Components of a computer system Flashcards
Cards 1-6: Computer systems, Cards 7-14: components of the CPU, Cards 15-20: Von Neumann Architecture (20 cards)
which, from the following list, are pieces of Hardware? Graphics card, Operating sytem, Optical drive, Internet Browser
Graphics card and Optical drive
T/F: All hardware is found inside the computer.
False, mouses and keyboards are some examples of external hardware
Is a toaster an example of an embedded or non-embedded system?
embedded - it is only able to perform one specific task
What is the difference between software and hardware?
Software is the programs and applications that a computer runs, Hardware is the physical components that make up the computer
Why are smartphones considered general purpose systems as opposed to dedicated systems?
Smartphones are designed to be flexible and reprogrammable to perform lots of different tasks
What are advantages of embedded systems?
Embedded systems are genereally cheap, compact, reliable, and use a small amount of power
What does CPU stand for?
Central Processing Unit
What is the name of the register which stores the results of the ALU?
Accumulator
Which of these is found in the CPU? RAM, Program Counter, Hard Disk Drive
Program Counter
What is held in cache memory?
Cache memory holds reularly used data and instructions
What is the purpose of the CPU?
The brain of the computer, processes all data and intructions that make the system work
What is the primary function of the ALU? And what does ALU stand for?
- To perform arithmetic calculations and logic operations such as AND, OR and NOT
- Arithmetic Logic Unit
What is the role of the control unit in the CPU?
The control unit is responsible for handling the fetching, decoding, and execution of program instructions. Also sends signals inside the CPU (to registers etc.) and outside the CPU (to main memory and devices) to control the flow of data
Why is the capacity of cache memory in desktops and laptops generally quite low?
Cache memory is more expensive than other types of memory and there are limitations on physical space. Users also generally don’t require such high end performance
What do MAR and MDR stand for?
Memory Address Register and Memory Data Register
In which CPU register is the memory address of the next instruction stored?
Program Counter
T/F: In the Von Neumann architecture, different memory units are used for data and instructions
false - data and instructions are stored in the same memory unit
Give 3 examples of instructions that might be executed by the CPU
E.g. load/write data, perform calculations/logic operations, change address, halt program
What is held in the MAR and MDR?
MAR holds any memory address that is about to be used by the CPU
MDR holds the actual data or instruction that has been fetched from memory or is about to be written to memory
What happens during the fetch-execute cycle?
A Memory address is copied from the program counter to the MAR. The program counter is incremented to point to the memory address of the instruction for the next cycle. The instruction stored in the MAR addess is copied to the MDR. The control unit decodes the instruction and then controls the execution of the instruction – this could involve things like writing data to memory or performing operations with the ALU.
