Computer Hardware
This section of the course is broken down into two sections. Below you can see the two sections as outlined by the CIE syllabus along with the requirements for each. You can use these requirements as a checklist for your revision and select from the tabs above to find out more.
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1.3.1 - Logic Gates
Use logic gates to create electronic circuits Understand and define the functions of NOT, AND, OR, NAND, NOR and XOR (EOR) gates Including the binary output produced from all the possible binary inputs (all gates, except the NOT gate, will have 2 inputs only) Draw truth tables and recognise a logic gate from its truth table Recognise and use the standard symbols used to represent logic gates: NOT AND OR NAND NOR XOR Produce truth tables for given logic circuits |
1.3.2 Computer Architecture and the fetch - execute cycle
Show understanding of the basic Von Neumann model for a computer system and the stored program concept (program instructions and data are stored in main memory and instructions are fetched and executed one after another) Describe the stages of the fetch-execute cycle, including the use of registers and buses |
1.3.5 Memory, storage devices and media
Show understanding of the difference between: primary, secondary and off-line storage and provide examples of each, such as: primary: Read Only Memory (ROM), and Random Access Memory (RAM) secondary: hard disk drive (HDD) and Solid State Drive (SSD); off-line: Digital Versatile Disc (DVD), Compact Disc (CD), Blu-ray disc, USB flash memory and removable HDD Describe the principles of operation of a range of types of storage device and media including magnetic, optical and solid state Describe how these principles are applied to currently available storage solutions, such as SSDs, HDDs, USB flash memory, DVDs, CDs and Blu-ray discs Calculate the storage requirement of a file |