Topic 4 - Computer Systems Flashcards by Daniel Barrett

What are computer systems made of ?

Computer systems are made of hardware and software which work together.

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What is hardware ?

the physical components of the computer

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What are 4 types of hardware ?

Input/Output (I/O) devices

Secondary storage

Processors

Primary storage

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What do I/O devices allow users to do ?

I/O devices allow users to input data into the computer, or receive a data output from the computer.

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What are some examples of I/O devices ?

Keyboard
Mouse
Monitor
Speakers

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What is secondary storage ?

Secondary storage is the memory in which the computer can store the data or instructions which are NOT currently in use.

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What are the main types of secondary storage ?

Hard Disk Drive (HDD).
Solid State Drive (SSD).
Compact Disk (CD).
Flash (USB Drive).

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What is a processors ?

A processor is a special component that processes data and instructions to control other components within the computer.

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What are the two main types of processors ?

Central processing unit (CPU)

Graphics processing unit (GPU)

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What is primary storage ?

Primary storage is the memory in which the computer can store the data or instructions that are currently in use.

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What are the two main types of primary storage ?

Random Access Memory (RAM)

Read-Only Memory (ROM)

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What are two types of computer systems ?

Embedded systems

General purpose systems

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What is the function of an embedded system ?

An embedded system is a computer system which is built into another device to support its operation.

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What are 3 types of embedded systems ?

Washing machines
Cameras
Printers

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What is special about general purpose systems ?

General purpose systems are capable of performing many different tasks.

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What are types of general purpose systems ?

PCs
Mac
Smartphones

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Where does the computer store data and instructions which are NOT currently in use?

Secondary storage

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A client has asked you to develop a self-checkout machine for his small supermarket which allows customers to scan their shopping and pay for it without him having to oversee the process. What type of computer system would you be developing?

Embedded system

What are most computer languages written in?

Most computer languages are written in high-level programming languages

What do high level languages look like ?

Commands in a high-level language look very like English.

print()
SELECT * FROM users;

What are types of High-level languages (HLLs) ?

High-level languages (HLLs) include most programming languages such as Python, C++ and Java.

What are High-level languages are made of ?

High-level languages are made of human-readable statements that make it easier for us to program.

High-level languages are portable, what does this mean ?

which means that they can be run on many different types of hardware.

Why dont we only use high level languages ?

Computers can only process instructions in the form of binary numbers.

What is the special software called that convers our HLL source code into an executable binary file ?

translators convert our HLL source code into an executable binary file.

Low-level programming languages are languages which are what ?

much closer to computer-understandable binary

LLLs are harder to read by who, but are easier to read for what ?

LLLs are harder to read by humans, but are easier to read for the computer.

What does an LLL look like?

MOV ax, bx CMP ch, dh CLI All hard for humans to interperate or understand

Why are low level languages used ?

LLLs provide exact control over the central processing unit. LLLs need less translation, and often lead to faster code which is useful for computers with low specifications such as embedded systems.

Which type of language often have more optimised (faster) code?

Low level language

What are Translators ?

Translators are special software that convert source code into executable binary

What do compilers do ?

Compilers translate the whole of a program in one go. Compilers will provide a list of errors once it has attempted the compilation process: This can make debugging easier.

What are C, C++, Visual Basic, and Swift all examples of ?

C, C++, Visual Basic, and Swift are all compiled languages

What are the pros of compliers ?

Compilers produce an executable program: There is no need to repeat this process more than once per version of the software. Compilers hide the source code from the end user: This helps to protect developers' intellectual property

What are the cons of compilers ?

The compilation process can be very slow: This can slow down development if many small changes need to be made.

What are Interpreters ?

Interpreters are a type of translator which convert high level languages to executable machine code.

What do Interpreters do ?

Interpreters translate high-level source code into executable binary one line at a time.

Python and JavaScript are examples of what ?

Python and JavaScript are examples of interpreted languages

What are the pros of interpreters ?

Interpreters will stop as soon as they encounter an error: This is useful for debugging. Interpreted languages are 'portable': This means that they can be run on many different types of central processing unit as long as there is an interpreter available for the platform.

What are the cons of interpreters ?

Running an interpreted program is slower than a compiled program because we have to translate each line every time we run the software. But it is quicker to get started which can be good for small changes. Interpreters do not produce a compiled program file: The process must be repeated each time the program is run.

What do assemblers do ?

Assemblers translate assembly code into executable binary

What do assemblers do to assembly language ?

Assembly is a very low-level programming language. Each instruction directly corresponds to a binary sequence, and the assembler replaces the commands with the relevant binary.

What are the pros of assemblers ?

Assembly provides exact control over the hardware: This can lead to very efficient code that takes up little space in memory and is quick to execute. Assembly can be used on low specification machines.

What are the cons of assemblers?

Assembly is very difficult to use, and needs deep technical knowledge of the central processing unit and the memory.