The purpose of the CPU: The fetch-execute cycle
Common CPU components and their function: ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit); CU (Control Unit); Cache; Registers
Von Neumann architecture: MAR (Memory Address Register); MDR (Memory Data Register); Program Counter; Accumulator
How common characteristics of CPUs affect their performance: Clock speed; Cache size; Number of cores
The purpose and characteristics of embedded systems
Examples of embedded systems
The need for primary storage
The difference between RAM and ROM
The purpose of ROM in a computer system
The purpose of RAM in a computer system
The need for secondary storage
Common types of storage: Optical; Magnetic; Solid state
Suitable storage devices and storage media for a given application
The units of data storage: Bit; Nibble (4 bits); Byte (8 bits); Kilobyte (1,000 bytes or 1 KB); Megabyte (1,000 KB); Gigabyte (1,000 MB); Terabyte (1,000 GB); Petabyte (1,000 TB)
How data needs to be converted into a binary format to be processed by a computer
Data capacity and calculation of data capacity requirements
How to convert positive denary whole numbers to binary numbers (up to and including 8 bits) and vice versa
How to add two binary integers together (up to and including 8 bits) and explain overflow errors which may occur
How to convert positive denary whole numbers into 2-digit hexadecimal numbers and vice versa
Types of compression: Lossy; Lossless
Types of network: LAN (Local Area Network); WAN (Wide Area Network)
Common protocols including: TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol); HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol); HTTPS (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure); FTP (File Transfer Protocol); POP (Post Office Protocol); IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol); SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol)
Forms of attack: malware; Social engineering, e.g. phishing, people as the ‘weak point’; Brute-force attacks; Denial of service attacks; Data interception and theft; The concept of SQL injection
The purpose and functionality of operating systems: User interface; Memory management and multitasking; Peripheral management and drivers; User management; File management
The purpose and functionality of utility software
Impacts of digital technology on wider society including: Ethical issues; Legal issues; Cultural issues; Environmental issues; Privacy issues
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