Nt1310 Central Processing Unit

a. Central Processing Unit (CPU) The Central Processing Unit is the primarily segment of a computer system that executes the computer’s functions. It also performs instructions from computer programs. The CPU controls the operating system and applications, continually receiving input from software programs or user and producing output. For many years it has been a common practice to have CPU with one processor, the actual chip inside the CPU that deals with mathematical calculus. The technology advancement however bought us the dual-core CPU (2 processors) and the quad-core CPU (4 processors/cores).

b. Expansion Bus The expansion bus acts as a pathway to exchange data between internal hardware (RAM, CPU) and expansion devices

Since each wire can carry a single bit of information, the more wires a bus has, the more information it can address. The earliest type of expansion bus was the ISA, still on the market. Used with IBM-compatible computers, it was able to support a video card, a network card or other serial ports.

c. Basic Input / Output System (BIOS) The BIOS is a software located on the motherboard, in a small memory chip. Its firmware is non-volatile, indicating that its settings can be saved and recovered even after the event of a power cut. The BIOS acts as a guide for the computer, providing instructions to perform a multitude of tasks, such as booting or keyboard control. The software can also be used to determine and configure the hardware (floppy drive, CPU, memory et al). Unlike operating systems, which require installation, the BIOS is already pre-installed, all modern computer motherboards having a BIOS software.

Q1 (b)
The Operating

It is the operating system’s job to ensure that enough of the processor’s time have been allocated for each application or process that the user is trying to execute. Notably important for multitasking and for a smooth general usage. When the operating system wants to execute a program, it first has to locate the files in the storage drive, load the information towards the main memory and then instruct the central processing unit to begin executing the application from the beginning.
• Memory storage and management. The operating system has to ensure that for each process there is enough memory to permit proper functioning, as well as making sure that one task does not use the memory that was allocated towards a different process. The process of allocating a certain amount of memory towards a program is called partition. When the memory is full, the operating system starts to store copies into files in the hard