Section 3 Flashcards
What are the qualities of 2nd generation computers?
2nd generation used transistors which were more reliable and economical. It could maintain a state of “Off” or “On” represented by binary digits. They used less energy, were easier to move, and smaller. Used assembly languages that specified instructions with words
What are the qualities of 1st generation computers?
used vacuum tubes for circuitry and magnetic drums for memory. They often malfunctioned because of the excessive heat they generated. relied on machine languages, the lowest-level programming languages understood by computers.
What are qualities of 3rd generation computers?
invention of integrated circuits miniaturized transistors and placed them on silicon chips called semiconductors. computers used keyboards, monitors, and an OS so multiple applications could run at the same time
What are qualities of 4th generation computers?
microprocessors include thousands of integrated circuits on a single silicon chip. a significant reduction in processor size and increase in capabilities.
What are qualities of 5th generation computers?
will be able to respond to natural language input and are capable of learning. Quantum computing as well
What does the CPU do?
responsible for processing all information from programs run by computer
What does RAM do?
to temporarily store info created by programs and to do so in a way that makes data immediately accesible
What does a Hard Drive do?
a storage device that stores permanent and temporary data. they work by writing binary data onto magnetic disks called platters or by using static flash memory chips for SSDs
what does the GPU do?
processes graphics and 3D rendering
What is an Expansion Card for?
to add functionality to a computer system via the expansion bus
What is a computer system?
a combination of hardware, software, networking, and human components that function together
What 3 parts make up a CPU?
- the arithmetic logic unit (ALU), which contains circuitry that performs operations on data (such as addition and subtraction);
- the control unit, which contains the circuitry coordinating the machine’s activities; and
- the processor register, which contains data storage cells called registers.
how does a CPU control unit perform an operation on data stored in the main memory?
first it transfers the data from the main memory into the registers,
informs the ALU which registers hold the data,
activates the ALU, and
tells the ALU which register should receive the result.
What are the purposes of buses or bus lines on a motherboard?
they serve as electrical roadways transmitting information between the CPU and other components
What are the 3 different types of buses and what do they do?
address bus - carries the destination address of where the data is assigned to be processed
data bus - carries data between the processor, the memory unit, and the input/output devices
control bus - Carries control signals (commands) from the CPU (and status signals from devices); controls and coordinates all activities within the computer system
