Untitled Flashcards Set

What is the 'brains' of the computer called?

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

What are the main components of a CPU?

Control Unit (CU), Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU), Registers.

Give three examples of registers.

IR (Instruction Register), PC (Program Counter), ACC (Accumulator).

How is processing speed measured?

In cycles per second (Hz), commonly expressed in gigahertz (GHz).

What is the base unit of storage space?

A bit; 8 bits make up one byte.

What is RAM?

Random Access Memory; temporary storage for data and instructions for currently running programs.

Explain the fetch-decode-execute cycle.

Instructions are fetched from RAM, decoded by the CPU, and then executed.

Give three examples of features of modern CPUs.

Multiple Cores, Cache, Turbo Boost.

What does a GPU do?

A Graphics Processing Unit renders 3D graphics and performs mathematical operations.

What is a bus?

A data highway connecting computer components; bus width affects data transfer speed.

Give two examples of types of disk-based storage.

Hard Disk Drive (HDD) and Blu-ray, DVD, CD.

What are the two main types of storage drives?

Solid-state drives (SSDs) and Hard disk drives (HDDs).

What are the different types of flash memory technology?

SLC, MLC, TLC, and QLC flash memory.

Give two examples of techniques used to extend the lifespan of flash memory.

Provisioning and Wear levelling.

Give three examples of types of flash-based storage.

USB 'thumb' drive, SSD, and SSHD.

How are display monitor sizes measured?

Measured diagonally in inches.

What does display resolution refer to?

Dimensions of the display, reported as '(number of pixels wide) x (number of pixels tall)'.

What are the two main types of panel technology used in displays?

Twisted Nematic (TN) and In Plane Switching (IPS).

Give an example of an input device, an example of an output device and an example of a hybrid device.

Input: Keyboard; Output: Monitor; Hybrid: Touchscreen.

What are the two main types of built-in touchscreens?

Resistive and Capacitive touchscreens.

What is an embedded system?

A computer that performs a limited range of functions as part of a larger system.

Give five examples of embedded systems.

Robots, Cars, Aircraft, Digital watches, Fitness trackers.

What are file allocation units?

Storage organized into units that cannot be divided, typically 4 KB in size.