CS1 Systems architecture personal learning checklist

OCR GCSE Computer Science J277 · Paper 1 · Specification 1.1

Support your confidence with explanations, workings, diagrams and tested code. Quick checks do not assess a complete program or evaluation.

Name ____________________ Class __________ Date __________

Tick one box per statement. Red: need help. Amber: partly confident. Green: can do independently.

I canRedAmberGreen
CPU architecture
Explain stored-program architecture and distinguish addresses from contents.
Describe fetching, decoding and executing an instruction.
Explain the distinct roles of the ALU and control unit.
Compare registers and cache as CPU working storage.
Explain the program counter and MAR using an address example.
Explain the MDR and accumulator using data and intermediate results.
Performance
Interpret clock speed and evaluate its effect on a stated workload.
Explain how cache size affects memory access and performance.
Evaluate core count, parallel work and other bottlenecks.
Embedded systems
Identify embedded systems and justify their purpose and characteristics.
Describe a dedicated controller's inputs, processing and outputs.

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