Why does an operating system need device drivers?

Every model of hardware works differently, and the OS cannot know how to control them all. A driver lets the OS use a device through one standard set of instructions.

A new printer is connected but will not print. What is the most likely software cause?

The printer's device driver is probably missing, out of date or incorrect. Without the right driver the OS cannot send the printer commands it understands.

Why must data transfer between peripherals and the processor be managed?

Peripherals work far more slowly than the CPU, and several may need attention at once. The OS controls the order and timing of transfers so that no data is lost.

How does the operating system stop a slow printer from holding up the CPU?

The OS stores the document in a buffer, an area of memory that feeds data to the printer. The CPU carries on with other work while the printer takes the data at its own speed.

OCR GCSE Computer Science J277

Systems Architecture

Topic overview CPU components and the fetch-execute cycle Factors affecting CPU performance Embedded systems

Memory and Storage

Topic overview RAM, ROM, cache and virtual memory Secondary storage: magnetic, optical and solid state Data units and storage capacity calculations Binary, denary and hexadecimal conversions Binary addition, overflow and binary shifts Character sets, ASCII and Unicode Bitmap images, colour depth and resolution Sound sampling, sample rate and bit depth Lossy and lossless compression

Computer Networks, Connections and Protocols

Topic overview LANs, WANs and network performance Client-server and peer-to-peer networks Network hardware, DNS, hosting and the cloud Star and mesh topologies Wired and wireless connections, IP and MAC addresses Protocols, standards and layers

Network Security

Topic overview Malware, social engineering and brute-force attacks Denial of service, data interception and SQL injection Identifying and preventing vulnerabilities

Systems Software

Topic overview User interfaces, memory management and multitasking Peripheral, user and file management Utility software

Ethical, Legal, Cultural and Environmental Impacts of Digital Technology

Topic overview Ethical and cultural issues in digital technology Environmental impact of digital technology Privacy and digital technology Computer Science legislation and software licences

Algorithms

Topic overview Abstraction, decomposition and algorithmic thinking Flowcharts, pseudocode and structure diagrams Trace tables and correcting algorithms Linear and binary search Bubble, merge and insertion sort

Programming Fundamentals

Topic overview Variables, constants, operators and assignment Sequence, selection and iteration Data types and casting String manipulation and file handling Arrays, records and SQL Functions, procedures and random numbers

Producing Robust Programs

Topic overview Defensive design, input validation and authentication Writing maintainable code Testing, errors and test data

Boolean Logic

Topic overview Logic gates and truth tables Combining gates in logic diagrams

Programming Languages and Integrated Development Environments

Topic overview High-level and low-level languages and translators The integrated development environment (IDE)

Systems Software

Peripheral, user and file management

3 things to know
J277/01

Overview

Peripherals and device drivers, managing data transfer, user accounts and access rights, and how the operating system names, stores and organises files.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started

Key term

What are peripherals and device drivers, and why does an operating system need drivers?

Key term

What is a peripheral?

Key term

What is a device driver?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1
What is a peripheral?
Model answer
A peripheral is an input, output or storage device connected to a computer, such as a printer, keyboard or webcam.
2
What is a device driver?
Model answer
A device driver is software that lets the operating system communicate with a particular hardware device. The driver translates the OS's general instructions into commands the device understands.
3
Why does an operating system need device drivers?
Model answer
Every model of hardware works differently, and the OS cannot know how to control them all. A driver lets the OS use a device through one standard set of instructions.
4
A new printer is connected but will not print. What is the most likely software cause?
Model answer
The printer's device driver is probably missing, out of date or incorrect. Without the right driver the OS cannot send the printer commands it understands.
5
Why must data transfer between peripherals and the processor be managed?
Model answer
Peripherals work far more slowly than the CPU, and several may need attention at once. The OS controls the order and timing of transfers so that no data is lost.
6
How does the operating system stop a slow printer from holding up the CPU?
Model answer
The OS stores the document in a buffer, an area of memory that feeds data to the printer. The CPU carries on with other work while the printer takes the data at its own speed.

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Systems Architecture

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