Qualification: / BTEC National Level 3 / Certificate
Subject: / Information Technology
Unit number + Title / 2. Computer Systems
Assignment number + Title: / 1. Decoding the Jargon
Assessment Criteria: / P1 P2 M1
Purpose / Aims (learning outcomes) / LO1 Understand the components of computer systems
P1 Explain the function of computer hardware components
P2 Explain the purpose of operating systems
M1 Compare the features and functions of different operating systems
Introduction (Scenario) / You have been approached by a small business ‘ABEC Media’ (selling music & film memorabilia) who are in the process of transferring from a paper-based system to a computerised one. The owners are not particularly ICT savvy, but are keen to be involved in all aspects of the introduction of the new system so that they can maximise all of the potential benefits.
You have been asked to create an information leaflet (in publisher) that will be made available for ABEC Media staff who may have little or no understanding of how a computer’s hardware components work.
Additionally, your leaflet will also provide an explanation of the purpose, features and functions of different operating systems software too.
No / Criteria
Tasks / 1 / Use publisher to produce an information ‘Dummies Guide’ leaflet (using both words & pictures) that explains the purpose of the following categories of computer hardware components:
1.  Internal system unit components
2.  Peripherals
3.  Backing storage
It is important that your guide also, where appropriate, indicates how each component is connected & how it communicates within the computer system:
1.  Internal System Unit Components
·  Processors - explanation of the function & different types of processors:
ü  What is a processor?
ü  What does a processor do? What is its purpose?
ü  What are the different types of processors:
è  What is a single core?
è  What is a dual core?
ü  What is used to define processor performance?
è  What is clock speed?
è  What is cache size?
ü  What other hardware components does a processor communicate with?
·  Motherboard: explanation of the function & main features of motherboards, including:
ü  What is a motherboard?
ü  What does a motherboard do? What is its purpose?
è  What are the different types of motherboards? Include ‘built in functions’ & multifunction motherboards in your answer.
è  What is a processor socket type?
è  What is the front side bus speed?
è  What can be connected to a motherboard? Include both internal (PCI, memory) & external (keyboard, mouse, USB) connectors in your answer).
ü  What other hardware components does a processor communicate with?
·  BIOS: explanation of the function of the BIOS:
ü  What is a BIOS?
ü  What does the BIOS do? What is its purpose?
è  Where is the BIOS stored on the motherboard?
è  What checks does the BIOS perform on system start up?
ü  What other hardware components does the BIOS communicate with?
·  Power supply unit (PSU): explanation of the function of the power supply:
ü  What is a power supply unit?
ü  What is the purpose of a power supply unit? What does it do?
ü  What are the different types of power supplies?
ü  What components does the PSU supply power to?
·  Fan & heat sink
ü  What is a fan & heat sink?
ü  What is the purpose of a fan & heat sink? What does it do?
ü  What are the different types of fan & heat sinks?
ü  What hardware components does a fan & heat sink communicate with?
·  Hard drive configuration & controllers
ü  What is a ‘master’ hard drive configuration?
ü  What is the purpose of a ’master’ hard drive configuration? What does it do?
ü  What is a ‘slave’ hard drive configuration?
ü  What is the purpose of a ’slaver’ hard drive configuration? What does it do?
ü  What is a hard drive controller?
ü  What is the purpose of a hard drive controller? What does it do?
ü  Select two of these hard drive controllers:
o  SATA
o  IDE
o  EIDE
What do they connect? How much data do they transfer per second?
ü  What hardware components does a hard drive controller communicate with?
·  Ports
ü  What are ports?
ü  What is the purpose of a port? What does a port do?
ü  Select USB ports & one other (either parallel or serial):
o  USB ports
è  What does USB stand for?
è  Why is USB technology the most popular type of connector
è  What hardware does USB technology connect to?
o  Parallel ports
è  What is a parallel port?
è  What peripherals (output, input, cabling or backing storage – see below) does a parallel port connect to?
o  Serial ports
è  What is a serial port?
è  What peripherals (output, input, cabling or backing storage – see below) does a serial port connect to?
·  Internal memory
ü  RAM & ROM:
o  RAM
è  What does RAM stand for?
è  What is the purpose of RAM memory? What does it do?
è  What are the different types of RAM?
è  How much temporary data can RAM store?
è  What other hardware components does RAM communicate with?
o  ROM
è  What does ROM stand for?
è  What is the purpose of ROM memory? What does it do?
è  What other hardware components does ROM communicate with?
·  Specialised cards
ü  What are specialised cards?
ü  What is the purpose of specialised cards? What does a specialised card do?
ü  Select one of these specialised cards (either network or graphics):
o  Network cards
è  What is the purpose of a network card? What do they do?
è  What are ‘wired’ network cards? What is their speed?
è  What are ‘wireless’ network cards?
è  What is their speed?
o  Graphics cards
è  What is the purpose of a graphics card? What do they do?
è  What are the different types of graphics cards?
è  What other hardware components do graphics cards communicate with?
2.  Peripherals:
·  Output devices
ü  Select two of these output devices (from either monitor, printer or plotter):
o  Monitor
è  What is the purpose of a monitor? What do they do?
è  What are the different types of monitors available?
o  Printer
è  What is the purpose of a printer? What do they do?
è  What are the different types of printers available?
è 
o  Plotter
è  What is the purpose of a plotter? What do they do?
è  What are the different types of plotters available?
·  Input devices
ü  Select one of these output devices (from either camera or scanner):
o  Camera
è  What is the purpose of a camera? What do they do?
è  What are the different types of cameras available?
o  Printer
è  What is the purpose of a scanner? What do they do?
è  What are the different types of scanners available?
·  Cabling
ü  Select two of these cabling types (from either coaxial, optical or twisted pair):
o  Coaxial
è  What is coaxial cabling? What does it do?
è  Where are coaxial cables used?
è  How much data can coaxial cables transfer (megabits per second)?
o  Optical
è  What is optical cabling? What does it do?
è  Where are optical cables used?
è  How much data can optical cables transfer (megabits per second)?
o  Twisted Pair
è  What is twisted pair cabling? What does it do?
è  Where are twisted pair cables used?
è  How much data can twisted pair cables transfer (megabits per second)?
3.  Backing Storage:
·  Types
ü  Select two of these types of backing storage (from either floppy disks, pen drives, optical media (CDs, DVDs) or flash memory cards):
o  Floppy disks
è  What is a floppy disk? What does it do?
è  How do floppy disks transfer data to the computer? How is it plugged in/connected to the pc?
è  How much data can floppy disks transfer? What is its capacity? What is its data transfer rate?
o  Pen drives
è  What is a pen drive? What does it do?
è  How do pen drives transfer data to the computer? How is it plugged in/connected to the pc?
è  How much data can pen drives transfer? What is its capacity? What is its data transfer rate?
o  Optical media
è  What is optical media (CDs, DVDs)? What does it do?
è  How do optical media transfer data to the computer? How is it plugged in/connected to the pc?
è  How much data optical media transfer? What is its capacity? What is its data transfer rate?
o  Flash memory cards
è  What is a flash memory card? What does it do?
è  How do flash memory cards transfer data to the computer? How is it plugged in/connected to the pc?
è  How much data can flash memory cards transfer? What is its capacity? What is its data transfer rate?
·  Portable and fixed drives
ü  What is a portable drive?
ü  What does a portable drive do? What is its purpose?
ü  How do portable drives transfer data to the computer? How is it plugged in/connected to the pc?
ü  How much data can portable drives transfer? What is its capacity? What is its data transfer rate?
ü  What is a fixed drive?
ü  What does a fixed drive do? What is its purpose?
ü  How do fixed drives transfer data to the computer? How is it plugged in/connected to the pc?
ü  How much data can fixed drives transfer? What is its capacity? What is its data transfer rate?
/ P1
2 / Now that ‘ABEC Media’ has a much better understanding of hardware components, you feel that it is equally important for your client to understand about Operating Systems software too.
In an additional ‘Dummies Guide’ section, provide an outline explanation of the following aspect of operating systems (P2):
·  Operating system software
ü  What is an operating system?
ü  What does an operating system do? What is its purpose?
·  Different types of operating systems
ü  Select two of these types of operating systems (from either Windows, MAC OS, LINUX or DOS):
o  Windows
è  What is the name of the manufacturer of this operating system?
è  How many versions of this manufacturer’s operating system have been released to date? What are their names?
è  What type of operating system is this? Command Line or GUI (Graphical User Interface)?
o  MAC OS
è  What is the name of the manufacturer of this operating system?
è  How many versions of this manufacturer’s operating system have been released to date? What are their names?
è  What type of operating system is this? Command Line or GUI (Graphical User Interface)?
o  LINUX
è  What is the name of the manufacturer of this operating system?
è  How many versions of this manufacturer’s operating system have been released to date? What are their names?
è  What type of operating system is this? Command Line or GUI (Graphical User Interface)?
o  DOS
è  What is the name of the manufacturer of this operating system?
è  How many versions of this manufacturer’s operating system have been released to date? What are their names?
è  What type of operating system is this? Command Line or GUI (Graphical User Interface)?
·  Command Line Operating Systems
ü  What is a command line operating system?
ü  Which operating systems are command line operating systems?
ü  What are the advantages of command line operating systems?
ü  What are the disadvantages of command line operating systems?
·  GUI (Graphical User Interface) Operating Systems
ü  What is a GUI operating system?
ü  Which operating systems are GUI operating systems?
ü  What are the advantages of GUI operating systems?
ü  What are the disadvantages of GUI operating systems?
·  Device drivers
ü  What is a device driver?
ü  What does a device driver do? What is their purpose? Why are they needed?
ü  Why are device drivers sometimes upgraded?
ü  Which hardware components from P1 would need a driver?
·  Operating System Functions & Services?
ü  Select two of these functions & services (from either machine & peripheral management, security or file management):
o  Machine & peripheral management
è  What is operating system ‘machine & peripheral management’?
è  What does operating system machine & peripheral management do? What is its purpose?
o  Security
è  What is operating system ‘security’?
è  What does operating system ‘security’ do? What is its purpose?
o  File Management
è  What is operating system ‘file management’?
è  What does operating system ‘file management’ do? What is its purpose?
·  What are Operating System Features?
ü  Select three of these features (ability to customise, support for connectivity of portable media, stability & reliability, ease of management, associated utilities or cost & support for the user):
o  Ability to customise
è  What is operating system ‘ability to customise’?
è  What does operating system ‘ability to customise’ involve? What is its purpose?
o  Support for connectivity
è  What is operating system ‘support for connectivity of portable media’?
è  What does operating system ‘support for connectivity of portable media’ involve? What is its purpose?
o  Stability & reliability
è  What is operating system ‘stability & reliability’?
è  What does operating system ‘stability & reliability’ involve? What is its purpose?
o  Ease of management
è  What is operating system ‘ease of management’?
è  What does operating system ‘ease of management’ involve? What is its purpose?
o  Associated utilities
è  What is operating system ‘associated utilities’?
è  What does operating system ‘associated utilities’ involve? What is its purpose?
o  Cost & support for the user
è  What is operating system ‘cost & support for the user’?
è  What does operating system ‘cost & support for the user involve? What is its purpose?
In a table at the end of your ‘Dummies Guide’ leaflet, compare the features functions of two of the following leading Operating Systems: (M1)