The City School

Study Sprint 2025- Computer Science Handouts

Why overflow? A computer or a device has a
predefined limit that it can represent or store, for
Paper 1 in a glance example 16-bit. When a value outside this limit
Chapter 1: should be returned, this is why it occurs.

Number system conversions: Logical shift:

1. Binary to denary left

2. Denary to Hexadecimal •Multiple by 2 each
3. Hexadecimal to binary shift.
Right
4. Denary to binary •Might lose MSB •Divide by 2 each shift
5. Hexadecimal to denary •Might lose LSB
6. Binary to hexadecimal
Why binary?
Two’s complement:
Computer consists of switches and registers which
only process and store either ON or OFF state, 1 or 0 Numbers
respectively.
Uses of Hexadecimal: Uns igned Si gned

1. Color codes HTML.

2. Error dumps. Pos itive
Negative
3. Debugging errors. -128 64 32 16 8 4 2 1 128 64 32 16 8 4 2 1
4. MAC Addresses.
5. IP addresses. Step1: Convert denary into binary.
Benefits of Hexadecimal: Step 2: Calculate one’s complement (Invert 0s to 1
and vice versa)
1. Reduced display space in comparison to Step 3: Add 1 to the answer of step 2.
binary.
2. Easier for humans to understand than binary.
Chapter 2:
Binary addition:
Structure of Packet:
Digit Sum Carry Header PayLoad Trailer
0+0 0 0
• Source/Destination • Data • End of packet
0+1 1 0 address • Error detection
1+0 1 0 • Seqeucne numebr of method
packet
1+1 0 1 • Size of packet
0+1+0 1 0
1+1+1 1 1
Packet Switching:
1+0+1 0 1 Data is broken down into packets. Each packet could
take a different route. A router controls the route a
Overflow error: An error that occurs when binary packet takes. Packets may arrive out of order. Once the
addition results into a number which cannot be stored last packet has arrived, packets are reordered
in an n-bit register.

Prepared By: PAF Chapter CS Faculty 1

Data transmission: • A microprocessor is a type of integrated circuit
on a single chip
Direction of data
transmission
Wires for data
transmission • Including: units: arithmetic logic unit (ALU) and
control unit (CU)
Simplex Serial • registers: program counter (PC), memory
address register (MAR), memory data register
Half
Parallel
(MDR), current instruction register (CIR) and
Duplex accumulator (ACC)
Full • buses: address bus, data bus and control bus
Duplex • VonNeumann Architecture
Advantages/Disadvantages of USB: • How instructions and data are fetched from
random access memory (RAM) into the CPU,
Advantages Disadvantages how they are processed using each component
Backward Compatible Short Cable length and how they are then executed.
Universal port Wear and tear • Storing data and addresses into specific registers
Portable • Using buses to transmit data, addresses and
Energy efficient signals
• Using units to fetch, decode and execute data
Error detection: and instructions
How is error detected in the following? • The number of cores, size of the cache and
• Parity check speed of the clock can affect the performance
• Checksum of a CPU.
• Echo Check • An instruction set is a list of all the commands
• Check Digit that can be processed by a CPU and the
Identify the examples of check digit such as: commands are machine code.
• ISBN and Barcodes • An embedded system is used to perform a
dedicated function. This is different to a general
Describe how ARQ identifies errors. purpose computer that is used to perform many
different functions.

Input/ Output devices

Input Device Output Devices
barcode scanner actuator
digital camera digital light processing (DLP)
keyboard projector
microphone inkjet printer
optical mouse laser printer
QR code scanner light emitting diode (LED) screen
Symmetric encryption: touch screen liquid crystal display (LCD)
Plain text into cipher text. Use encryption algorithm. (resistive, capacitive projector
Decryption using same key. and infra-red) liquid crystal display (LCD)
two-dimensional screen
Asymmetric encryption (2D) and three- speaker
Plain text into cipher text. Encryption via Public or dimensional (3D) 3D printer
scanners
private key. Decryption through private or public key,
respectively.
Chapter 3: Sensors
3.1 Computer Architecture
• The CPU processes instructions and data that are acoustic light
input into the computer so that the result can be accelerometer magnetic field
output.

Prepared By: PAF Chapter CS Faculty 2

 flow moisture
gas pH 3.4 Network Hardware
humidity pressure Network Interface Card (NIC): Connects a
infra-red proximity computer to a network. Provides interface for
network devices to communicate. MAC Address is
level temperature assigned to NIC.
MAC Address: Uniquely identifies a device
globally. It is in Hexadecimal. Contains 6 pairs.
3.3 Data Storage
00 EF C9 1E CC 2F
Primary storage is directly accessed by the CPU:
Manufacturer ID Serial ID
RAM/ ROM.
Secondary is necessary for more permanent storage of
data. (Learn working) IP Addresses: An address that identifies a device on
a network. It can be static or dynamic.
Uses platters, read
Ma gnetic write head and
tracks and sectors Static Dynamic
Same IP always Changes each time you
No moveable parts
connect to a network
Takes less time to Improved security
connect
Solid-state (flash
Secondary Sol id State memory) uses NAND or
NOR

IPV4 IPV6
technology. Transistors Denary Hexadecimal
are used as control gates
and floating gates 32 bits 128 bits
Separated by dots (.) Separated by colon (:)
Opti cal storage uses
Opti cal l a sers to create and
rea d pits and lands
Router: A device that receives and transmits data to
other devices in a network. It also assigns IP address
to devices.
Virtual memory: Chapter 4:

RAM Memory Instructions Spreadsheet

map swapped out Application
from RAM Text Editor
into
HDD/SSD Software
Processor temporarily. Firmware
HDD/SSD

System OS

Instructions required to process more than the Translators

instructions RAM can hold. RAM sends oldest
instruction to HDD/SSD as pages. Memory map
maintains record of which instruction was sent to
which location. New instruction is swapped into
RAM. The process continues.
Cloud Storage: Data stored on physical servers, at
remote locations and is accessible 24/7 using internet.
Prepared By: PAF Chapter CS Faculty 3
 code line-by- producing an
managing files
OS handling interrupts
providing an interface
line. executable file

Error An interpreter A compiler provides an

managing peripherals and drivers Reporting stops error report for the
managing memory execution whole code if errors are
managing multitasking when an error detected.
providing a platform for running is found.
applications
providing system security
managing user accounts Application Interpreter is and a compiler is used
mostly used to translate the final
How hardware, firmware and an operating system when program.
developing a
are
required to run applications software. program.

Functions of an IDE:
Application Applications are run 1. code editors
software 2. run-time environment
on the operating 3. translators
Operating system. 4. error diagnostics
system The operating system 5. auto-completion
is run on the firmware. 6. auto-correction
7. pretty print
Firnware The bootloader
(firmware) is run on Chapter 5:
Hardware
the hardware.
5.1 Internet: Physical infrastructure to access world
wide web(www) such as routers, cables etc.
World Wide Web: A collection of documents, web
Operation of interrupts. pages and websites.
Web page retrieval
User enters URL in the web browser. Web browser
sends a request to the DNS to provide IP address of
the URL. The DNS server responds with IP address.
The web browser then sends a request to the IP
address to the web server. Web server responds with
SSL certificate. Once authenticated, connection is
established between the web browser and the web
Types of languages and translators
server and data begins to transmit.
High level languages Low level languages
URL: Uniform Resource locator.
Closer to human Close to computer’s
understanding understanding Web browser functions:
Easier to read and write High hardware level • storing bookmarks and favourites
and debug errors control • recording user history
Machine independent • using multiple tabs
Translators • storing cookies
Interpreter Compiler • providing navigation tools and an address bar
Operation An A compiler translates
interpreter the whole code at once Cookies: Small text files used to store user
preferences to provide a customized browser
translates and before executing it,
experience. It may be session or persistent.
executes the

Prepared By: PAF Chapter CS Faculty 4

5.2 Digital Currency
How block chain works?

Characteristics of robots:
1. It is programmable.
2. It has a mechanical structure.
3. It has electrical components.

Advantages Disadvantages
Decreased human errors. Expensive to setup.
Improved accuracy of tasks. Deskilling.
What makes it safe? Can work 24/7. Unemployment.
• Each block contains sender’s and receiver’s ID, Reduced labor costs. Maintenance required
Hash value and previous hash value (It also by expert.
allows to make a chain).
• It takes at least 10 minutes for a transaction to
6.3 AI: A process that mimics human intelligence.
take place which is called proof of work and it
cannot take place unless majority of the members Characteristics of AI:
agree to it.
5.3 Cyber security threats 1. Ability to learn
• Malware (virus, worm, Trojan horse, spy-ware, 2. Ability to collect data
adware and ransomware), hacking, brute force 3. Ability to adapt and evolve
and denial of service attacks, data interception, 4. Ability to reason.
phishing, pharming and social engineering. Types of AI models:
the solutions available to help minimise the risks:
• how anti-malware (anti-virus and anti-spyware) Us er interface
and other protection software help keep data safe Expert Knowledge Base

• authentication (username, password, biometrics system Rul e Base

and two-step verification) Inference engine

• access levels and privacy settings

• checking URLs and the spelling and tone of a
AI Machine
Al gorithm/model

communication. learning Da ta

Chapter 6:
6.1 Automated System: A system that uses sensors, S. Topical Question Marks (Ballpark
microprocessors and actuators to perform a task No estimate)
without human intervention. 1 Trace tables (Pseudocode or 5-6
flowchart)
• Sensor Name
2 Error detection 6-8
• ADC (Analogue to Digital) (Pseudocode or flowchart)
• Microprocessor 3 Test Data 4-6
• Comparison 4 Validation/Verification/ 5-8
• Monitoring/Controlling Test Data
• DAC (Digital to Analogue) 5 Miscellaneous questions 7-10
• Actuator from basic concepts
• Process Repeats 6 String Handling 6-8
7 File handling 6-8
6.2 Robotics: A branch of computer science that 8 Logic circuits 6-8
deals with the design, construction and maintenance 9 Database 8-10
of Robots. 10 Scenario Based Question 15

Prepared By: PAF Chapter CS Faculty 5