Digital Electronics: Flip-Flops and Memory

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Questions and Answers

What is the primary focus of the course Introduction to Computer Science?

Computer hardware architecture

Theory of algorithms

Data storage methods

Programming and problem solving (correct)

Which of the following components is not explicitly mentioned as part of the course content?

Arrays

Input and output statements

Networking protocols (correct)

Control structures

What percentage of the total grading is allocated to the final exam?

40% (correct)

50%

30%

60%

Which aspect of programming does the course specifically address?

Control structures Signup and view all the answers

What is the total point value for lab attendance and participation?

10 points Signup and view all the answers

Which programming language is primarily referenced in the course outline?

C++ Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the key processes included in the course content?

Program development process Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a type of examination included in the grading structure?

Lab exam Signup and view all the answers

What does SDRAM stand for?

Synchronous Dynamic RAM Signup and view all the answers

How many bytes are in 3 Megabytes (MB)?

3,145,728 bytes Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a characteristic of mass storage systems compared to main memory?

Ability to store data without power Signup and view all the answers

What type of storage system uses reflective material to store data?

Optical disks Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the main reasons for the use of flash drives?

They provide nonvolatile data storage Signup and view all the answers

Which of these is NOT a type of mass storage?

Synchronous DRAM Signup and view all the answers

What is the storage capacity range for a Compact Disk (CD)?

600 - 700 MB Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a disadvantage of main memory compared to mass storage?

Higher cost per unit of storage Signup and view all the answers

What happens when both input lines of a flip-flop circuit are set to 0?

The output will remain unchanged. Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of hexadecimal notation?

To provide a shorthand for long bit patterns. Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM)?

It requires periodic refreshing to maintain data. Signup and view all the answers

Which bit in a memory cell is referred to as the most significant bit (MSB)?

The leftmost bit. Signup and view all the answers

How many bits are typically in a single memory cell?

8 bits. Signup and view all the answers

How is a flip-flop circuit integral to computer systems?

It stores individual bits as part of main memory. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes VLSI technology?

The construction of miniature devices with millions of circuits on a chip. Signup and view all the answers

What defines Random Access Memory (RAM)?

Individual cells can be accessed in any order. Signup and view all the answers

What is the main difference between the binary system and the decimal system?

The binary system uses digits from 0 to 1. Signup and view all the answers

How do the digits to the right of the radix point in binary notation represent values?

They represent the fractional part with negative powers of 2. Signup and view all the answers

In two's complement notation, what does the leftmost bit indicate?

The sign of the value (+/-). Signup and view all the answers

What is the fixed number of bits commonly used in two's complement notation?

32 bits. Signup and view all the answers

What is the process to add binary numbers?

Add as in decimal, carrying over when sums exceed 2. Signup and view all the answers

Which binary representation corresponds to the decimal number -1 in two's complement?

11111111 Signup and view all the answers

How are positive numbers represented in two's complement notation?

By strings of 0's until a string of 1s is reached. Signup and view all the answers

What is the value of the binary representation 100101?

37 in decimal. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of the JPEG compression method?

To reduce the size of image files without significant quality loss Signup and view all the answers

How does JPEG utilize the human eye's perception in its compression method?

By emphasizing luminance changes in the image Signup and view all the answers

What techniques are used in TIFF to handle large amounts of white pixel data?

Run-Length encoding Signup and view all the answers

What factor do JPEG's baseline methods generally compress images by?

10 to 30 Signup and view all the answers

What key feature distinguishes I-frames in MPEG video compression?

They are encoded in entirety Signup and view all the answers

What is the MP3 compression primarily used for?

Audio compression Signup and view all the answers

Why is TIFF not widely used in the photography community?

It is primarily designed for text document compression Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the operation of JPEG in relation to pixel blocks?

It compresses 8x8 blocks of pixels as single units. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Flip-Flop Circuit

A flip-flop circuit is a basic memory cell that stores a single bit.
Two input lines are used to set flip-flop's stored value to 1 and 0.
When both input lines are 0, no change occurs in the output, preserving the latest value.
VLSI technology is used to create miniature devices with millions of flip-flops, used in computer systems.

Hexadecimal Notation

A shorthand for lengthy binary bit patterns.
Binary bit patterns are divided into groups of four bits each.
Each group is represented by a single symbol ranging from 0 to F.
For example, the binary pattern 10100011 is represented as A3 in hexadecimal.

Main Memory

A collection of circuits, primarily flip-flops, stores data as bits in a computer.
This bit reservoir is termed as main memory.
A memory unit containing typically 8 bits is called a cell, also known as byte.
The leftmost bit in a memory cell is the most significant bit, while the rightmost bit is the least significant bit.

Random Access Memory (RAM)

Memory where individual cells can be accessed in any order.
RAM composed of volatile memory is called DRAM (Dynamic Memory).

Measuring Memory Capacity

The total number of memory cells is a power of two.
A Kilobyte (KB) is 1024 bytes or 2^10 bytes.
A Megabyte (MB) is 1,048,576 bytes or 2^20 bytes.
A Gigabyte (GB) is 1,073,741,824 bytes or 2^30 bytes.
A Terabyte (TB) is 2^40 bytes.

Mass Storage

Mass storage or secondary storage systems serve as additional memory devices when main memory is limited or volatile.
Magnetic disks, magnetic tapes, CDs, DVDs, flash drives, and solid-state disks are examples of mass storage devices.
They provide advantages over main memory regarding lower volatility, larger storage capacity, lower cost, and physical removal for archival purposes.

Magnetic Disk Storage

HDD (Hard Disk Drive) is an example of a magnetic disk storage system.

Optical Storage

Information is stored on CDs and DVDs by creating variations in their reflective surfaces using lasers, which then read the information by detecting these variations.
Compact Disk (CD) capacity ranges from 600 – 700 MB.
Multiple layers in DVDs lead to several GB of capacity.

Flash Drives

Flash drives have no mechanical parts, allowing for faster data access.
Bits are stored by trapping electrons in silicon dioxide chambers.
Data can be retained for years without power.
They are portable, nonvolatile, shockproof, and easy to connect and disconnect.
Capacity ranges up to hundreds of GB, suitable for mass storage in devices like digital cameras and smartphones.

Binary System

The traditional decimal system is based on powers of 10, using digits 0–9.
Position determines quantity (10 ^ position).
The binary system utilizes powers of 2, with digits 0–1.
Position determines quantity (2 ^ position, starting from 0 for the rightmost digit).

Storing Integers

Two’s complement notation is widely used for representing integers.
It uses a fixed number of bits, commonly 32 bits, but shorter patterns are also used.
Positive numbers are represented with a string of 0s, counting in binary until a pattern of a single 0 followed by 1s is reached.
Negative numbers are represented with a string of 1s, counting backward in binary until a pattern of a single 1 followed by 0s is reached.
The leftmost bit, or "sign bit", indicates positive or negative values.

JPEG Image Compression

JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) is a standard for compressing color images, widely used in photography.
It utilizes the human eye's sensitivity to brightness changes over color changes for efficient compression.
Average chrominance values over 2x2 pixel squares, reducing size by a factor of 4, result in significant compression without noticeable quality loss.
The image is divided into 8x8 blocks and compressed as units.
JPEG's baseline compression offers ratios of 10 to 30 without noticeable quality degradation.

TIFF Image Compression

TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) stores photographs and related information like date, time, and camera settings.
The image is stored as RGB components with or without compression.
It was designed to compress text document images in facsimile applications.
Run-Length encoding is used to compress long strings of white pixels.
It is not widely used in photography.

Audio and Video Compression

MPEG (Motion Picture Experts Group) is used for compressing audio and video for efficient transmission over communication systems.
Video is treated as a sequence of images.
Only some pictures/frames, called I-frames, are encoded entirely.
Relative encoding techniques are used for pictures between I-frames.
JPEG methods are often employed to compress I-frames.

MP3 Audio Compression

MP3 (MPEG layer 3) is used for compressing audio within MPEG.
It utilizes psychoacoustic modeling to remove inaudible information, resulting in significantly smaller file sizes without significant perceived audio quality loss.
MP3 is widely used for storing and transmitting music digitally.

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Description

This quiz explores foundational concepts in digital electronics, focusing on flip-flop circuits, hexadecimal notation, and main memory systems. Understand how memory cells store data and the significance of various binary representations. Test your knowledge on these essential components of computer architecture.