week 1 and 2 (introduction and hardware) Flashcards
What is the main difference between data and information?
Data is raw facts, while information is processed and meaningful data.
What is a computer?
A computer is something that uses a program and internal data
to transform input into an output
What is computer architecture?
The design and organization of a computer’s fundamental components, focusing on what the computer does.
What is computer organization?
The physical implementation and operational structure of the computer, focusing on how the computer does it.
What is Von Neumann Architecture?
A stored program architecture where memory contains both data and instructions, and execution follows the fetch-execute cycle.
List the steps of the Von Neumann Execution Cycle.
Fetch instruction, decode instruction, fetch operands, execute instruction, store result, advance instruction pointer.
What is a CPU?
The Central Processing Unit, hardware in the computer that carries out the instructions of a computer program.
What is a register?
A small amount of memory available as part of a CPU, used for temporary data storage and instructions.
What is cache memory?
Memory on a processor used to reduce the average time to access data from main memory, storing frequently used data.
Describe the memory hierarchy from slowest to fastest.
Secondary memory, main memory, cache memory, registers.
What is main memory?
An array of addressable, fixed-length memory locations that is volatile and resets when the computer is turned off.
What is secondary memory?
Non-volatile storage used for long-term data storage with slower access times but larger capacity.
What is the role of a bus in a computer?
A communication system that transfers data between components in a computer, including control and data lines.
What is the difference between polling and interrupts?
Polling involves continuously checking the status of a device, while interrupts signal the CPU when immediate attention is needed.
What are the key features of the Mechanical Era?
Inventions like the mechanical calculator and punch cards for processing and storing data.
Who was Ada Lovelace?
The world’s first programmer, who created a program for Charles Babbage’s theoretical Analytical Engine.
What are the characteristics of the Transistor Era?
Replacement of vacuum tubes with transistors, introduction of assembly language, and batch systems.
What advancements occurred during the Integrated Circuit Era?
Development of operating systems, multiprogramming, and timesharing.
What defines the Mobile Era?
Smaller, less powerful devices with real-time operating systems and architecture similar to desktops.
What is virtual computing?
The use of virtual machines to simulate hardware and provide flexible, scalable computing resources.
What is an operating system?
Software that manages hardware and software resources and provides common services for computer programs.
What is time multiplexing in an OS?
Allocating time slots to different processes based on priority, enabling multitasking.
What is space multiplexing in an OS?
Dividing a resource into segments for simultaneous use by multiple processes.
