Lecture 1 Flashcards
Memory vs Storage
Memory is what computer uses to store/stock data temporarily…!
•While;
•Storage is where you save/put documents/data permanently…!
How does a user and an ICT engineer measure performance
A user of a computer measures its performance based on the time taken to execute a given job (program). On the other hand, an ICT engineer measures the performance of his system by the total amount of work done in a given tim
What is a computer
A computer is a machine designed to process, store, and retrieve data.
How does a computer display an image in the screen
Displaying an image on a screen is accomplished by moving an array of numbers to the video memory, each number representing a pixel of colour.
How does a computer play an mp3 audio file
To play an MP3 audio file, the computer reads an array of numbers from disk and into memory, manipulates those numbers to convert the compressed audio data into raw audio data, and then outputs the new set of numbers (the raw audio data) to the audio chip.
Mention the components of a computer
Hardware
Software
Liveware
Describe live ware
It represents the people who operate and interact with the computer system. This part makes decisions on how applications best suit their interest.
Describe live ware
It represents the people who operate and interact with the computer system. This part makes decisions on how applications best suit their interest.
Describe firmware
Firmware is a software permanently stored in the computer.
•It provides basic machine instructions that allow the hardware to function and communicate with other software running on a device.
Firmware provides low-level control for a device’s hardware.
Describe Processors
is an electronic device capable of manipulating data (information) in a way specified by a sequence of instructions.
What is a micro processor
A microprocessor (CPU) is a processor implemented (usually) on a single, integrated circuit
What is a micro controller
A microcontroller is a processor, memory, and some I/O devices contained within a single, integrated circuit, and intended for use in embedded systems.
What is a micro controller
A microcontroller is a processor, memory, and some I/O devices contained within a single, integrated circuit, and intended for use in embedded systems.
Why is the memory of a computer never empty
It always contains something, whether it be instructions, meaningful data, or just the random garbage that appeared in the memory when the system is powered up.
What is language architecture
The interface between the application programs and a high level langauge
What is instruction set architecture
It defines the interface between the basic machine instructions set and the runitme and I/O control
A different definition of computer architecture is built on four basic view points. what are they?
The structure,
The organisation,
The implementation, and
The performance.
What is structure
The structure defines the interconnection of various hardware components.
What is organization
The organisation defines the dynamic interplay and management of the various components.
What is implementation
The implementation defines the detailed design of hardwarecomponents.
What is performance
The performance specifies the behaviour of the computer system
What is computer architecuture
Computer architecture is a term used to refer to the design and organisation of the components that make up the computer system.
It includes the structure, the functionality and the interconnections among the components of the computer.
Mention the types of computer architecutre
Von Neumann Architecture,
Harvard Architecture,
Modified Harvard Architecture, and
RISC & CISC Architectures.
Describe the Von Neumann Architecture
This is the traditional architecture that most computers follow since 1940s. It is named after its inventor John Von Neumann.
– It consists of a CPU, memory, input/output devices and a bus system for communication.
– It uses a sequential execution model where instructions and data are stored in the same memory.
Mention types of registers
Accumulator
Program Counter
Current Instruction Register
Memory Address Register
Memory Buffer Register
Describe accumulator
This is a very special register that is used as a temporary store and also accumulates intermediate results.
Describe program counter
All operations inside the CPU involve a fetch-decode-execute cycle being repeated over and over again. It is the job of the program counter to keep count of the place from which the next instruction is to be fetched.
When the instruction has been fetched, the PC automatically increases by one.
Describe CIR
An instruction register (IR) is the part of a CPU’s control unit that stores the instruction currently being executed or decoded.
When an instruction is fetched from the memory it has obviously got to be put somewhere and it is the job of the current instruction register to store this instruction.
Describe the Memory Address Register
This is a register that contains the address of the data that is being accessed in the main memory i.e. the address of the selected word in the memory.
Describe the Memory Data Register
This is the register that holds the contents of the last selected word read from, or written to the main memory.
Descrbie the Memory Buffer Registe
Memory Buffer Register stores instruction and data received from the memory and sent from the memory.
How is instructions and data stored in the Havard Architecute
The instructions and data have different memory spaces with separate address, data, and control buses for each memory space.
Mention key features of the von neumann archtiecture
A shared memory for storing both instructions and data. This allows for easier implementation and the possibility of self-modifying code.
A single data bus and a single address bus which means that instructions and data use the same communication path, resulting in the system fetching one item at a time.
A sequential execution model, in which instructions are executed one after another, in a linear fashion.
Pros of the harvard architecture
It allows for simultaneous access to both and this results in improved performance.
It also features increased security
Harvard Architecture is to implement microcontrollers andDigital SignalProcessors (DSPs), where speed and efficiency are crucial factors.
Describe the modified harvard architecute
This is a hybrid one, it combines features of both Von Neumann and Harvard Architectures.
It leads to the implementation cache memory for instructions and data, enhancing parallelism and performance.
It offers increased flexibility and are used as models for Modern processors, such as those found in personal computers and smartphone.
Describe the RISC architecutre
AReduced Instruction Set Computeris a type of microprocessor architecture that utilises a small, highly-optimised set of instructions rather than the highly-specialised set of instructions typically found in other architectures.
What is pipelining
Pipelining is a technique that allows for simultaneous execution of parts, or stages, of instructions to more efficiently process instructions
Describe Complex Instruction Set Computer
Complex Instruction Set Computer (CISC) processors, on the other hand, provide a larger and complex instruction set that encapsulates multiple operations in a single instruction, but potentially require longer processing time.
What is abus
A bus is a physical group of signal lines that have a related function.
Buses allow for the transfer of electrical signals between different parts of the computer system and thereby transfer information from one device to another.
What is a data bus
the data bus is the group of signal lines that carry data between the processor and the various subsystems that comprise the computer.
What is a width of bus
The “width” of a bus is the number of signal lines dedicated to transferring information.
What is address bus
The address bus carries the address, which points to the location in memory that the processor is attempting to access.
What is control bus
The Control bus - carries control signals from the processor to other components.
Mention the six basic types of access that a processor can perform with external chips
write data to memory
write data to an I/O device
read data from memory
read data from an I/O device
read instructions from memory
perform internal manipulation of data within the processor.
What is the formula for processor frequency
System bus frequency* multiplier
Mention the categories of processors
32 bit - x86
Hybrid - x86-64
64Fbit- x64 or IA64
What are interrupts
Interrupts (also known as traps or exceptions in some processors) are a technique of diverting the processor from the execution of the current program so that it may deal with some event that has occurred.
Mention the categories of interrupts
Hardware interrupts
Software interrupts
