Module Two: Hardware and Software (CSE 101)

Vocabulary flashcards covering hardware basics, memory, storage hierarchy, computer types, input/output devices, display technologies, and Python programming concepts.

CPU (Central Processing Unit)

The main processor that runs program instructions and coordinates hardware.

ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit)

Performs arithmetic and logic operations on binary integers.

Control Unit

Directs memory, ALU, and I/O devices to execute instructions.

RAM (Random Access Memory)

Volatile, temporary storage; data is lost when power is off.

HDD (Hard Disk Drive)

Non-volatile storage with spinning disks; cheaper, slower.

SSD (Solid-State Drive)

Non-volatile storage with no moving parts; faster, more expensive.

Cache

Small, fast memory for frequently accessed data to speed up access.

Keyboard

Input device for typing characters.

Monitor

Output device for displaying information.

Moore’s Law

Circuit capacity doubles roughly every 1.5–2 years due to shrinking transistors.

Integrated Circuits

Tiny networks of transistors on a chip enabling faster operation.

CPU Clock

Clock signal that synchronizes CPU operations; frequency in Hz.

1 GHz

One billion cycles per second; a measure of CPU speed.

Servers

Computers that provide data/services over a network, usually without peripherals.

PC (Personal Computer)

Laptops or desktops used by individuals.

Tablet

Portable, touch-based computer with a screen-dominant interface.

Smartphone

Pocket-sized mobile computer that runs apps.

Mainframe

Large centralized computer historically shared by many users.

Supercomputer

High-performance machine solving massive computations; trillions of instructions per second.

Input Devices

Devices that supply data to a computer (keyboard, mouse, touchscreen, microphone, scanner).

Output Devices

Devices that present data from a computer (monitor, printer, speakers, projector).

CRT

Cathode Ray Tube: older display tech using an electron gun.

LCD

Liquid Crystal Display: uses liquid crystals between polarizers.

Plasma Monitor

Display technology using thousands of tiny gas-filled cells.

Printer

Output device that produces hard copies of digital content.

Data Projector

Output device that projects computer images; can use LCD or DLP technology.

Speaker

Audio output device.

Server Farms

Large collections of servers located in distant facilities.

Multicore

CPU with more than one processing core on a single chip (e.g., dual-core, quad-core).

GPU

Graphics Processing Unit: specialized processor for fast graphics/video tasks.

Machine Language

Binary instructions executed directly by the CPU.

Assembly Language

Human-readable mnemonics that assemble to machine code.

High-Level Language

Abstract languages (Python, Java, C) compiled to machine code.

Python

High-level scripting language used for automation, web, AI, and more; easy to learn.

Variable

Named memory location that stores a value.

Comment

Notes in code ignored by the interpreter; start with #.

Loop

Control structure for repeating tasks (for/while).

input()

Python function to read user input as a string.

print()

Python function to display output; can join strings and variables.

int()

Python function to cast a value to an integer.

str()

Python function to cast a value to a string.

range(1, 10)

Python range object used in for loops to count from 1 to 9.

Newline escape \n

Escape sequence that inserts a line break in a string.

NameError

Error raised when a named identifier is not defined.

TypeError

Error raised when performing an operation on incompatible types.

Volatile Memory

RAM: loses data when power is removed.

Non-Volatile Memory

Storage like HDDs/SSDs that retains data without power.