Questionnaire About Computing Systems

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Question 1 The DMA, (Direct Memory Access), does not use a CPU but uses a direct memory access controller. Modern printers need to transfer large data and it needs to do this without overloading the CPU. Thus, if such printers use the CPU, there will be disruptions after each received character (to/from printer). When a fairly large data are transmitted, an ‘interrupt storm' and sluggish data transmission because the CPU would be too busy on the assignment. Also, most modern printers have their own internal memory, so that a block of characters can be transferred to the printer all at once. Consequently, the printer can print at its own rate without tying up the CPU. When the printer has completed printing and is ready to receive another set of data, it sends an interrupt to the CPU. Question 2 Vector graphics format relies upon mathematical rules and it uses binary codes to represent facts about an image such as size, type and orientation which can be later used for digital transmission. Basically, vector graphics involve: • Segments collection of straight and curved line • Use binary codes to represent object type, size and orientation • The most popular scheme to represent color is RGB (red-green-blue) • Colors are represented as a mixture of the proportion and intensity of RGB. In raster graphics, an image is represented as a two-dimensional array of spots, called pixels, which may take on the values black or white, or may be gray scale. This is also called also called “bitmap” image. Raster graphics is used for computer and facsimile image processing. Vector Graphics has some advantage over raster-based images in that the image quality (especially when replicated in bulky sizes) is better than what is obtained from a ra... ... middle of paper ... ...cates that processor speed in 1970s varied between 740 Kilo Hertz (KHz) and 8 Mega Hertz (MHz). But due to technology advancement, the period 2000 to 2009 experienced little in terms of speed difference. During this time period, the speeds varied between 1.3 GHz and 2.8 GHz. By implication, it means that the speeds have hardly doubled within a 10 year period. But if one looks at the number of transistors, then the law tend to be more accurate, for instance, between 2000 and 2009, there have been an increase in the number of transistors in the CPU. By implication, this suggests that the law is more accurate when applied to transistors than to speed. Presently, given the tremendous rate of growth in technology in recent times, this rapid increase in technological production has led to reductions in this period to less than every two years which was in the Moore’s law.

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