Computer Science (9-1) - J277

Computer Science (9-1) - J277

1. 1.1 Systems architecture

   • 1.1.1 Architecture of the CPU
     • The purpose of the CPU: The Fetch-Execute Cycle
     • Common CPU components and their function: ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit), CU (Control Unit), Cache, Registers
     • Von Neumann architecture: MAR (Memory Address Register), MDR (Memory Data Register), Program Counter, Accumulator
   • 1.1.2 CPU performance
     • How common characteristics of CPUs affect their performance: Clock speed, Cache size, Number of cores
   • 1.1.3 Embedded systems
     • The purpose and characteristics of embedded systems
     • Examples of embedded systems

2. 1.2 Memory and storage

   • 1.2.1 Primary storage (Memory)
     • The need for primary storage
     • The difference between RAM and ROM
     • The purpose of ROM in a computer system
     • The purpose of RAM in a computer system
     • Virtual memory
   • 1.2.2 Secondary storage
     • The need for secondary storage
     • Common types of storage: Optical, Magnetic, Solid state
     • Suitable storage devices and storage media for a given application
     • The advantages and disadvantages of different storage devices and storage media relating to these characteristics: Capacity, Speed, Portability, Durability, Reliability, Cost
   • 1.2.3 Units of data storage
     • The units of data storage: Bit, Nibble (4 bits), Byte (8 bits), Kilobyte (1,000 bytes or 1 KB), Megabyte (1,000 KB), Gigabyte (1,000 MB), Terabyte (1,000 GB), Petabyte (1,000 TB)
     • How data needs to be converted into a binary format to be processed by a computer
     • Data capacity and calculation of data capacity requirements
   • 1.2.4 Data storage
     • Numbers
       • How to convert positive denary whole numbers to binary numbers (up to and including 8 bits) and vice versa
       • How to add two binary integers together (up to and including 8 bits) and explain overflow errors which may occur
       • How to convert positive denary whole numbers into 2-digit hexadecimal numbers and vice versa
       • How to convert binary integers to their hexadecimal equivalents and vice versa
       • Binary shifts
     • Characters
       • The use of binary codes to represent characters
       • The term ‘character set’
       • The relationship between the number of bits per character in a character set, and the number of characters which can be represented, e.g.: o ASCII and Unicode
   • 1.2.5 Compression

3. 1.3 Computer networks, connections and protocols

   • 1.3.1 Networks and topologies
   • 1.3.2 Wired and wireless networks, protocols and layers

4. 1.4 Network security

   • 1.4.1 Threats to computer systems and networks
   • 1.4.2 Identifying and preventing vulnerabilities

5. 1.5 Systems software

   • 1.5.1 Operating systems
   • 1.5.2 Utility software

6. 1.6 Ethical, legal, cultural and environmental impacts of digital technology

   • 1.6.1 Ethical, legal, cultural and environmental impact