Teaching students about the architecture of computer science and technology.

1. Academic Content Workshop
(ACW)
Computer Science
Computer Architecture Basics
Created by Simon

2. Objectives
By the end of today’s class you should be able to:
• Identify the main parts of a typical computer.
• Discuss possible future developments in data
storage.

3. Hardware vs Software
What is the difference?
Discuss in small groups.
What is the difference, exactly?

4. What's the other word we might associate with electronic devices that
ends in 'ware'?
(Hint: We might use this word in everyday English to describe something
which has a texture between 'hard' and 'soft')

5. Before we continue...
What is the difference between
HTML and RAM?
Hint: Think of how we pronounce them...
Other than one is software and one is hardware.

6. So the difference is that, with an acronym, we pronounce
the abbreviation as a word, with an initialism we say it
only as individual letters.

7. We are going to watch our first video of this class.
We have three to watch in total (!), but they are all only
5 minutes long each.
On the next slide there are five questions about the
video...

8. VIDEO#1 - QUESTIONS
(take a photo!)
1. Is the dog male or female?
2. What console does Jerome work on?
3. What is the master chip called?
4. In what format are the commands processed by the master
chip (HINT 0s or 1s ONLY)?
5. What is the master program called?

9. OK, let's watch video#1 ...

10. VIDEO#1 QUESTIONS + ANSWERS
1. Is the dog male or female?
2. What console does Jerome work on?
3. What is the master chip called?
4. In what format are the commands
processed by the master chip?
5. What is the master program called?
Female (her job is to nap...)
Xbox
Central Processing Unit
(CPU)
0s and 1s only is binary
Operating System
(OS)

11. What hardware components of a
computer can you name?

13. VIDEO#2 - QUESTIONS
(take a photo!)
1. What part of a computer handles a mouse click?
2. What does this part do to let the CPU know the mouse has been clicked?
3. What expression means being able to do more than one activity at once?
4. How is human-readable code turned into language that a computer can
understand?
5. What do we call devices that are attached to a computer (e.g. printer,
scanner etc.) ?

14. OK, let's watch video#2 ...

15. BREAK

16. VIDEO#2 - QUESTIONS + ANSWERS
1. What part of a computer handles a mouse click?
2. What does this part do to let the CPU know the
mouse has been clicked?
3. What expression means being able to do more
than one activity at once?
4. How is human-readable code turned into
language that a computer can understand?
5. What do we call devices that are attached to a
computer (e.g. printer, scanner etc.) ?
Input/Output
(I/O) subsystem
It generates an
interrupt
Multi-task
It’s compiled
Peripherals

17. Not all human-readable code is turned
into language that a computer can
understand by a compiler.
What alternative method is there?
Discuss in small groups.
What alternative method is there to a compiler?

18. In a compiled language, the target machine directly translates
the program.
In an interpreted language, the source code is not directly
translated by the target machine.
Instead, a different program, aka the interpreter, reads and
executes the code.

19. RAM vs ROM.
What is the a difference?
DRAM vs SRAM.
What is the a difference?
RAM is Random Access Memory (we CAN use it for storage)
ROM is Read Only Memory (we CANNOT use it - it contains
bootstrap code, the bare minimum code needed to start the
computer up).
(There are other differences too...)
Let’s watch video#3 to find out...

20. VIDEO#3 - QUESTIONS
(You will be able to read the transcript after the video + see if you can answer these
questions.
However try and listen out for them when we watch the video)
1. What type of memory needs recharging periodically to prevent data loss,
DRAM or SRAM?
2. What is memory latency?
3. What kind of storage uses floating gate transistors?

21. OK, let's watch video#3...

22. VIDEO#3 - QUESTIONS + ANSWERS
1. What type of memory needs recharging
periodically to prevent data loss, DRAM or
SRAM?
2. What is memory latency?
3. What kind of storage uses floating gate
transistors?
DRAM
(Dynamic..., vs
Static)
the time between initiating a request for a byte or word
in memory until it is retrieved by a processor.
SSD (Solid-State
Drives)

23. Key Terms + Vocabulary Review...
We have encountered lots of new vocabulary today, some of
it being more important than the rest.
The following are key terms that you should try and
remember the meaning, pronunciation and spelling of.
We will no doubt see some, if not all, of this vocabulary next
time!

24. Try and match the term to the definition
1. Central Processing Unit
(CPU)
2. Memory
3. Binary
4. Operating System (OS)
5. Compiled
6. Peripheral
7. Interrupt
8. Multi-task
A. Stores information for immediate use.
B. Human readable code that has been turned into
machine readable code
C. A mouse or keyboard for example.
D. Base-2 numbering system (0 or 1)
E. A signal that gets the attention of the master chip in
response to a key press or movement of the mouse.
F. The ability to do more than one thing at a time.
G. The master chip - the brains of a computer.
H. Manages hardware, software and provides common
services.

25. Answers...
A. Stores information for immediate use.
B. Human readable code that has been turned into
machine readable code
C. A mouse or keyboard for example.
D. Base-2 numbering system (0 or 1)
E. A signal that gets the attention of the master chip in
response to a key press or movement of the mouse.
F. The ability to do more than one thing at a time.
G. The master chip - the brains of a computer.
H. Manages hardware, software and provides common
services.
2. Memory (e.g. DRAM/SRAM)
5. Compiled (code)
6. Peripheral
3. Binary
7. Interrupt
8. Multi-task
1. Central Processing Unit (CPU)
4. Operating System (OS)

26. Homework