photograph has continuous colour tones, but a printer at any position on a page does halftoning - which is a technique that approximated a grey tone by printing an array of black dots; varying the size of the dots changed the tone displayed - human eye struggles to notice the individuals dots however

47
Q

State the 2 aspects of computer mouse technology

A
  1. Behaviour via a button

2. Operation of the mouse in controlling screen cursors

48
Q

State how a mouse influences the screen cursor position

A

It allows a relative movement to be recorded so that it can influence the screen cursor position

49
Q

How did a traditional computer mouse operate?

A

It had a rubber ball held in contact with 2 roller set perpendicular to each other. When the mouse moves, the rubber ball rotates causing 1 or both rollers to rotate. Each roller is attached to a spindle on which there is a disc with holes arranged around the outer edge. A light beam and detector are arranged so that the intermittent transmission of the light through the holes in the disc is recorded as the disc rotates and the circuitry attached to the pair of detectors then sends data to the computer to activate movement of the screen cursor

50
Q

How does an optical mouse operate?

A

The mouse shines a light beam from a light emitting diode down onto the surface the mouse is resting on. The light is reflected back onto a sensor fitted to the underside of the mouse. As the mouse is moved along the surface the sensor acts like a camera taking lots of images of the surface. Image processing software then interprets these images to establish the movement that has taken place and this data is transmitted to the computer

51
Q

What is a screen pixel made up of?

A

3 sub pixels Red Green Blue which has a varying amount of light emitted from the individual sub pixel allowing a full range of colours to be displayed

52
Q

How does a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) create pixels?

A

No individual components for a pixel. The inner surface of the screen is covered with phosphor which is a material that emits light when irradiated.
An individual pixel is created by controlling the direction of the electron beam irradiating the phosphor. This is modified for colour displays where individual red, green, and blue phosphers are arranged to create an array of pixels.

53
Q

How do plasma screens operate?

A

Has a construction of individual cells constituting a matrix of pixels. Each cell contains plasma and a phosphor. When an electrical charge is applied to the plasma it releases radiation that hits the phosphor and causes light emission. Each sub pixel (RGB) is a light source.

54
Q

How do LCD screens work?

A

Pixels are not a lightsource.
Screens have individual cells containing a liquid crystal to create the pixel matrix but these do not emit light. The pixel matrix is illuminated by a backlighting and each pixel can affect the transmission of the light to then display on screen.
The backlighting is provided by LEDs (light-emitting diodes). The important feature is the use of polarised light directed towards the pixel matrix and the use of a further poliariser between the pixel matrix and the screen. If a voltage is applied to an individual pixel cell the alignment of the liquid crystal molecules is affected and in turn this can change the polarisation of the light and therefore affect what is displayed on the screen.

55
Q

What is meant by projective capacitive touch?

A

It has a circuit below the screen which contains an array of capacitors. This enables multi touch

56
Q

What is the name of a traditional keyboard?

A

QWERTY keyboard

Resit notes (8 decks)

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