1st Year Computer Chapter 5 Notes

• What is meant by computer architecture?
• List out some important components of a Computer system.
• Define CPU. Define Control Unit.
• Define ALU. What is Main Memory?
• What is ROM? Define PROM. Define EPROM.
• Define EEPROM. Define bit and byte.
• Explain the function of the input/output unit.
• What is a computer bus? What is Data BUS?
• What do you mean by the Width of the Bus?
• What is Address Bus? What is a Control Bus?
• What is CPU Register?  What is a program counter (PC)?
• What is an Instruction Register (IR)?
• What is a memory address register (MAR)?
• What is MBR?  What is a stack pointer register?
• What are General Purpose Registers?  What is Segment Register?
• What is meant by an Instruction Set?
• Write down different types of operations performed by the CPU.
• What are Data Transfer Instructions?
• What are I/O Instructions?
• What are Control Transfer Instructions?
• What is meant by instruction format?
• What is the Zero-Address Instruction Format?
• What is the one-address Instruction Format?
• What is the Two-Address Instruction Format? 
• What is the three-address Instruction Format?
• What is Fetch-Decode-Execute Cycle?
• Define Fetch Instructions.
• Define Decode Instruction.
• Define Execute Instruction.
• What is an operating system?
• Write the main functions performed by the operating system.
• What is the Command Prompt interface?
• What is a computer programming Language?
• Define high-level programming languages.
• Define low-level programming languages.
• What is the difference between source code and object code?
• What is the function of a language translator?
• What is a compiler? What is Interpreter?
• What is Assembler?
• What are the disadvantages of an Interpreter?
• What is SRAM?  What is DRAM?
• Differentiate between RAM and ROM?
• State the use of serial port?
• State the use of parallel port.
• Describe assembly language.
• What are interrupts?  
• Define DMA. Explain cache memory.
• What is the concept of memory address?
• Why RAM is called volatile memory?
• What is bus interconnection?
• In 1951, Van Neumann and his team proposed a design of a stored program computer. According to his design a sequence of instructions (called a Program) and the data are stored in the memory of the machine. The machine reads the instructions one by one and executes these instructions accordingly. This seemingly simple design is proved to be very powerful and general purpose. It is the basis of most modern day computers. If we consider the architecture of the modern stored program machine the following are most important components Control Unit (CU): The control unit reads the instructions from the memory and decodes these instructions. This unit uses other components of the computer to execute the instructions given to the computer Arithmetic and Logical Unit (ALU): As the general-purpose computer can perform different arithmetic operations on the data so it has a special unit that has electronic circuits to perform the basic arithmetic and logical operations on the data. This is called the Arithmetic and Logical Unit or ALU. Main Memory: The stored program computer has another very important component that is use to store program and data while these are being executed. This unit is commonly known as the Main Memory of the computer. Sometimes we also call it the working area of the computer. The computer bus which is used to send different commands or signals from one component to another is called control bus. The control bus directly connects the CPU, main memory and I/O ports.