Maharashtra HSC Computer Technology (Vocational) flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Von Neumann architecture

A computer design in which the CPU, memory, input, and output units share a single memory holding both instructions and data, connected by buses.

Volatile memory

Memory that loses its stored contents when power is switched off; RAM is the main example, while ROM retains data without power.

Cache memory

A small, very fast memory between the CPU and main RAM that holds recently used instructions and data to reduce average access time.

Time-sharing operating system

An operating system that lets many users run programs interactively by rapidly switching the CPU among them in short time slices.

Absolute path

A file path that starts from the root of the file system, such as C:\Users\Name\file.txt, and works from any current directory.

File extension

The suffix after the dot in a file name that indicates the file type, such as .txt, .jpg, .mp3, or .html.

Hexadecimal number system

A base-16 system using digits 0–9 and letters A–F, where each hex digit corresponds to exactly four binary bits.

2's complement

A method of representing signed binary numbers by inverting all bits of the number and adding one; it has a single representation of zero.

Binary to octal conversion

Group the binary digits in threes starting from the radix point, padding with zeros at the outer ends, then replace each group by its octal digit.

Universal gate

A gate, namely NAND or NOR, from which AND, OR, and NOT operations can all be built, so any logic circuit can be made from it alone.

De Morgan's theorems

Two Boolean identities: the complement of A OR B equals A′ AND B′, and the complement of A AND B equals A′ OR B′.

Karnaugh map

A grid that arranges truth-table outputs so adjacent cells differ in one variable, allowing groups of 1s to simplify Boolean expressions.

Flowchart decision symbol

A diamond-shaped symbol in a flowchart that represents a condition with two or more outgoing branches, such as yes and no.

Loop control structure

An iteration construct, such as while, do-while, or for, that repeats a block of statements while a condition remains true.

Array

A collection of elements of the same data type stored in contiguous memory locations and accessed by an index, usually starting at zero.

Primary key

An attribute or minimal set of attributes that uniquely identifies each row of a table and cannot contain a null value.

Foreign key

An attribute in one table that refers to the primary key of another table, enforcing referential integrity between related records.

Third normal form

A table is in 3NF when it is in 2NF and no non-key attribute depends transitively on another non-key attribute.

OSI reference model

A seven-layer framework for network communication: Physical, Data Link, Network, Transport, Session, Presentation, and Application.

MAC address

A 48-bit hardware address assigned to a network interface card, used by switches to forward frames within a local network.

Simplex transmission

A transmission mode in which data travels in only one direction, with one device always sending and the other always receiving.

DNS

The Domain Name System translates human-readable domain names into IP addresses so browsers can locate web servers.

HTTP status code 404

A response code meaning the requested resource was not found on the server, usually because the URL is wrong or the page was removed.

Static web page

A web page whose content is fixed in the HTML file and returned unchanged to every visitor, without server-side generation.

Absolute cell reference

A spreadsheet reference written with dollar signs, such as $A$1, that does not change when the formula is copied to other cells.

Lossy compression

A compression method that permanently discards some data to reduce file size, as used in JPEG images and MP3 audio.

Phishing

A fraudulent email, message, or website that impersonates a trusted organisation to trick users into revealing passwords or financial details.

Firewall

Hardware or software that inspects network traffic and allows or blocks packets according to a configured set of security rules.

Software as a Service

A cloud model in which a provider hosts an application and users access it over the internet through a browser, usually by subscription.

Internet of Things

A network of everyday physical devices fitted with sensors and network connectivity that collect and exchange data without human intervention.

Blockchain

A distributed, append-only ledger of cryptographically linked blocks maintained by consensus, making recorded transactions very hard to alter.

Digital signature

A cryptographic value attached to a message that verifies the sender's identity and confirms the message was not altered in transit.