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10B1/Cp > Hardware (Ch11) (M1) > Flashcards

Hardware (Ch11) (M1) Flashcards

1
Q

Define a computer system

A

A computer system is a device which can accept, process, and output data

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2
Q

What is hardware, and what are the three categories of hardware?

A

Hardware is anything you can physically touch on a computer system
They are divided into three categories: Input, output, storage devices

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3
Q

What is an embedded system?

A

An embedded system is a computer built within a larger device, designed to perform a specific task

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4
Q

Give 2 advantages of an embedded system

A

They are limited to a certain number of tasks so:
They are more reliable for long term use
They are easier to design
They are cheaper to produce than general systems

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5
Q

Give 2 examples of an embedded system

A

Examples of embedded systems:
Traffic lights
Domestic appliances
Factory equipment
Hosptial equipment
Kitchen appliances
Engine management

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6
Q

Give 2 examples of an input device

A

Examples of input devices:
Keyboard
Microphone
Mouse

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7
Q

Give 2 examples of an output device

A

Examples of output devices:
Screen
Speakers
Monitor
Printer

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8
Q

What is a general purpose system

A

A general purpose system is a computer built to perform a range of tasks, using a variety of software

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9
Q

Give 3 key characteristics of the Von Neumann Architecture

A

Key characteristics of the Von Neumann architecture:
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
Single Control Unit (CU)
Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)
Onboard cache
Internal clock

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10
Q

What is a bus?

A

A bus is a set of parallel wires connecting two or more independent components of a computer system in order to pass signals between them

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11
Q

What is the function of the control bus?

A

The control bus sends control signals along the control bus

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12
Q

What is the function of the address bus?

A

The address bus carries addresses from the processor to main memory or other

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13
Q

What is the function of the data bus?

A

The data bus carries data or instructions from main memory to the processor

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14
Q

What is the function of the clock?

A

The clock controls the speed of the computer by sending out a regular pulse or tick

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15
Q

Describe the relationship between clock frequency and heat generated

A

The higher the clock frequency, the more heat is generated from the CPU

The lower the clock frequency, the less heat is generated from the CPU

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16
Q

What is the function of the Control Unit?

A

The control unit sends control signals between the different internal components
It controls the way data moves around the CPU and it monitors the flow of data
It executes the instructions that are provided by the program

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17
Q

What is the function of the Arithmetic Logic Unit?

A

The Arithmetic Logic Unit performs arithmetic and logical operations

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18
Q

What is the function of the Accumulator?

A

The accumulator stores the results of previous calculations

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19
Q

What is the function of the Program Counter?

A

The program counter holds the location of the next instruction or data address in main memory

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20
Q

What is the function of the Memory Address Register

A

The Memory Address Register is where the contents of the CPU are copied and then transferred along the data bus

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21
Q

What is the function of the Memory Data Register?

A

Instructions and data brought from the Memory Address Register are placed in the Memory Data Register

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22
Q

What is the function of the Current Instruction Register?

A

The Current Instruction Register stores the instructions copied from the Memory Data Register

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23
Q

What is a register?

A

A register is a special type of memory within the CPU which can hold a very small amount of data temporarily while a software program is running in RAM

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24
Q

What are the three factors that affect CPU performance?

A

The three factors that affect CPU performance are:
Clock speed
Cache size
Number of cores

25
Q

What is clock speed?

A

Clock speed is the number of cycles per second

26
Q

What is the cache?

A

The cache is a temporary storage buffer between the CPU and RAM

27
Q

What is the function of the cache?

A

The cache stores instructions and data that are frequently used, have recently been used, or are about to be used

28
Q

What is a core?

A

A core is a complete copy of a CPU

29
Q

What happens if more cores are added?

A

Adding additional cores allows more tasks to be carried out simultaneously

30
Q

Define parallel processing

A

Parallel processing is where a single task is split into two or more parts and each part is processed at the same time

31
Q

Why does parallel processing not always double performance?

A

Parallel processing doesn’t always double performance because some programs are sequential and cannot easily be split into two parts

32
Q

Define overclocking

A

Overclocking is where the CPU clock can be increased beyond the normal design limit, to allow it to process more instructions per second

33
Q

Why is a good cooling system necessary when overclocking?

A

A good cooling system is necessary when overclocking because the CPU becomes very hot when running lots of instructions, and a cooling system will prevent it from overheating

34
Q

Give 3 features of RAM

A

Able to be read and written to
Volatile - loses memory when power is lost
Used to hold current data and instructions
Measured in gigabytes

35
Q

Give 3 features of ROM

A

Read only
Non-volatile - data is not lost when power is turned off
Used to hold basic computer hardware settings
Measured in megabytes

36
Q

Define volatile memory

A

Volatile memory loses its data once power to the memory chip is interrupted or lost

37
Q

When is virtual memory needed?

A

Virtual memory is needed when there is not enough physical RAM to store data

38
Q

What is disk thrashing?

A

Disk thrashing is frequently switching between RAM and virtual memory

39
Q

Why does the operating system swap programs in and out of RAM and virtual memory?

A

Because fetching data from Virtual Memory is much slower

40
Q

What are the three types of technology used for storage media?

A

There are three different types of technology used for storage media:
Magnetic storage
Optical storage
Solid State/Flash storage

41
Q

How does magnetic storage store data?

A

Magnetic storage uses tiny magnetic particles or ‘domains’ to store data.

42
Q

Give 1 example of magnetic storage

A

Examples of magnetic storage:
Hard disks
Magnetic tapes

43
Q

Give 2 advantages of magnetic storage

A

Huge storage capacity - measured in Terabytes (TB)
Cheapest out of the three storage technologies in terms of storage per gigabyte
Data can be stored for a long period of time

44
Q

Give 2 disadvantages of magnetic storage

A

Magnetic fields can corrupt or damage the stored data
Not as portable as other storage technology. It is physically larger.
Hard disks, for example, have moving mechanical parts which can be damaged or worn out over time
It is slower to access data from, than media when using flash technology

45
Q

How is optical storage stored?

A

A laser beam burns tiny dark pits onto the surface of an optical disk
A pit represents a data bit of 1, no pit (land) represents a data bit of 0.

46
Q

Give 2 examples of optical storage

A

Examples of optical storage:
CDs
DVDs
Blu-Ray disks

47
Q

Give 2 advantages of optical storage

A

Very portable method of storage, especially when compared to a hard disk
It is inexpensive when only a small amount of data needs to be stored
It is immune to magnetic fields, unlike magnetic media where the data can be damaged or corrupted

48
Q

Give 2 disadvantages of optical storage

A

The media is not as robust as magnetic or solid state alternatives
Disks can easily be scratched or broken
It is slower to write to, compared to other types of storage. It is also slower to access data from.
Although it is inexpensive for storing small amounts of data, the cost would be prohibitive for storing terabytes of data

49
Q

How is solid state/flash stored?

A

Solid state media holds data using electronic switches.
If the switch is open, it represents a 1. If the switch is closed, it represents a 0.

50
Q

Give 2 examples of solid state/flash storage

A

Examples of solid state/flash storage:
USB memory sticks
Solid State Drives (SSD)
SDHC memory cards (in cameras)

51
Q

Give 2 advantages of solid state/flash storage

A

It is very portable compared to other storage technologies
It is robust. There are no moving parts and it is therefore less likely to be damaged
It is faster to access the data from, compared to a magnetic hard disk

52
Q

Give 2 disadvantages of solid state/flash storage

A

SSDs are expensive, compared to an equivalent magnetic hard drive
Solid state storage has a limited number of erase/write cycles

53
Q

How is cloud storage stored?

A

Cloud storage is a service provided where your data is stored, managed, and backed up remotely by a specialist data centre.
When you want to gain access to your data, you connect to the servers over a network, such as the internet.

54
Q

Give 2 advantages of cloud storage

A

Additional storage is usually readily available (at a cost)
Can be cheaper because an organisation doesn’t need to invest in its own infrastructure
Can access data from anywhere with an internet conneciton, enabling mobile working and use of wireless devices

55
Q

Give 2 disadvantages of cloud storage

A

A constant internet connection is needed to access data
Reliant on a third party for security of data
Data is vulnerable to hacking and other threats

56
Q

Why can’t we use ROM to save files?

A

ROM is Read Only Memory, this means you cannot write data to it. Therefore, files cannot be saved using ROM.

57
Q

Why can’t we use RAM to save files?

A

Files can be saved to RAM, because you can write to it. However, as soon as the power is turned off, you will lose anything that is saved there.

58
Q

Define tertiary storage

A

Tertiary storage is the third storage level, just below secondary storage. It is used to store data that is rarely accessed.

10B1/Cp (13 decks)

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