Computer Studies Part II — Comprehensive Lecture Review

Flashcards covering fundamental computer concepts, hardware, software, programming logic, and specialized IT fields based on the curriculum transcript.

Processing Phase

The phase during which the CPU interprets and executes operations based on program instructions, including arithmetic, logical, and data-movement tasks.

RAM

Random Access Memory; a type of volatile memory used for temporary storage of data and instructions currently in use by the CPU.

Supercomputer

High-performance computers, such as Frontier, used for large-scale scientific computations like weather forecasting and nuclear simulations.

ROM

Read-Only Memory; non-volatile memory that stores data permanently, including firmware like BIOS/UEFI needed for booting.

Integrated Circuits (ICs)

Electronic components introduced in the third generation of computers (1964–1971) that miniaturized electronics.

Versatility

The ability of a computer to perform a wide range of activities and switch between different tasks using different software on the same hardware.

Embedded computers

Purpose-built computers optimized to perform specific, dedicated tasks within a larger system, such as a washing machine's microcontroller.

Vacuum tubes

Components used in first-generation computers that were room-sized, generated excessive heat, and required constant maintenance.

ALU

Arithmetic and Logic Unit; the computational engine of the CPU responsible for performing mathematical operations and logical comparisons.

PS/2 port

A type of port introduced by IBM in 1987 used for connecting a mouse (green) and keyboard (purple).

Primary memory

Memory like RAM, ROM, and cache that is directly accessible by the CPU at high speeds measured in nanoseconds.

Secondary memory

Non-volatile storage devices (HDD, SSD, USB drives) that are not directly accessible by the CPU and require data to be loaded into primary memory first.

Plug and Play (PnP)

Technology that allows an Operating System to automatically detect and configure newly connected devices without manual driver installation.

Cache memory

Memory located closer to the CPU than RAM that stores frequently accessed data to reduce retrieval times and minimize bus bottlenecks.

Ergonomics

The science of designing equipment, such as curved keyboards and adjustable chairs, to optimize productivity and minimize physical discomfort or injury.

Surge suppressor

A device that protects computers from irregular power supply by absorbing voltage spikes.

Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)

A device containing a battery that provides emergency power backup and conditions power by filtering surges and sags.

Electrostatic discharge (ESD)

The rapid release of static electricity when two objects come into contact, which can damage sensitive computer components at even $100 \text{ volts}$.

Backup

The practice of storing duplicate copies of data files separately from the original to allow restoration in case of loss.

Firmware

Low-level software permanently stored in ROM or flash memory that controls hardware, with the BIOS being a standard example.

Open-source software (OSS)

Software whose source code is publicly available for anyone to study, modify, and redistribute, such as Linux or LibreOffice.

Optimize Drives

The Windows tool used for disk defragmentation on HDDs and TRIM optimization on SSDs.

Disk partition

A logical division of a physical disk into separate sections that appear as independent drives to improve organization and security.

Bespoke software

Custom-made software designed to exactly match an organization's unique processes and workflows.

Bit

A binary digit; the most fundamental unit of digital information representing a value of 0 or 1.

Byte

A standard unit of digital information consisting of $8 \text{ bits}$, capable of representing $256$ different values.

Most Significant Bit (MSB)

The leftmost bit in a binary number which represents the highest positional value or indicates the sign in signed representations.

NOT gate

A logic gate (inverter) that produces the logical complement of its input; $A = 0 \rightarrow Y = 1$.

Idempotent law

A Boolean algebra law stating that OR-ing or AND-ing a variable with itself returns the same variable: $A + A = A$ and $A \times A = A$.

Universal gates

NAND and NOR gates, so named because they can be used to replicate the functions of any other logic gate circuit.

De Morgan's First Law

A fundamental logic law stating that the negation of a conjunction equals the disjunction of the negations: $\neg(A \text{ AND } B) = \neg A \text{ OR } \neg B$.

XOR gate

Exclusive OR; a logic gate where the output is 1 only when the inputs are different.

Traceability

The ability to follow an algorithm's design steps back to specific user requirements or system specifications.

Pseudocode

An informal, language-agnostic description of an algorithm used to bridge the gap between human thinking and actual code.

Assembly

A second-generation programming language that uses mnemonics like MOV and ADD, sitting between machine code and high-level languages.

Compiler

A tool that translates an entire high-level source program into machine code or intermediate code before execution.

Structured programming

A programming paradigm that eliminates GOTO statements in favor of sequence, selection, and iteration to improve maintainability.

Preprocessor directive

In C++, instructions starting with the # symbol that are processed before compilation, such as #include and #define.

Stream insertion operator

The operator in C++ ($<<$) used to send data to an output stream like cout.

Modulo operator

The C++ operator ($\%$) that returns the remainder of integer division, such as $5 \% 2 = 1$.

Ternary operator

A conditional operator ($? :$) taking three operands that serves as a shorthand for an if-else statement.

Scope resolution operator

The C++ operator ($::$) used to access global variables, namespace members, or define class functions outside the class.

Kernel mode

A privileged execution mode for the OS that allows unrestricted access to all hardware, memory, and CPU instructions.

XHTML

Extensible HTML; a reformulation of HTML as XML that enforces strict syntax rules like mandatory tag closing.

Qi

The global standard for wireless (inductive) charging in portable devices using electromagnetic induction.

eSIM

An embedded, programmable SIM chip soldered to a device's motherboard that can be provisioned digitally without physical swapping.

Node

A structure in a linked list that contains a data field and a pointer to the next element in the list.

DNS

Domain Name System; the internet's system for translating human-readable domain names into IP addresses for routing.

SQL

Structured Query Language; a standardized language used for managing and querying data in relational databases.

CIA Triad

The three primary goals of computer security: Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability.

Denial-of-Service (DoS)

A security attack that floods a system with repeated requests to overwhelm resources and prevent legitimate user access.

Encapsulation

The Object-Oriented Programming principle of binding data and functions together in a class and restricting direct access to internal data.