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A level computing AQA > Computer systems > Flashcards

Computer systems Flashcards

1
Q

Hardware

A

Any physical parts of a computer and related devices

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2
Q

Software

A

Computer programs in all forms (non-physical)

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3
Q

External hardware

A

Monitors, keyboards, mouse, printers, webcam etc

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4
Q

System software

A

Operating systems, utility programs, libraries, translators (compilers, assemblers, interpreters)

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5
Q

Internal hardware

A

Motherboards, hard drives, ram, etc

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6
Q

Application software

A

Games, browsers, media players, word processors, email, IDEs, apps, etc

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7
Q

Utility programs

A

Anti-virus, firewalls, device drivers, compression, backup, etc

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8
Q

Translators

A

Compilers, interpreters, assemblers

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9
Q

Anti-virus

A

Any programs that help to remove programs designed to harm the computer

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10
Q

Disk defragmentation

A

A computer hard disk will become fragmented when files are downloaded and deleted, eventually programs will be split across the disk into smaller chunks which will slow the disk

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11
Q

Compression programs

A

Compression programs apply compression to media to reduce its file size

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12
Q

File managers

A

Allow users to easily rename, move, delete, copy or modify files

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13
Q

Firewalls

A

Help to prevent unauthorised access to a computer

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14
Q

Backup programs

A

Any programs that allow manual or automatic backups to another disks or other storage devices/cloud storage

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15
Q

Translator

A

Any program that translates source code into machine code

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16
Q

Assemblers

A

Converting assembly code into machine code

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17
Q

Compilers and interpreters

A

Converting high-level languages into object code/machine code

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18
Q

Interpreters

A

Convert source code immediately into machine code

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19
Q

Compiler

A

Converts source code into object code which can be slow, although object code runs a lot faster than interpreted code.

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20
Q

Libraries

A

Libraries are pre-compiled and pre-tested sets of code from other programmers

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21
Q

The purpose of the operating system

A

Manage the processor, manage the memory, manage external devices, provides a platform for software and utility programs, provides networking, manages security, provides a user interface

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22
Q

Paradigm

A

An example of a way of doing things

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23
Q

What was the only way to program when computers were first invented

A

Work in binary numbers that represented different instructions (Machine language)

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24
Q

Assembly language

A

Allows the user to write groups of letters for instructions instead of binary and is executed as machine language

25
Q

Low level language

A

Machine language and assembly language

26
Q

High-level languages

A

Languages that had a one-to-many relationship with machine code (Fortran, C, Pascal)

27
Q

Imperative language (often referred to procedural language)

A

Program code is executed one line at a time. The code is written by a programmer using sequence, selection, iteration and subroutines / procedures

28
Q

How does machine code work

A

User inputs binary and is then translated into electrical signals

29
Q

How does assembly language work

A

Input 3 letter words (known as mnemonics) and is then looked up in a table and then translated to machine code

30
Q

Advantages of machine code/assembly

A

Very efficient, direct access to system-level features, in complete control of code

31
Q

Disadvantages of machine code/assembly

A

Machine dependant, few programmers can code efficiently in assembly, tedious to write and bug prone, difficult to understand

32
Q

Advantages of interpreters

A

Useful when writing programs, no need for time consuming recompilation every time an error is found

33
Q

Advantages of compilers

A

Generated object code is kept on disk, object code executed much faster once created, object code can be distributed to others, relatively secure

34
Q

What is intermediate code?

A

a generic “half-way” standard language that can be translated into machine code

35
Q

What is intermediate code designed to run of

A

virtual machine

36
Q

What is the purpose of a virtual machine

A

To take generic intermediate code and translate it to specific machine code

37
Q

What is the extra layer that JVM (Java virtual machine) has to translate intermediate code to machine code and what does it do

A

The extra layer is called “bytecode” and it allows Java to run on all platforms that have a JVM

38
Q

What does NOT/negation do

A

Reverses the output (if A = 0 then A = 1)

39
Q

What is the notation for NOT/negation

A

A line above the value, for example,

_
A

40
Q

What does AND/conjunction do

A

Compares 2 values together, if both are true/false then the output will be true/false

for example,

A = 1 and B = 1 makes the output 1
A = 1 and B = 0 makes the output 0
41
Q

What is the notation for AND/conjunction

A

A filled incircle between each input

A O B

42
Q

What does OR/disjunction do

A

Compares both inputs, if either are 1 then the output is 1

if both are 0 then the output is 0

43
Q

What is the notation for OR/disjunction

A

A plus sign

A + B

44
Q

What does XOR/Exclusive disjunction do

A

If A or B are 1 the output is 1
If A and B are 1 the output is 0
If A and B are 0 the output is 0

45
Q

What is the notation for XOR/Exclusive disjunction

A

A plus sign with a circle around

A +O B

46
Q

What does NAND do

A

Gives the result of AND and then is followed by a NOT

A = 1 NAND B = 1 outputs 0
A = 1 NAND B = 0 outputs 1
47
Q

What is the notation for NAND

A

A filled in circle with a line across everything being negated

______
(A O B)

48
Q

What does NOR do

A

Gives the result of OR followed by a NOT

A = 1 B = 1 output is 0
A = 1 B = 0 output is 0
A = 0 B = 0 output is 1
49
Q

What is the notation for NOR

A

A plus with a line across everything being negated

_____
A + B

50
Q

What is a half adder

A

A circuit able to take a 2-bit input and produce a 2-bit output which is the correct result of a binary addition of the two inputs.

51
Q

What is a half adder

A

A circuit able to take a 2-bit input and produce a 2-bit output which is the correct result of a binary addition of the two inputs.

52
Q

What is a full adder

A

A full adder combines two half adders, Now you can add a 3-bit input to include the inputs A and B and a carry bit C

53
Q

What are concatenating full adders

A

Connect multiple full adders together to be able to input the carry bit into subsequent adders along with 2 brand new inputs

54
Q

What is a flip-flop

A

A basic circuit which can store one bit and flip it between 0 and 1

55
Q

What are the 2 inputs of a flip-flop

A 
Control input (often labelled D)
Clock signal
56
Q

What does joining together multiple D-type flip-flops allow you to do

A

Store more bits

for example, 16 d-type flip-flops in sequence can store 2 bytes or 16 bits

57
Q

What is DeMorgan’s law

A

Either logical function AND or OR may be replaced by the other

for example, NOT(A AND B) = (NOT A) OR (NOT B)
another example, NOT (A OR B) = (NOT A) AND (NOT B)

58
Q

What is the method for DeMorgan’s law

A
  1. Change OR to an AND (or vice versa) NOT(A OR B)
  2. NOT the terms on either side of the operator NOT(A AND B)
  3. NOT everything that has changed NOT(NOT(A AND B))
  4. Get rid of any double negation NOT(NOT(NOT(A AND B)))
  5. Get rid of any unnecessary brackets NOT(A AND B)
    NOT(A AND B)

A level computing AQA (3 decks)

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