Section one: Computer Systems

Section one: Computer Systems

1. A Computer is a Machine that Processes Data

   • 1) The purpose of a computer is to take data, process it, then output it. Computers were created to help process data and complete tasks more efficiently than humans.

2. Embedded systems are Computers inside a Larger System

   • 1) Embedded systems are Computers built into other devices, like dishwashers, microwaves and TVs. They are usually dedicated systems.
   • 2) Embedded systems are often used as control systems - they monitor and control machinery in order to achieve a desired result.
   • 3) As they're dedicated to a single task, embedded systems are usually easier to design, cheaper to produce, and more efficient at doing their task than a general purpose computer.

3. Computers contain Components which Work Together

   • This section is all about the main hardware components of a computer. As a genuinely fun warm-up, lets take a look inside a typical desktop PC.
     • In a computer, clock speed refers to the number of pulses per second generated by an oscillator that sets the tempo for the processor. Clock speed is usually measured in MHz (megahertz, or millions of pulses per second) or GHz (gigahertz, or billions of pulses per second).
       • clock speed

4. Secondary storage

   • capacity
   • characteristics
     • cache size

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