F 451 Revision definitions Hardware: Physical components of a computer Software: Programs that run on the computer Systems software:

Set of programs needed to control the hardware Applications software: Programs that allows the user to carry out a task or produce something Peripherals: are external devices that are connected to the computer Input devices: Turn things from the real human physical world into data for the digital computer. Output Devices: Take data from the digital world and communicate it with the real human physical world. Storage Devices: Backing Storage is used to save data and retrieve it later. It is non-volatile so remains saved after power is turned off. Operating System (O/S): A suite of programs that control the operation of the computer. Utility Programs - Computer programs designed to perform a Common task Library Programs - A collection of programs each, with a specific job available to all users Compilers / Interpreters - Programs that interpret / translate between programming Languages Generic Applications Software - Versatile programs used by organisations to fulfil common tasks Off-The-Shelf Software - Generic ready-made computer programs, available for buy, install and use straight away Bespoke or Custom-written software - Software developed specifically to solve a particular problem for an organisation Validation: is a check that data entered is plausible and follows rules set up for the data

Verification: Checking that the sensible data entered is what was supposed to be entered Existence Check - Is the data present Format Check - Is the data in the correct format Length Check - Does the data match a known Length Range Check - Is the data within normal acceptable range Check Digit - Does the data match a number calculated from itself using a set algorithm Archiving - Archived data is old data that is not needed everyday. (eg Students that ha.ve left the school)In order to save space, it is copied onto another storage media (eg DAT tape or CD) and stored securely. However, as it may be needed for reference one day, it must be retrievable

RAM - Memory in which data is temporarily stored for processing. A temporary (volatile) storage area used to load program instructions and store files currently in use. ROM - An integrated circuit programmed with specific data when it is manufactured. It is non-Volatile part of the memory that hold special programs to help the computer start up ALU - Performs arithmetic functions on the data (in Binary). Performs logical operations on the data. Acts as a gateway to processor. Control Unit: - Manages how CPU instructions are carried out. Coordinates activities taking place in the CPU. Co-ordinates memory and peripherals PC - Program Counter: Holds the address of the next instruction to be executed. Determines the sequence in which the program instructions are executed. MAR - Memory Address Register holds the address of the data or instructions currently being carried out or accessed in the main memory

CIR - Current Instruction Register - Instructions from memory are placed here so that the contents can be decoded and executed. Will contain both the Operator and Operand of the current instruction. MDR - Memory Data Register (also known as buffer register) - All instructions and data pass in and out of main memory via MDR. The contents of the address specified in the MAR are copied here SR - Status Register The flag register is specially designed to contain all the appropriate 1-bit status flags, which are changed as a result of operations involving the arithmetic and logic unit. It contains 'bits' that are set or cleared based on the result of an instruction. General Purpose Registers - GPRs are used for performing arithmetic functions. Some computers have only one, the Accumulator; others have up to 16 general purpose registers Data Bus Carries the data to and from the processor Address Bus - Carries the location (address) the data is sent from, and the address it is going to Control Bus - Sends instructions (control signals) from the Control Unit to processor to allow synchronization of commands Magnetic Storage - a series of rapidly rotating disks (platters) stored on top of each other. The data is stored on a series of concentric rings called Tracks. The tracks are further divided into smaller sections called Blocks. Each block is divided into smaller wedges called Sectors. Optical Storage - Similar to Magnetic storage, but the data is stored as light and read by lasers The CD surface is a mirror covered with billions of tiny bumps that are arranged in a long, tightly wound spiral. The CD player reads the bumps with a precise laser and interprets the information as bits of data. Solid State Storage - Inside the chip is a grid of columns and rows, with a two-transistor cell at each intersecting point on the grid. The two transistors are separated by a thin oxide layer. One of the transistors is known as the floating gate, and the other one is the control gate Buffer: is a small area of memory that temporarily stores data

Interrupts: are messages sent from other parts of the system to the processor Sensor - collects physical real world information and puts it into the computer as data Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) - shaded boxes represent data on a specific area of the form and read by an OMR reader machine Optical Character Recognition (OCR) - Shapes are recognized by the computer and compared to shapes stored in the computer's memory Magnetic Ink Character Reader (MICR) - Characters are printed on a paper form using special magnetized ink, these can be read by special devices in the future Bar Code Scanner - Reads light and dark parallel lines. the dark lines are read in pairs Clock speed: The number of clock cycles (or pulses) generated per second by the computer Word Size: Number of bits a CPU can work on in any one clock cycle. Bus Size: The internal circuits (or highways) that move data around the system Materials: Better quality materials in the CPU have better reliability, speed and performance Architecture - The design of the CPU and the computer can affect the performance Network Definition - A network is: 2 or more computing devices connected so that they can share data and resources Standalone (non networked) Computers - If all the computers in a room are standalone it means they are not connected to each other Local Area Networks - computers connected to each other in a geographically small area Wide Area Networks - computers connected up to each other over a wide geographical area

Serial Data Transmission - Where each of the 8 bits is transmitted down a single wire connection one at a time Parallel Data Transmission - Using many wires to each transfer a bit at the same time Handshaking - Before two devices can communicate, they must ensure they are both ready to communicate Simplex Data Transmission - Data is only transmitted down the wire in same direction Half Duplex Data transmission Data can be transmitted down the wire in both directions but only in one direction at a time Duplex Data Transmission - Data can be transmitted down the wire in both directions. Baud Rate the amount of bits per second Bandwidth - the term used to describe the amount of data transmitted across a network Network Operating System - Software to allow the server to organise and manage the communications around the network and to allow the server to take responsibility for controlling access to the files held on its hard disk. Packets - Each packet has; a label, ( to id the packet), a sequence number, (to know where in the order it belongs). A destination address (where it is being sent) and a checksum (to ensure no errors occurred during transmission). Circuit switching - A path between 2 machines is established at the start. All the data packets are sent in order. This ties up the networks resources until message is finished. Inefficient use of resources. Easy to intercept message but they arrive in the right order and do not need sorting.

Packet switching - The packets of data are sent at the most convenient route at the time of transmission. Each packet tries to find the most efficient route (various routes). When a machine receives a packet it checks label to see if correct destination, if not it passes it on. It needs sorting into order at destination, before the message can be read it is more difficult to intercept messages and more efficient use of Network resources. Protocol A set of rules that governing the transmission of data