Category: Computer Systems

Low-level operations and computer architecture

  • Units of storage: bit, byte, Kilobyte, Megabyte, Gigabyte, Terabyte, Petabyte
  • Translation of high-level program code to binary (machine code): interpreters and compilers
  • Use of binary to represent and store:
    • Integers
    • Real numbers (mantissa & exponent)
    • Characters
    • Instructions (machine code)
    • Graphics (bit-mapped and vector)
  • Basic computer architecture:
    • Processor( registers, ALU, control unit)
    • Memory
    • Buses (data and address)
    • Interfaces

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S4 – Homework w/b 24th Nov

Hardware

1   State what RAM stands for. 1

2   Name the part of the processor which stores data temporarily, eg instructions before they are executed?                                                                                                1

3   Which bus holds the number of the storage location the processor needs to locate data in  RAM? 1

4   Name the other 2 parts of the processor not mentioned in Q2. 2

5   Draw the simple block diagram of the computer system. 3

8 marks

Homework for 3rd Nov 2014

  1. What is the number system used by computers? (1)
  2. State two advantages of using binary numbers rather than decimal numbers in a computer system. (2)
  3. The reserve price of a vase is £42·50. State how a real number such as 42·50 would be represented in the computer. (1)
  4. A program calculates the average rainfall for one week as 18.6mm. Describe how floating point representation is used to represent real numbers. (2)
  5. Convert the decimal number 13 into a binary number. (1)
  6. Convert the following binary numbers in to decimal (2)
    1. 00001011
    2. 10011111
  7. Convert the following decimal numbers into binary  (2)
    1. 63
    2. 193
  8. Convert the binary number 11011 into a decimal number. (1)
  9. State one reason why computer systems use binary numbers rather than decimal numbers. (1)
  10. Convert the decimal number 27 into an 8 bit binary number. (2)

Total 15