Untitled Flashcards Set

Here are some flashcards based on the information from the sources you provided:

Flashcard 1

Front: What is the "brains" of the computer called?

Back: Central Processing Unit (CPU)

Flashcard 2

Front: What are the main components of a CPU?

Back:

• Control Unit (CU) - coordinates the flow of instructions and data.

• Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) - performs arithmetic, logical, and bit manipulation operations.

• Registers - store values, such as operands, results of operations, and memory addresses.

Flashcard 3

Front: Give three examples of registers.

Back:

• IR (Instruction Register): Contains the instruction being executed.

• PC (Program Counter): Contains the address of the next instruction to be executed.

• ACC (Accumulator): Holds the results of operations.

Flashcard 4

Front: How is processing speed measured?

Back: Processing speed is measured in cycles per second (Hz). The base unit is Hz, which stands for Hertz, but in contemporary computing, we use gigahertz (GHz) as it represents a larger magnitude.

Flashcard 5

Front: What is the base unit of storage space?

Back: The base unit is a bit. Data is represented in bits, and 8 bits make up one byte.

Flashcard 6

Front: What is RAM?

Back: RAM (Random Access Memory) is also known as main memory or dynamic random access memory (DRAM). It is a collection of temporary storage locations that each have a unique physical address. It is used to store data and instructions for currently running programs. RAM is volatile, meaning contents are erased once the device is powered off.

Flashcard 7

Front: Explain the fetch-decode-execute cycle.

Back: This is the cycle in which instructions are carried out by the CPU. First, instructions are fetched from RAM, then they are decoded by the CPU, and then the CPU executes them. Then the cycle repeats.

Flashcard 8

Front: Give three examples of features of modern CPUs.

Back:

• Multiple Cores: Each core has its own CU, ALU and registers (some components may be shared), allowing them to run a separate thread of program execution.

• Cache: Cache is temporary storage for recently or frequently accessed data and is faster to access than main memory.

• Turbo Boost: Turbo Boost allows the CPU to increase the processing speed of one or more cores by disabling other cores to ensure stable operation.

Flashcard 9

Front: What does a GPU do?

Back: A Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) is a processor that specialises in rendering 3D graphics. It does this by performing mathematical operations on matrices and vectors. They are not just used for video games but also for 3D effects, image and video editing and encoding, CAD, visualising large data sets, machine learning, and medical imaging.

Flashcard 10

Front: What is a bus?

Back: A bus is like a data highway that connects computer components. The bus width is the number of bits that a bus can transfer simultaneously. The wider the bus, the faster data can be transferred. For example, the CPU-RAM bus has a bus width that is a multiple of word length (64 bits or more) plus additional bits for error detection.

Flashcard 11

Front: Give two examples of types of disk-based storage.

Back:

• Hard Disk Drive (HDD): mechanical drive with spinning magnetic disks.

• Blu-ray, DVD and CD: optical drives that use lasers to read data from disks.

Flashcard 12

Front: What are the two main types of storage drives?

Back:

• Solid-state drives (SSDs) - these use flash memory, which means there are no moving parts. This makes them more resistant to physical shock and gives them a lower data access time. SSDs are more expensive than HDDs.

• Hard disk drives (HDDs) - these have spinning magnetic disks. They are sensitive to physical shock, and data access time is higher than in SSDs. HDDs are cheaper than SSDs.

Flashcard 13

Front: What are the different types of flash memory technology?

Back:

• Single level cell (SLC) - most expensive and can endure the most write cycles.

• Multi level cell (MLC) - much cheaper than SLC but can only endure around 5,000-10,000 write cycles.

• Triple level cell (TLC) - most common type of flash memory and can endure around 3,000 write cycles (newer TLCs can endure up to 10,000 write cycles).

• Quad level cell (QLC) - cheapest type of flash memory and has a low write cycle endurance. This means that it is slow.

Flashcard 14

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

Back:

• Provisioning - this includes extra capacity to use when cells start to fail.

• Wear levelling - this distributes writes so that all cells wear evenly.

Flashcard 15

Front: Give three examples of types of flash-based storage.

Back:

• USB "thumb" drive and flash cards - this type of storage is removable and portable. It has basic performance and is used for occasionally reading/writing a few files.

• Solid state storage drive (SSD) - this type of storage is fixed and internal. It has improved performance and is used for constantly reading/writing random files, error checking, and securing data.

• Solid state hybrid drive (SSHD) - this is a hard drive with some solid-state flash memory for storage. All data is stored on the hard drive, but frequently accessed data is also copied to the flash memory for faster access.

Flashcard 16

Front: How are display monitor sizes measured?

Back: Display monitors are measured diagonally in inches.

Flashcard 17

Front: What does display resolution refer to?

Back: Resolution refers to the dimensions of the display and is reported as "(number of pixels wide) x (number of pixels tall)".

Flashcard 18

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

Back:

• Twisted Nematic (TN) - these displays are good at accurately reproducing fast-moving images but have distorted colours when viewed from off-centre angles. They are used in cheaper laptops and some gaming displays.

• In Plane Switching (IPS) - these displays have better colour reproduction than TN panels, especially when viewed from angles. They are used in most contemporary displays, especially mobile devices.

Flashcard 19

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

Back:

• Input device: Keyboard.

• Output device: Monitor/display.

• Hybrid device: Touchscreen.

Flashcard 20

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

Back:

• Resistive touchscreens - these screens are composed of two transparent sheets that are separated by a gap. The sheets have electric charges running in orthogonal directions, and pressure on the screen causes the sheets to touch, sending a signal that indicates the location of the touch. They are activated by pressure from any object, making them low cost, but they are vulnerable to scratches and damage.

• Capacitive touchscreens - these screens work by having an electric field that exists over the surface of the screen. When the screen is touched, it disrupts the electric field. There is a grid of electrodes behind the screen that detects the position of the touch. These screens are more durable than resistive touchscreens and are able to detect multiple touch points but can only be activated by a bare finger or conductive material.

Flashcard 21

Front: What is an embedded system?

Back: An embedded system is a computer that performs a limited range of functions, typically acting as part of a larger, interconnected system.

Flashcard 22

Front: Give five examples of embedded systems.

Back:

• Robots

• Cars

• Aircraft

• Digital watches

• Fitness trackers

Flashcard 23

Front: What are file allocation units?

Back: Storage is organised into file allocation units. The unit size can vary between file systems, but 4 KB is typical. A file will occupy as many allocation units as it needs to store its data, but units cannot be divided or shared. This can lead to wasted space. Larger unit sizes benefit large files (fewer units to manage) while smaller unit sizes benefit small files (less wasted storage).