3.4: Computer Systems

Question 1

What is an and gate

Answer 1

All conditions have to be true
The symbol is . for example A.B
https://spinningnumbers.org/a/logic-gates.html

Question 2

what is an or gate

Answer 2

Any condition must be true
The symbol is a +
For example A+B
https://spinningnumbers.org/a/logic-gates.html

Question 3

What is a not gate

Answer 3

reverses
1 becomes 0
0 becomes 1
The symbol is __
for example: ___
A
https://spinningnumbers.org/a/logic-gates.html

Question 4

What is an xor gate

Answer 4

only 1 condition must be true
when both conditions are true the output is 0
The symbol is ⊕
for example A⊕B
https://spinningnumbers.org/a/logic-gates.html

Question 5

What is Hardware

Answer 5

The physical components of a computer

Question 6

What is Software

Answer 6

A computer program designed to run on hardware

Question 7

What is an operating system

Answer 7

An operating system is system software that manages computer hardware and software resources, and provides common services for computer programs

Question 8

What is multi tasking

Answer 8

When an operating system manages multiple tasks at the same time

Question 9

what is Processor management

Answer 9

Managing a piece of hardware

Question 10

what is an interrupt

Answer 10

Signals sent to the CPU by external devices to indicate an event that needs immediate attention

Question 11

what is utility software

Answer 11

Software that does extra things to keep the computer running efficiently

Question 12

What are the 4 types of utility software

Answer 12

Encryption

Defragmentation

Data compression

Disk clean up tools

Question 13

What is application software

Answer 13

Software that provides end user tasks

Question 14

What is Machine code

Answer 14

1’s and 0’s

Question 15

What is assembly language

Answer 15

Uses pneumonic and 1’s and 0’s to execute instructions

Question 16

What does an assembler do

Answer 16

Convert Assembly language to Machine Code

Question 17

What is the purpose of a compiler

Answer 17

converts high-level programming language to machine code
Create an executable file
When sold the user can’t see or edit the data

Question 18

What does an interpreter do

Answer 18

It converts the program one at a time and reports errors detected at once while doing the conversion. With this, it is easier to detect errors than in a compiler. An interpreter is faster than a compiler as it immediately executes the code upon reading the code.

Question 19

What is the purpose of the motherboard

Answer 19

Connects all the components in a computer together

Question 20

What does the CPU do

Answer 20

Manages all the components
Fetches Decodes and Executes instructions

Question 21

What is the purpose of the control unit

Answer 21

receives the clock signals and makes sure the timing of the CPU is correct
Fetches Decodes and Executes instructions

Question 22

What is the purpose of the Arithmetic Logic Unit

Answer 22

The ALU will perform mathematical and logical operations

Question 23

What is the purpose of registers

Answer 23

Very fast location in memory located in the CPU itself which can hold a very small amount of data

Question 24

What is a Cache

Answer 24

Holds the most recently used instructions which can be accessed by the CPU
Cache is faster than RAM

Question 25

What is the purpose of the clock

Answer 25

The clock controls the timing of the CPU by very quickly switching between 1’s and 0’s several million times per second

Question 26

What is clock speed and how does it affect the CPU

Answer 26

Increasing the clock speed means that the timing of the CPU is faster as there is more fetch decode execute cycles per second

Question 27

How does the use of cache affect the speed of the CPU

Answer 27

Since Cache is faster than RAM having more of it will increase the speed of the execution of instructions

Question 28

How does number of cores affect speed

Answer 28

If there are more cores, there will be more instruction carried out per second however, some programs cannot utilise all of the cores so it will not be faster

Question 29

What is a Bus

Answer 29

A set of wires connect 2 or more components of the computer together

Question 30

What is the purpose of the address bus

Answer 30

Identifies the address in memory or cache that is to be read from
Unidirectional from the CPU to the memory or cache

Question 31

What is purpose of the Data bus

Answer 31

Transfers data to and from the CPU
Bidirectional

Question 32

What is the purpose of the control bus

Answer 32

Manages the communication between the CPU and other components

Question 33

What is the purpose of the System Bus

Answer 33

To transmit and share data
Made up of the control and address bus

Question 34

What is the purpose of the External Bus

Answer 34

enables the ability to connect devices, carrying data and other control information

Question 35

What is the Von Neumann architecture

Answer 35

. The CPU can store instructions currently being run as well as the programms opened in teh RAM

Question 36

What is the Fetch execute cycle

Answer 36

Fetch - CPU gets the instruction from storage
Decode - The instruction is decoded by the control unit
Execute - The CPU executes the instruction

Question 37

What is primary storage and what is it used for

Answer 37

Primary storage is RAM and ROM
It is used to store currently running programs and data

Question 38

What does ROM store

Answer 38

Bootstrap

Question 39

What are the differences in RAM and ROM

Answer 39

Storage - RAM contains significantly more storage than ROM
What it is used to store - RAM stores programs an d data currently running whilst ROM stores the bootstrap
RAM is readable and writeable whilst ROM is read only
RAM is Volatile whilst ROM is Non-Volatile

Question 40

What is an embedded system

Answer 40

A computer system:

with a dedicated / specific purpose or function;

built in to a physical product / device / machine;