Cambridge International Examinations

Cambridge International Advanced Subsidiary and Advanced Level

COMPUTER SCIENCE 9618

Hardware October 2020
1 hour
Candidates answer on the Question Paper.
No Additional Materials are required.
No calculators allowed.

READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST

Write your Centre number, candidate number and name in the spaces at the top of this page.
Write in dark blue or black pen.
You may use an HB pencil for any diagrams, graphs or rough working.
Do not use staples, paper clips, glue or correction fluid.
DO NOT WRITE IN ANY BARCODES.

Answer all questions.

No marks will be awarded for using brand names of software packages or hardware.

At the end of the examination, fasten all your work securely together.
The number of marks is given in brackets [ ] at the end of each question or part question.

The maximum number of marks is 50.

This document consists of 10 printed pages

DC (SC/CGW) 144488/3
© UCLES 2018 [Turn over
 (ii) Explain how blu-ray discs are different from other optical storage media.

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4 A cake factory uses machines to make cakes .

(a) Complete the following descriptions of types of system. Write the correct missing term in the
spaces.

The factory uses a .................................................. system to record data such as the number

of cakes being produced each hour.

When the data collected from sensors are analysed and used as

.................................................. it is a .................................................. system. One example

of this system, used in the factory, is to maintain a constant temperature in the ovens. It uses

a .................................................. to measure the values. [4]

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(b) Cake mixture is mixed in a large pot. A conveyer belt moves the cake tins beneath the pot.
The conveyer belt stops and a set quantity of the cake mixture fills the cake tin. The conveyer
belt then moves and another cake tin is positioned beneath the pot.

Explain how the control system will ensure the correct amount of mixture is placed in the cake
tins.

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© UCLES 2018 9618/01/SP/21 [Turn over

5 A Personal Computer (PC) has a number of input and output devices.

(a) (i) Name three components of a speaker.

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(ii) Explain the basic internal operation of a speaker.

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(b) (i) The user is considering the purchase of a removable device for secondary storage.

Name one suitable device.

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(ii) Describe two possible uses for this device on a home Personal Computer (PC).

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6 Shazia is creating a computer program that will be released to the public. The program includes a
video.

(a) Shazia uses a microphone to record a sound track for the video.

(i) Describe the internal operation of a microphone.

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(ii) The script for the sound track is printed using a laser printer.

Describe the internal operation of a laser printer.

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 (ii) The 3D printer has both RAM and ROM.

Describe the purpose of RAM and ROM in a 3D printer.

RAM ..................................................................................................................................

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ROM ..................................................................................................................................

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(b) Shazia’s computer has Dynamic RAM (DRAM) and Static RAM (SRAM).

Explain the differences between Dynamic RAM and Static RAM.

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6 (a) A personal computer (PC) is extensively used for a wide range of applications, including the
three shown in the following table.

Write in the table, a suitable input device, output device, or both needed for each application.

Do not give a monitor, keyboard or mouse in your answers.

Application Input device Output device

Capture the text from a paper document, in order
that the text can be word processed
Producing a replica of a small plastic component
from a washing machine
A museum has interactive information facilities
throughout the building
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(b) Explain the basic internal operation of a hard disk drive.

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