Coincide with Spec Flashcards
What are the fundaments of a computer system
1) data is input
2) data is converted into an internal representation
3) the data is processed
4) the results of processing are converted from the systems internal representation to a user friendly out put by an output device
5) the data may be stored
6) the data may be used
7) the data may be transmitted to an additional computer while still holding the form of the computers internal representation
Define a computer system
A computer system is hardware and software working together to create a coded solution. It must be able to receive inputs process these and then produce an output
General purpose system
A general purpose system is usually found on laptops tablets and apart phones. A general purpose system is designed to perform a range of tasks and does not have one specific purpose.
Dedicated system
A dedicated system is a system used to perform single functions or a minuscule range of functions.
Embedded systems
Emmbeded systems are computer systems that are part of a larger system
Expert systems
Expert systems are systems that have a clear focus on a single task
Control systems
Control systems are systems that control machines , they are normally used in the manufacturing industry
Management systems
Management Systems collect data from several other smaller systems
What is the importance of computer systems in the modern world ?
1) they allow us to contact and work with people regardless of location
2) they mean data can be accessed securely from a range of locations
3) they improve quality of life , those without limbs can have them replaced by bionics
4) they save time thus services such as that of the fire , police and ambulance can coordinate responses quickly and swiftly implement resources using computer systems
What is the reliability of a computer system
The reliability of a computer system is how dependable it is to do the job you entrust it with.
Computer systems need to be reliable as technology is not worth possessing if it does not function correctly or puts your previous work at risk
Factors which can affect the reliability of a computer system include
- human error
- virus
- hardware malfunction
Professional standards
It is important that manufacturers of computer systems implement professional standards to ensure there is an element of quality control . It is the responsibility of the manufacturer to make the computer system safe for the consumer . The system must work within range of a suitable efficiency and hence must function correctly which can be ensured by obliging by professional standards
Ethics
When developing a computer system ethics must be considered hence the privacy of a user becomes a pressing question , can governments access user data , can peers access user data or is the data maintained as confidential . There also must be user access levels to ensure no sensitive information can be accessed by unauthorised personal which would be an ethical injustice in the case of computer stores of medical records and such alike
Environment
Computer systems must oblige by government energy regulations which consequently means they must coincide with a set standard of efficiency
Laws
Legal issues must be considered this a system must not violate laws such as those of copy right
what does CPU stand for
Central Processing Unit
What is the purpose of the CPU
The CPU is a piece of HARDWARE within a computer system whose purpose is to process data
What is the function of the CPU
Fetch - The CPU searches and retrieves instructions from the computers memory
Decode - the CPU breaks down the problem to enemies the computer can gain an understanding of the task
Execute - the CPU runs a task meaning the instruction the is ‘fetched’ is carried out
What is the importance of the CPU
1) the CPU connects items in a computer system together such as the memory and output devices
2) it is the central processor hence it has the capacity to dictate the response of a system based on an input
3) it can carry out several tasks within a period of time as it processes them sometimes simultaneously
How does the Number of cores affect the performance of the CPU
A CPU can have multiple cores , these allow for multiple instructions to be executed simultaneously . If a program is optimised to use more cores it will mean the program will run faster
What is the measurement of processor speed ?
Giga hertz (GHz)
How does the clock speed affect the performance of the CPU
The CPU needs to complete a certain number of ‘cycles’ to execute each task . The clock speed is the amount of cycles that can be executed in one second , the faster Jesé cycles complete the more tasks can be carried out per second . Increased clock speed in the CPU means increased performance of the computer system . Clock speed is measured in the same way as processor speed - in giga hertz (GHz)
How does the size of the cache memory affect the performance of the CPU
Cache is the type of memory that stores frequently accessed instructions so that they can be quickly fetched and executed when requested by the user . If the CPU has more cache memory it will have a better performance as more data will have a quicker retrieval time.
How would you explain our number system
Our number system is that which we call base 10 it has 10 digits
We refer to this number system as deanery
Explain binary
Binary is a base two system as it only uses two digits
0 and 1
In a computer system everything is represented by binary digits as they symbolise a voltage 1 being on while 0 is off