Edexcel IGCSE Computer Science

Machines and Computational Models

What is a computer?

o Computer is a machine that takes input from the surrounding to process according and
provide outputs.
o Input- enter display into the computer
o Process- performing a series of actions on he inputs according to given
rules
o Output- to display or print data that has been processed or has been
stored.

What is Embedded system?

o Is a combination of hardware and software that is designed to a specific function.

 Functional Machines
What are functional machines?

o A functional machine is a diagram that represent a machine that takes an input and
output.

Storage
CD
DVD
Floppy disk
Pen drive
Blu ray
Hard disk

Inputs Process Output

Keyboard CPU Monitors – LED ….

Mouse Speakers

Barcode reader Printers

OCR Projectors

OMR
Scanner
 Hardware
What is a computer architecture?

o The internal organizational structure of a computer.

o Von Neumann Model
o Harverd Model

Von Neumann Architecture

What is Von Neumann Architecture?

o A computer in which the processing instructions are stored in memory with the data.

How does it work?

o The hardware device does the processing in central processing unit (CPU).
o The storage is called main memory/random access memory.
o They are connected to each other, and to the input and output devices by a group
connecting wires called a Bus.

CPU Memory Input

RAM Output
devices

Bus
What is fetch-decode-execute cycle?

o The CPU fetches instructions from the memory, carries out the instructions it receives.
o Then fetches next instruction and so on.
o This sequence is called fetch-decode-execute cycle and carries on until the power is
turned off.

Hardware components of a computer system

RAM (Random Access Memory) ROM (Read Only Memory)

Purpose Purpose

o Store data and programs currently o Stores instructions needed to start up

been used by computers. the computer.
o RAM is measured by Gb. o Contains the boot program.
o RAM is described as volatile, which o ROM is needed as it is always there to
means that its contents are lost when start the computer.
the power is turned off. o ROM is non-volatile, data is not lost
o When CPU save data to the memory; when the power is turned off.
o Writing- when the CPU send o ROM are known as firmware;
data to the memory to be o These programs are small and
stored at a given address. carried out anywhere
o Reading- when the CPU o BIOS (Basic Input Output
retrieves the data is stored at a System).
given address.
o Memory address- a number that
uniquely identify the memory location.
 Cache Memory
What is cache memory?

o Small amount of fast, expensive memory that is used between two devices that
communicate at different speed.

High speed Low speed

CPU Cache RAM

Why CPU access Cache Memory?

o The CPU access the cache memory as it owns faster speed. This means the CPU isn’t slow
down by having to wait for data from the RAM.

What is Virtual Memory?

o Virtual memory is an area of the hard disk drive or solid-state drive used a temporary
RAM when the actual RAM is full.

What is swapping data?

o If there is no free memory the memory manager will swap out some of the data stored in
the RAM to swap on the hard disk drive.

Disadvantages of Virtual Memory;

o The read/write speed of a hard disk is much slower than RAM.

o If the system has to rely too heavily on virtual memory, there will be a significant drop of
performance.
o The OS (operating system) constantly swap information back between RAM and the disk
drive leads to disk thrashing.
 Fetch-decode-execute in detail
Von Neumann Model

CPU

ALU CU

Registers

Input Output

RAM
What is the CPU?
o A hardware device that carries out the processing in a computer.
o ALU
o CU
o Registers

What is the Arithmetical Logical Unit (ALU)?

o The part of the CPU that performs calculations and logical operations.

What is the Control Unit (CU)?

o The part of the CPU that organizes the actions of the other parts of the CPU.
o The steps of a cycle are controlled by the control unit and synchronized by an electronic
clock.
o The clock speed of the CPU is 2.2 GHz (2200 million).
What is a register?
o A storage location inside a CPU used to hold an instruction, address or other single items of
data.
o Current Instruction Register (CIR)- this holds the instructions currently being
executed.
o Program counter (PC)- this holds the memory address of the next instruction
to be fetched.
o Accumulator (ACC)- this holds the results of calculations performed by ALU.
All input and output from the CPU halves through the accumulator.
o Memory Data Register (MDR)- a temporary store for anything copied from
memory.
o Memory Address Register (MAR)- this stores the memory location where
data is currently being written to or read from.

What is a bus?
o A group of connections between devices in a computer
o Address Bus- carries memory addresses between the CPU and
memory to identify a memory location.
o Data Bus- carries the value to be read from or written to memory.
o Control Bus- carries the signal that determine to read or write the
data.

What is the bus width?

o The number of connections on a bus.
o The greater the bus width means larger number values can be communicated.
o 8-bit address register send values from;
o 8 bits → 0000 0000 (0) to 1111 1111 (255)
o 32-bit computer can address up to 4 GB or RAM.
 String
What is string?
o Data type that is used to represent as sequence or characters such as numbers text spaces
and punctuation.
o String must be enclosed in question marks.
What are the uses of a string?
o Strings are useful with communication.
o To enter some information into a program.
o Display the output of the program in format that human can read and understand.
What is string indexing?
o Each character in a string has an index number with the first character the position zero.
o You can use the index to refer individual character in a string.

Fetch Decode Execute

o The CU places the o CU analysis the o The instruction is
memory address of the contents of the completed by the CPU.
next instruction. register and sends
o It also sends signal to signal to the other
the control bus parts.
requesting to read
from the memory.
o The memory receives
the signal and looks up
that memory location.
o The data in the
memory is copied to
the data bus.
o The CPU copies this
into a special register.

What are the factors that affect the CPU performance?

o Clock speed
o This determines the rate at which instructions are carried out each second.
o The clock speed is measured in Hertz.
o 3.6 GHz carried out 3.6 billion calculations per second.
 o Disadvantages

o The instructions are processed by transistors and the rate at which they
operate is limited.
o The processor generates a larger amount of heat and this increases as the
clock speed increases.
o Processors with clock speed of 9 GHz require cooling by liquid nitrogen.

o Number of Processor cores

o A core is an independent processor in the CPU
o Single core- 1
o Dual core- 2
o Quad core- 4
o Penta core- 5
o Octa core- 8
o Deca core- 10
What is the difference between Multicore processor, Dual core processor and
single core processor?
o A multicore processor is a processor with many processor cores. A dual core processor is a
processor with two processor cores and a single core processor is a processor with only one
processor core.

o Advantages of Multicore processor and single core processor

o Together on the same program. This is called parallel processing.

o On different programs at the same time. This is called multi-tasking.

o Limitations
o They might be sequential so that one task requires output from a previous task.
o This means the 2nd task cannot start until the 1st task has finished.

o Size of Cache
o The cache is located on the processor chip.
o The fastest is L1 cache and smaller than L2 and L3 caches.
o The L1 cache checks first followed by L2 and then L3.
o L3 cache shares all the cores.
o With a larger caches a greater probability that instructions or data items to be
fetched so the RAM will not needed to be accessed.