spec anwsers

• Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU)


  Component of a computer's central processing unit that performs arithmetic and logical operations
• Control Unit

  Component of a computer's central processing unit that coordinates the operation of the other components
• Registers

  • Program Counter (PC)
  • Accumulator (ACC)
  • Memory Address Register (MAR)
  • Memory Data Register (MDR)
  • Current Instruction Register (CIR)
• Buses

  Pathways that carry data, addresses, and control signals between the components of a computer
• Buses relate to assembly language programs
• Fetch-decode-execute cycle

  1. Fetch instruction from memory

  2. Decode instruction

  3. Execute instruction
• Factors affecting CPU performance

  • Clock speed
  • Number of cores
  • Cache
• Processor architectures

  • Von Neumann
  • Harvard
  • Contemporary
• CISC processors

  Complex Instruction Set Computer - processors with a large and complex instruction set
• RISC processors

  Reduced Instruction Set Computer - processors with a smaller and simpler instruction set
• Multicore and parallel systems
• Input, output and storage devices

  Can be applied to solve different problems
• Storage devices

  • Magnetic
  • Flash
  • Optical
• RAM

  Random Access Memory - volatile memory used for temporary storage
• ROM

  Read-Only Memory - non-volatile memory used for permanent storage
• Virtual storage

  Technique that allows a computer to use disk storage as if it were main memory
• Operating system

  Software that manages the hardware and software resources of a computer system
• Functions of an operating system

  • Memory management
  • Interrupt handling
  • Scheduling
• Types of operating systems

  • Distributed
  • Embedded
  • Multi-tasking
  • Multi-user
  • Real-time
• BIOS

  Basic Input/Output System - firmware that performs hardware initialization during the booting process
• Device drivers

  Software that allows the operating system to interact with a hardware device
• Virtual machines

  Software that emulates the functionality of a physical computer
• Applications

  Software programs designed to perform specific tasks
• Utilities

  Software programs that perform maintenance or support functions
• Open source software

  Software with source code that is freely available for modification and distribution
• Closed source software

  Software with source code that is proprietary and not freely available
• Translators

  Software that converts high-level programming languages into machine-readable code
• Translators

  • Interpreters
  • Compilers
  • Assemblers
• Procedural programming language techniques

  • Program flow
  • Variables and constants
  • Procedures and functions
  • Arithmetic, Boolean and assignment operators
  • String handling
  • File handling
• Assembly language

  Low-level programming language that provides a direct interface with a computer's hardware
• Relational database

  Database that organizes data into tables with rows and columns
• Flat file database

  Database that stores data in a single table without relationships
• Primary key

  Unique identifier for each record in a database table
• Foreign key

  Field in a database table that links to the primary key of another table
• Secondary key

  Field in a database table that can be used to index and search the table
• Entity relationship modelling

  Technique for designing the structure of a relational database
• Protocols and standards

  Rules and formats that govern how data is transmitted over a network
• Internet structure

  • TCP/IP stack
  • DNS
  • Protocol layering
  • LANs and WANs
  • Packet and circuit switching
• Client-server

  Network architecture where clients request services from a central server
• Peer-to-peer

  Network architecture where devices communicate directly with each other