1.2 Memory & Storage Diagnostic
Definitive 21-Question Diagnostic | Spec J277 Baseline
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Section 1.2 Diagnostic
Complete the RAM vs ROM Comparison.
| Characteristic | RAM | ROM |
|---|---|---|
| Volatile (loses data on power loss) | ||
| Stores currently running apps/OS | ||
| Stores startup instructions (BIOS) |
Spec Key
RAM: Volatile, Temporary Storage. | ROM: Non-volatile, Boot program (BIOS).
Explain why Virtual Memory is needed and its primary drawback.
Examiner Key
Needed when RAM is full [1]. Drawback: Significantly slower than RAM [1].
Match the Technology to the Physical Method.
| Method | Optical | Magnetic | Solid State |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uses laser light to read markers | |||
| Uses magnetised platters/moving parts | |||
| Uses flash memory with no moving parts |
Spec Check
Optical = Lasers | Magnetic = Magnetism | Solid State = Flash Memory/Chips.
Identify two secondary storage devices typically used for long-term backups.
Solutions
External HDD, SSD, Magnetic Tape, Cloud Storage (Infrastructure).
AO2 Scenario: A data center needs massive storage for archive logs. Why is an HDD often chosen over an SSD for high-capacity servers?
Evaluation
HDDs have a significantly lower cost per gigabyte [1] and higher maximum capacity [1].
Rank these by Read/Write Speed (1 = Fastest, 3 = Slowest).
Hierarchy
SSD (Fastest) > HDD > Optical (Slowest).
Convert using J277 Base-10 Standard (1,000).
OCR Rule
Scale: bit, nibble, byte, KB, MB, GB, TB, PB. Multiply by 1,000.
Calculate the size of 2,000 characters (using 8-bit ASCII).
Math
2,000 chars * 8 bits = 16,000 bits / 8 = 2,000 bytes.
Convert Denary 165 into 8-bit Binary.
Grid
128(1) 64(0) 32(1) 16(0) 8(0) 4(1) 2(0) 1(1) = 10100101
Calculate: 01010101 + 01111111.
Row 1: Carry | Row 2: Final Sum
Result
Sum: 11010100
Identify the result of a Logical Left Shift (2 places) on 00001011.
Logic
Shift Left 2 = Multiply by 4. Result: 00101100
Convert Hexadecimal A3 into Denary.
Math
(10 * 16) + 3 = 163
Character 'A' is stored as 65. Identify the code for 'C'.
Key
67 [1]. Logic: Character sets are stored sequentially/ordered [1].
What is the purpose of Metadata in an image file?
Definition
Data explaining how to reconstruct/display the file [1]. Examples: dimensions, depth [1].
Impact of increasing the Sample Rate of an audio file?
Analysis
More accurate representation of wave [1] / Higher quality [1]. Result: Larger file size [1].
Arrange these units from Smallest to Largest: GB, PB, TB, MB.
Order
MB > GB > TB > PB.
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