Systems

Systems

1. Types of systems

   • Embedded Systems
     • An embedded system is a smaller system that is inside a large piece of equipment
     • Examples of embedded systems include a washing machine
   • Control Systems
     • A control system is a device, or set of devices, that manages, commands, directs or regulates the behaviour of other devices
     • An example of a control system would be a burglar alarm.
   • Expert Systems
     • An expert system is designed to behave like a human expert.
     • They have three computer parts:
       • A knowledge base (A database of facts or past results)
       • An inference engine (Software that makes judgements using the knowledge base)
       • An interface (To allow a human access to the system)
     • They are commonly used for:
       • Diagnosing diseases
       • Finding faults in machines
       • Making credit checks
   • Management information Systems
     • These bring together information from all parts of an organisation so that managers can make sensible decisions
     • They cover:
       • Technology
       • Data
       • People
     • They typically produce regular reports based on the organisations data
     • Examples of MIS include:
       • Decision supporting systems used by middle managers to support day-today decision making
       • School management information systems which deal with school administration teaching and learning

2. What is a system?

   • A computer system is a collection of parts which work together for a common purpose. For a system to be useful it must produce something (an Output)
   • To produce an output the system first needs inputs and to perform processes to achieve the desired output
   • Systems often interact with other systems. There may be many subsystems operating in one device. Connections between these subsystems are called interconnections
   • Systems can be natural or manmade.
     • Natural
       • Solar system
       • Respiratory system
       • Digestive system
     • Manmade
       • Cash machine
       • Underground networks
       • Holiday Booking Forms

3. Computer Systems

   • Features of a computer system
     • They are programmable
       • This means they can be made to perform different jobs and have different purposes
     • Computer systems are electric which means they are fast and reliable
   • ALL computer systems include:
     • Input Devices
     • A Storage Device
     • Output Devices
     • A processor
     • Software