Components of a Computer System (OCR Computer Science)

• The purpose of a computer is to take, process and output data
• A computer system consists of hardware and software that work together to process data / complete tasks

Hardware= Physical components that make up a computer system e.g. CPU, motherboard

Software= Programs and applications that a computer system runs e.g. OS, word processor

Embedded Systems

• Combinations of hardware and software that perform a specific function or perform specific functions within a larger system e.g. Printers, Microwaves, Thermostats

Benefits of using Embedded Systems

• Lower costs- Lower number of components needed compared to a computer
• Smaller size- The system will only need the necessary components to complete the task, making it smaller

• The brain of the computer system
• It processes all the data and instructions that make the system operate
• The performance of a CPU depends on clock speed, number of cores and cache size
• It has 3 main parts (CU, ALU, The cache)

Control Unit (CU)

• Executes program instructions
• Controls the flow of data in the CPU

Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)

• To carry out calculations
• It contains the accumulator register

The cache

• Small bits of very fast memory in the CPU (Slower than registers, faster than RAM)
• It stores regularly accessed data so that the CPU can access it quickly
• Expensive (compared to RAM and secondary storage)