componets of a computer system

What’s the purpose of a computer?

It takes data, processes it then outputs it

(Created to help complete tasks more efficiently than humans)

What’s hardware?

Physical stuff that makes up your computer

What’s softwear?

The programs or applications that the computer runs

General purpose vs dedicated systems (list their definitions)

• general purpose: designed to perform many tasks

• Dedicated systems: one peculiar function

What are embedded systems? &

• they are computers built into other devices (eg dishwashers)

• Usually dedicated systems

• Used as control systems: monitor & control machinery for desired result

what are the benefits of embedded systems?

Since they are dedicated to a single task, they are :

• easier to design

• Cheaper to make

• More efficient at doing task

List 3 system softwares

• encryption

• Compression

• Encryption

CPU full name & list it’s function

• brain of computer system

• Carries out instructions

• Fetch-execute cycle

What is CPU architecture? & list example

• main components of CPU & how they interact with each other

• Example: Avon Neumann

What are the components of the CPU?

• control unit

• Cache

• Registers

• ALU

Register function & characteristics

• def: holds tiny bits of data needed by the CPU

• Super quick to read/write to

List all registers in the CPU

• program counter

• MAR

• MDR

• accumulator

Function & full name of the CU

• control unit

• Mange the fetch-execute cycle

• Control flow of data inside CPU to registers

• & outside to main memory

Function & full name of the ALU

• arithmetic logic unit

• Does all calculations & makes decisions

• Contains accumulator

Function of the cache

• Provides fast access to frequently used instructions and data (memory) (in CPU)

• slower than registers & faster than RAM

• Low capacity & expensive

• Check cache first before RAM

• Located near CPU

What is the von Neumann’s architecture?

• where the CPU runs programs stored in memory

• Programs: instructions and data which are stored in memory addresses.

Function & full name of the PC

• program counter

• Register found in the CU

• hold address of the next instruction

Function & full name of the MAR

• memory address register

• holds address of where data or a CPU function needs to be fetched and stored

• Register

Function & full name of the MDR

• memory data register

• Holds actual data or instruction fetched from or written in memory

• Register

Function of the accumulator

• A register found in ALU

• Stores results of calculations

Explain the fetch-execute cycle

1. Copy memory address from the program counter to the MAR

2. Copy the instruction stored in the MAR address to the MDR (instruction gotten from RAM)

3. Increase the program counter to point to the address of the next instruction ready for next cycle

• The instruction in the MDR is decoded by the CU

• instruction in executed

what affects CPU performance?

• Clock speed

• Cache size

• Number of cores

What is clock speed?

• measured in hertz

• Number of cycles per second

• (Cycles = how many instructions can be fetched per sec)

What is core size & how does it affect CPU?

• Complete copy of CPU (registers, ALU, CU, etc)

• E.g Quad-core processor = 4 cores

• Doubling a number of course doesn’t double the overall speed (can carry out more instructions)

• CPU cores have to communicate with each other → takes time

• Many programs are not designed to use multiple cores

Full name & function of GUI

• graphics processing unit

• Handles graphic and image processing

• Integrated onto mother board

• (High end graphic card and improve performance in graphics intensive applications)