Unit A451 Computer Systems and Programming

2.1.1 Fundamentals
a) Computer system definitions
b) Importance of systems
c) Reliability
d) Professional standards
e) Ethical, environmental and
legal issues

2.1.2 Computer hardware
a) Purpose of the CPU
b) Function of the CPU
c) CPU characteristics
d) Binary
e) Logic diagrams
f) Truth tables
g) RAM v ROM
h) ROM
i) RAM
j) RAM and performance
k) Virtual memory
l) Cache
m) Flash memory
n) Memory technologies
o) The need for I/O devices
p) Input devices
q) Output devices
r) I/O and specific needs
s) Secondary storage
t) Common technologies
u) Suitable storage devices

2.1.3 Software
a) Operating system functions
b) Common utility programs
c) Types of software

2.1.4 Data representation
a) Units of storage
b) Converting to binary
c) Converting to binary
d) Binary addition
e) Hexadecimal conversion
f) Binary - Hex conversion
g) The need for Hex
h) Binary codes
i) Character sets
j) Representing characters
k) Images as pixels
l) Metadata
m) Colour depth and resolution
n) Storing sound
o) Size and quality of sound files
p) Instructions as bit patterns
q) Instructions and data

2.1.5 Databases
a) Definition of a database
b) Data handling software
c) Introduction to a DBMS
d) Features of a DBMS
e) Entities and tables
f) Components of a database
g) Logical operators
h) Key fields
i) Data validation

2.1.6 Networks
a) Networks v standalone PCs
b) Network hardware
c) Types of networks
d) Topologies
e) LANs and WANs
f) Network terminology
g) Network security
h) Network policies
i) The Internet
j) Connecting to the Internet
k) IP addressing and DNS
l) HTML
m) Common file standards
n) File compression
o) Lossy and lossless

2.1.7 Programming
a) Understanding algorithms
b) Pseudocode & flow diagrams
c) High level v machine code
d) Introduction to translators
e) Characteristics of translators
f) IDEs
g) Sequence
h) Selection
i) Iteration
j) Variables and constants
k) Use variables and constants
l) Introduction to data types
m) Justifying data types
n) Common operations on data o) One dimensional arrays
p) Syntax and logic errors
q) Understanding errors
r) Test data