UTS Wanago – SDD Preliminary – Unit 1.

2 - Hardware and Software

Lesson 5 Textbook Tasks

Tasks:
1. Individual Task Activity – ‘Consider either your home or classroom computer as a system.
Identify each component. Group these component elements as either hardware, software, data,
personnel or procedures.’ Textbook Chapter 2 pg49 (Davis SDD Preliminary 2 nd Ed 2011)

Class Tasks:
1. Group Task Discussion – ‘The above video arcade game system can be viewed as a series of sub-
systems. List and describe a series of sub-systems contained within a typical video arcade game
machine.’ Textbook Chapter 2 pg50 (Davis SDD Preliminary 2 nd Ed 2011)

2. Group Task Discussion – ‘In the above system, the cash register, lottery computer and EFTPOS
systems are not electronically linked. Procedures performed by the sales staff provide this link.
Describe the likely steps performed by a sales assistant when a customer purchases a lottery
ticket using EFTPOS.’ Textbook Chapter 2 pg51 (Davis SDD Preliminary 2 nd Ed 2011)

3. Group Task Discussion – ‘For each of the above scenarios list and describe elements of the
system in terms of hardware, software, data, personnel and procedures.’ Textbook Chapter 2
pg51 (Davis SDD Preliminary 2nd Ed 2011)

4. Group Task Discussion – ‘Software developers need to consider more than just the hardware on
which their systems will run. Why is this necessary? Discuss using examples from the above
scenarios to justify your answers.’ Textbook Chapter 2 pg51 (Davis SDD Preliminary 2 nd Ed 2011)

5. Group Task Activity – ‘There are many other input devices that collect movement data similar to
that collected by a mouse. Create a list of such devices.’ Textbook Chapter 2 pg55 (Davis SDD
Preliminary 2nd Ed 2011)

6. Group Task Discussion – ‘A mouse is rarely used to input text, rather they are used to initiate
actions or simplify user input. Describe examples where a mouse is used and then discuss
reasons why the mouse is a more useful device for these types of inputs compared to a
keyboard.’ Textbook Chapter 2 pg55 (Davis SDD Preliminary 2 nd Ed 2011)

7. Group Task Activity – ‘A barcode is scanned using an LED barcode scanner and the following
stream of bits is produced: 000000110011000000111111001100111111 Draw the most likely
original barcode.’ Textbook Chapter 2 pg57 (Davis SDD Preliminary 2 nd Ed 2011)

8. Group Task Discussion – ‘The pixels (picture elements) in many images use 24 bits per pixel. 8
bits are used to represent red, 8 bits for green and 8 bits for blue. How many different colours
are possible and how much memory is required to represent an image with a resolution of 1680
by 1050 pixels?’ Textbook Chapter 2 pg58 (Davis SDD Preliminary 2 nd Ed 2011)

9. Group Task Discussion – ‘Some scanners use 36 or even 42 bits internally to represent each pixel,
yet they only output 24 bit per pixel images. Why would this be? Discuss’ Textbook Chapter 2
pg59 (Davis SDD Preliminary 2nd Ed 2011)
10. Group Task Discussion – ‘The packaging of a scanner implies it is able to scan at 2400dpi, you
know the CCD contains just 600 sensors per inch. What is going on? Discuss’ Textbook Chapter 2
pg59 (Davis SDD Preliminary 2nd Ed 2011)

11. Group Task Discussion – ‘CD quality sound uses 16-bit samples recorded at a frequency of
44.1kHz. Assuming 2 channels (stereo) calculate the raw storage required for a particular song.
Examine the actual size of the song file and determine the compression ratio.’ Textbook Chapter
2 pg63 (Davis SDD Preliminary 2nd Ed 2011)

12. Group Task Discussion – ‘Many video cards contain large amounts of VRAM, whilst others utilise
part of main memory (RAM). Discuss advantages and disadvantages of each of these
approaches.’ Textbook Chapter 2 pg66 (Davis SDD Preliminary 2 nd Ed 2011)

13. Group Task Discussion – ‘Many users of intensive graphics applications install more powerful
video cards containing large amounts of VRAM. Identify applications where the purchase of such
high performance video cards is justified.‘ Textbook Chapter 2 pg66 (Davis SDD Preliminary 2 nd
Ed 2011)

14. Group Task Discussion – ‘LCD based computer monitors have almost completely replaced CRT
based monitors. Why do you think this has occurred? Discuss.‘ Textbook Chapter 2 pg68 (Davis
SDD Preliminary 2nd Ed 2011)

15. Group Task Discussion – ‘TFT based monitors include capacitors that maintain the electrical
current in each pixel between screen refreshes. How is the screen image maintained between
refreshes within CRT based monitors? Discuss.’ Textbook Chapter 2 pg69 (Davis SDD Preliminary
2nd Ed 2011)

16. Group Task Activity – ‘Dots per inch (dpi) and also dot pitch (width of each pixel in mm) are
common measures of screen definition or crispness. If a screen is 12 inches (305mm) wide and
has a resolution of 1024 × 768 pixels, calculate its dpi and dot pitch.’ Textbook Chapter 2 pg69
(Davis SDD Preliminary 2nd Ed 2011)

17. Group Task Discussion – ‘Discuss similarities and differences between computer monitors and
projectors. Consider the signal received from the computer together with the operation of the
device as part of your discussion.’ Textbook Chapter 2 pg73 (Davis SDD Preliminary 2 nd Ed 2011)

18. Group Task Discussion – ‘Identify applications where it is useful for sound to be both input and
output simultaneously.’ Textbook Chapter 2 pg76 (Davis SDD Preliminary 2 nd Ed 2011)

19. HSC Style Question (and suggested solutions) – ‘Explain how CRT monitors operate.’ Textbook
HSC Style Question Chapter 2 pgs78 (Davis SDD Preliminary 2 nd Ed)

20. Group Task Discussion – ‘If Level 1 Cache is so fast then why not make primary memory just one
huge Level 1 Cache? Discuss with regard to cost, speed and communication with other devices.’
Textbook Chapter 2 pg81 (Davis SDD Preliminary 2 nd Ed 2011)

21. Group Task Discussion – ‘Why do you think the D in DRAM stands for dynamic and the S in SRAM
stands for static? Discuss.’ Textbook Chapter 2 pg82 (Davis SDD Preliminary 2 nd Ed 2011)

22. Group Task Activity – ‘Explain how 1024 cylinders, 255 heads and 63 sectors per track equates to
a storage capacity of 8.4Gb?’ Textbook Chapter 2 pg86 (Davis SDD Preliminary 2 nd Ed 2011)
23. Group Task Discussion – ‘Buffers are used primarily to assist the movement of data between
hardware devices operating at different speeds. CAV optical drives also contain a buffer; discuss
how such a buffer would operate during data retrieval from a complete track.’ Textbook Chapter
2 pg89 (Davis SDD Preliminary 2nd Ed 2011)

24. HSC Style Question (and suggested solutions) – ‘Name a storage device and explain how binary
data is physically stored on this device.’ Textbook HSC Style Question Chapter 2 pgs97 (Davis
SDD Preliminary 2nd Ed)