TMA 6

Q1.

a) Draw a mesh topology.

b) Draw a star topology.

c) Draw a bus topology.

d) Draw a ring topology.

Q2. The desktop computer has an operating system, which uses a GUI.

Describe three functions of this type of interface.

Q3. State two reasons why a computer needs interfaces to connect peripheral devices to the processor.

Q4 Explain why using cache memory is one way of getting round the Von Neumann bottleneck.

Q5. Explain why increasing the data and address bus affects system performance.

Q6. Describe two characteristics of a bus topology that can be described as flaws. I.e. slows the network down.

Q7. Describe the term “parity check”.

Q8. What is the purpose of a checksum?

Q9. Explain the term “access rights”.

Q10. What is data integrity?

Extension Question.

A computer has a 24-bit address bus and a 16-bit data bus.

a) Calculate the maximum amount of addressable memory that the computers processor could access.

b) Throughput is one way of measuring a computer’s processing power. Describe two developments in the internal organisation of computers which have increased throughput.