4.6 Fundamentals of computer systems
Hardware and software
Relationship between hardware and software
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Understand the relationship between hardware and software and be able to define the terms:
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Classification of software
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Explain what is meant by:
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Understand the need for, and attributes of, different types of software. |
System software
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Understand the need for, and functions of the following system software:
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Role of an operating system (OS)
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Understand that a role of the operating system is to hide the complexities of the hardware. |
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Know that the OS handles resource management, managing hardware to allocate processors, memories and I/O devices among competing processes. |
Classification of programming languages
Classification of programming languages
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Show awareness of the development of types of programming languages and their classification into low-and high-level languages. |
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Know that low-level languages are considered to be:
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Know that high-level languages include imperative high-level language. |
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Describe machine-code language and assembly language. |
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Understand the advantages and disadvantages of machine-code and assembly language programming compared with high-level language programming. |
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Explain the term ‘imperative high-level language’ and its relationship to low-level languages. |
Types of program translator
Types of program translator
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Understand the role of each of the following:
Explain the differences between compilation and interpretation. Describe situations in which each would be appropriate. |
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Explain why an intermediate language such as bytecode is produced as the final output by some compilers and how it is subsequently used. |
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Understand the difference between source code and object (executable) code. |
Logic gates
Logic gates
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Construct truth tables for the following logic gates:
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Students should know and be able to use ANSI/IEEE standard 91-1984 Distinctive shape logic gate symbols for these logic gates. |
Be familiar with drawing and interpreting logic gate circuit diagrams involving one or more of the above gates. |
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Complete a truth table for a given logic gate circuit. |
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Write a Boolean expression for a given logic gate circuit. |
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Draw an equivalent logic gate circuit for a given Boolean expression. |
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Recognise and trace the logic of the circuits of a half-adder and a full-adder. |
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Construct the circuit for a half-adder. |
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Be familiar with the use of the edge-triggered D-type flip-flop as a memory unit. |
Knowledge of internal operation of this flip-flop is not required. |
Boolean algebra
Using Boolean algebra
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Be familiar with the use of Boolean identities and De Morgan’s laws to manipulate and simplify Boolean expressions. |