Past paper questions

1. Question 1H446/01 · June 20242 marks

   An embedded system is often a small device that is designed to carry out a limited number of specialised tasks. Professional athletes sometimes wear small embedded systems called fitness trackers in their shirts. These can be used to track their speed, position, heart rate and other performance data during an event. The tracker transmits this data to a pitch-side server which collates the data from all the athletes. State the name of one input device that might be used in this embedded system and state what it would be used for.

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   Heart rate sensor - Detects athlete's electrical activity / heart rate GPS (receiver) - Mapping the athlete's movement / position/ speed Accelerometer/gyroscope/motion sensor - To track the players acceleration/speed/movement/ counting steps/measuring orientation Button - To allow the athlete to turn it on/off (2 marks - 1 for device, 1 for valid use related to scenario)

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2. Question 2H446/01 · June 20244 marks

   The fitness tracker manufacturers had to decide which type of secondary storage to use. Explain two reasons why flash (solid state) storage would be the best type of secondary storage for the fitness tracker system.

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   Durable/flash has no moving parts... so will be resistant to damage if the player runs/falls/collides with something Low power usage... won't need recharging/will last during an event Small physical size /portable... so it can fit on a shirt/be unobtrusive/be worn // won't affect the athlete's performance Fast/real-time read/write speed... needed to rapidly record athlete's data (4 marks - 1 mark for reason, 1 for expansion, max 4)

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3. Question 3H446/01 · June 20243 marks

   One use of ROM is to store the Basic Input Output System (BIOS). The BIOS is used when the computer is first turned on. Describe what the BIOS will do to start up the computer.

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   Contains the computer start up instructions Loads settings/configuration (CMOS/NVRAM) Initialises/checks hardware/peripheral devices are available/work // carry out a POST check... and reports errors Determines the drive on which the OS is stored Finds/loads the bootstrap/operating system/kernel (into main memory) (3 marks - 1 per bullet, max 3)

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4. Question 4H446/01 · June 20242 marks

   Apart from storing the BIOS, ROM can also be used in other ways. Describe how an embedded system can make a different use of ROM and why it is an advantage.

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   Storing firmware/ config/ operation instructions/ operating system/ device drivers... that can't be overwritten // doesn't need to be updated... so that access is faster Storing security settings/encryption keys/digital signatures... that must be maintained/can't be changed Could be used as primary storage... so no need to load programs into memory... so would save time loading up the program Could be used as secondary storage... so the device will not need additional storage... to reduce the size of the device (2 marks - 1 for use, 1 for advantage)

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5. Question 5H446/011 mark

   State the role of RAM in a computer system.

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   Stores instructions / programs currently running Stores data currently in use (1 mark)

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6. Question 6H446/012 marks

   Amaya is an amateur photographer and has bought an old second-hand computer to edit her photographs. The specifications of this computer are shown below. Processor: Dual Core 1.8 GHz RAM: 1 GB HDD: 500 GB. Explain what is meant by the term 'virtual memory' and why this may be needed when Amaya is editing her photographs.

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   If the amount of RAM available is insufficient... Used to store instructions/data... Using secondary storage. Likely to be loading large image files (which may exceed her RAM) Likely to be loading large programs (which may exceed her RAM) (2 marks - 1 for explanation, 1 for context)

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7. Question 7H446/012 marks

   A computer system will contain several input and output devices. Explain the role of device drivers when using input and output devices on a computer system.

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   A piece of software which allows hardware/device to communicate... with the operating system (2 marks - 1 per bullet)

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8. Question 8H446/012 marks

   A delivery company sends parcels across the UK. To prove parcels have not been damaged in transit, the delivery drivers use a digital camera to take a photograph of them when they arrive at their destination. The digital camera uses flash memory. Describe one advantage of the digital camera using flash storage rather than magnetic.

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   Has no moving parts... less likely to be damaged / data loss Consumes less power... meaning battery needs recharging less often Unaffected by magnetic fields... which could lead to data loss Faster access speed... so photographs can quickly be written to it / browsed (2 marks - mark in pairs)

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9. Question 9H446/013 marks

   Explain whether lossless or lossy compression would be most appropriate to store the photographs. Justify your response.

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   Lossy compression (1) Some loss of detail is acceptable Unlikely to be noticeable Will make the file size smaller than lossless (3 marks - 1 for choice, 2 for justification)

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10. Question 10H446/012 marks

    Before a video is rendered, the user will first capture and edit the individual video elements before they are combined together to form the final video. State two different output devices that could be used when editing the videos.

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    Monitor Speakers//Headphones (2 marks - 1 per valid output device, must be suitable for video editing)

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11. Question 11H446/019 marks

    A storage device is used to store the individual video elements while they are being captured in different locations and during the video editing process. Discuss the suitability of a flash storage device and a magnetic storage device for storing the different video elements while they are being collected and edited. You should refer to the following in your answer: the benefits of each type of storage, the drawbacks of each type of storage, the suitability of each type of storage.

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    Levels of response question (9 marks) AO1 Magnetic Benefits: Lower price per GB, As standard comes in high capacity AO1 Magnetic Drawbacks: Lower R/W speed, Higher power consumption, Moving parts /less durable AO1 Flash Benefits: Higher R/W speed, No moving parts/more durable, Lower power consumption, Can have a higher capacity AO1 Flash Drawbacks: Higher cost per GB, At higher capacities prices rise exponentially AO2 Suitability of Magnetic: Video files are very large, benefiting magnetics low cost per GB. Can be used to archive the different video elements after it's been rendered. Could possibly get damaged while being transported between the different filming sites. Slow R/W speeds may take it longer to load into the software AO2 Suitability of flash: Very fast R/W speeds therefore reducing the amount of loading time during the editing process/giving smoother playback. If money is not a barrier, flash can be bought in sufficient capacities for videos. AO3: Candidates can conclude either method, but to score in the top MB must have a clear line of reasoning to justify their choice.

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12. Question 12H446/01 · June 20219 marks

    OCR Insurance's computer system uses secondary storage across the company in servers, client machines and for backup purposes. For each of these, discuss whether magnetic storage or solid state storage would be most suitable, taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of both.

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    Levels of response question (9 marks) AO1: Data stored by altering the magnetic field of a small section of the tape or disk; one orientation represents a binary value of 1, the opposite orientation represents a binary value of 0. Written to using a read head. Read head can then read the magnetic field and retrieve the data. These read and write heads move across the disk or the tape moves under the heads. Solid state devices store data using semiconductors; drives can be based on NAND Flash or DRAM. No moving parts are required. Backup involves copying potentially large amounts of data to and from storage devices at regular intervals. Servers distribute data to client devices. AO2: Magnetic hard drives entirely suitable for storing operating system, software and data. Large capacity, cheap (by comparison) purchasing price and reliability make them idea for heavy use in an insurance office. Solid state drives have no moving parts and offer an increase in speed and quicker access to customer records. However, smaller capacity (in comparison) may be an issue for larger data sets. Backup systems may be required to maximise storage whereas access speed is not so much of an issue Limited lifespan of SSDs due to limited read/writes may restrict use in data heavy applications. Servers will require quick access to data to serve multiple client machines but will also be extremely read/write heavy. AO3: Both suitable for the insurance office but for different purposes. SSDs to store operating system and program files will ensure quicker boot up and loading of programs. May be useful for both client and servers to store operating systems. Magnetic hard drives to store large quantities of data provides reliability and large capacity at small (by comparison) cost. May be most suitable for storing large amounts of data on client devices and for backup systems. Magnetic tape device may be suitable for backing up customer data as too slow for use on day-to-day basis.

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13. Question 13H446/01 · June 20192 marks

    Traditionally films have been distributed on optical media such as DVDs. Giving an example other than DVDs, describe what is meant by the term 'optical media'.

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    Read / written to, using a laser Read / written onto a reflective surface Data is stored using pits and lands Plus example - Eg. Blu-Ray / CD (2 marks - 1 per bullet)

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14. Question 14H446/01 · June 20191 mark

    Give one advantage of films being distributed using optical media.

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    Cheap to produce / buy Capacity big enough to hold film Robust enough to be used over long periods / moved around Portable Does not need an internet connection (1 mark)

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15. Question 15H446/01 · June 20194 marks

    Explain the advantages and disadvantages of owning films that are streamed or downloaded on demand rather than owning a physical copy.

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    Advantages: Can access film (and indeed entire library) from anywhere with an internet connection. No physical storage needed. No risk of films being stolen / damaged/lost. Optical / disk player hardware not required to play film Disadvantages: Reliant on having an (fast enough) internet connection. Need enough storage for download. Reliant on servers of the company providing the connection. People like having a physical copy. If the company providing the stream goes out of business, copy is lost. (4 marks - 1 per valid point, max 4. If only advantages or disadvantages, max 3)

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16. Question 16H446/01 · June 20194 marks

    A company releases an in-home virtual assistant called 'Bertie Butler'. The device, when placed in a room, listens out for the phrase 'Hey Bertie'. When someone says that phrase it then listens to the question that follows and tries to give a relevant answer. Bertie Butler has a number of built-in input and output devices. Name one input device and one output device that might be part of Bertie Butler. For each device give a reason for it being built into the virtual assistant.

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    Input Device: Microphone... To allow the device to hear spoken requests Buttons... To turn the device off or on / To mute device / to put device in privacy mode Output Device: Speaker... To play the device's responses LEDs... To indicate the device is on/listening Screen... To show visual information (4 marks - 1 for device name, 1 for reason, max 2 per device)

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17. Question 17H446/012 marks

    A company produces digital photo frames (i.e. photo frames that display digital photographs). Give two reasons why this operating system may be stored in ROM.

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    The software will not need updating Can be loaded quickly when the frame is switched on/will not be lost when the frame is switched off Cannot be (accidentally) overwritten/deleted (2 marks - 1 per bullet)

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18. Question 18H446/011 mark

    The photo frames can also play video clips. Due to the limited storage on the device the videos are stored on the company's servers (i.e. 'in the cloud') and streamed when needed. Give one disadvantage to the user of using cloud storage for their photos.

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    Potentially vulnerable to hacking Reliant on an internet connection/requires a fast enough internet connection Reliant on company servers (1 mark)

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19. Question 19H446/011 mark

    The company allows users to connect a local storage device to the photo frame to increase storage capacity. State the name of one device that might be connected to the photo frame to increase storage capacity.

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    (External) hard (disk) drive/ solid state drive Flash memory card/stick/drive SD Card/Micro SD Card (1 mark) Accept USB stick/device/pen/drive. Do not accept just 'USB', must specify device.

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