Gabs - Another Homework Struggle!!

gabriella

gabriella

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Dear peeps

I have completed the m/board assignment - thank you to all who helped me.

Now, the next one is about RAM and I have done a page or so. This is what I am struggling with:

List/describe the need for addressable memory​
List /describe the types of addressable memory​

List/describe the need for non-addressable memory​
List /describe the types of non-addressable memory​

Sketch / ‘Describe’ of a simple memory map (Block​
diagram) and label it​

​
I don't understand what addressable/non addressable memory is - I have done some searching and I just get refs to memory. What doesn't help is that I have no online course information to refer to - some bright spark has taken it off the college site on the basis that the work was due some time ago. That's ok if you haven't missed the first 6 weeks of the course!!!!!​

Any plain English explantions and any thoughts where to get a block diagram from???

Thanks one and all

Gabs xx
 
Mucks thank you SO much!! You are a real gem!!

Could you tell me in words of one syllable what 'addressable' and 'non addressable' memory is?

I have found some pretty in depth stuff on the net and I can't make head nor tail of it. I have covered RAM reasonably well (or so I think/hope) but all this addressable business foxes me!!

Thanks again for your time and help.

Gabs xx
 
me! a gem ... got the wrong guy ;-)

gabriella said:
Mucks thank you SO much!! You are a real gem!!

Could you tell me in words of one syllable what 'addressable' and 'non addressable' memory is?

I have found some pretty in depth stuff on the net and I can't make head nor tail of it. I have covered RAM reasonably well (or so I think/hope) but all this addressable business foxes me!!

Thanks again for your time and help.

Gabs xx
Click to expand...
Link me to it and I'll translate ... 'cos I cant find anything on "add/non" ... :o
 
Do you know Mucks, I have spent ALL DAY looking for info on addressable/non addressable memory. I have found some VERY limited info on addressable but it's so in depth that I don't know what's what.

Do u know what it is?? The subject is 'RAM' that I am supposed to be covering. What's all this about....list/describe types of addressable/non addressable memory. What is it??? And what about listing the needs for addressable/non addressable memory. Is it to do with bus and memory addresses???

I think that the answer is much simpler than may be first thought. I am thinking they are after a list of needs and types of both.

Oh and just to warn you, I have yet to start on mass storage devices and 1/O devices and comparison of I/O devices.

At this point in time I am thinking that this course is WAY too complex. Oh and another thing, we spent last night on binary, decimal and hexidecimal systems. I thought I was going to cry at one point - every one of my answers converting hex to decimal were wrong although I got the conversions from binary to decimal all right.

I only want to maintain and build a PC!!!!!!

There are 13 assignments to do b4 Christmas and I have done 10 and a bit so far. This is really really hard work.

Gabs xx
 
im gonna give this a crack, when data is held in memory it is assigned an address, therefore when the data is needed for processing or transfering etc the data can be found quicker than the system having to search for it, IIRC the fetch execute cycle touches on this
 
Thanks Me_2001, I was thinking along the same lines. I am having a complete stab here but I think it's also to do with cache.

What's foxing me is listing types of addressable/non addressable and listing the need for both (individually).

I am not a person give to outrageous outbursts or silly behaviour but I could jump up and down, scream and have a jolly good tantrum!!!

It would help if some bright spark in charge at college hadn't deleted all the course info off the intranet that students can access at home plus I couldn't join for the first 6 weeks so didn't even get to the class where the issues were/might have been discussed.

I wouldn't mind if I was going to get some mega qualification at the end of this course or I had enrolled on a Masters/PhD!!!!

Sorry for the rant but I am well dis-chuffed as we say in the North of England!!

Gabs xx
 
Sorry Gabs,

I've been in "computing" for nearly 20years ... I could teach you in one morning all you need to know about PC maintenace ... and I have.

I have certificats here from "job placment" and "job release" or whatever they call it these days ... one was from the Job Office and the other from Schools letting puples into the workplace for 2 weeks.

If you only "need" to help family & friends and or build for yourself then the course is not for you ... however, if you're looking to change jobs and want and "engineers" job then you'll need to stick at it.

The reason you are not getting any replies is ... we don't know the answer.

All we need to know is "how much" ... "what type" and where to stick it.

Addressable memory should be self explanatory ... it is:- Memory that can be addresses, whether it be cache or RAM it matters not ... non-addressable to me means ROM, however that is still addressable ... so I am as confused as the next person.

Sorry again ... but your coarse definition of 'memory' does not exist ... :rolleyes:

http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/memory.htm
 
Thanks Mucks

Please forgive me if I sounded harsh in my earlier post - my feelings and frustration are not directed at anyone on the forum as all of you have always been very kind to me.

I am frustrated at the ad naseum ambiguous assignment questions and the lack of direction and guidance on what is supposed to be a professionally run course. I don't quit easily and like a challenge but spending all day looking for a needle in a haystack is not my idea of fun!!

Plan B I think is required at this juncture - I will take what I have done so far on this RAM assignment to college and ask the tutor for some clarification/guidance and I will post back what he says as it might interest people.

Thank you for your help on this occasion and many others - you are a real gem!!

Gabs xx
 
oh hang on a mo' ...

Are they on about "system" memory which we cannot address (non-addresable) as in BIOS, CMOS, chipset, IO, APIC memory, and such ... as opposed to RAM & cache which we can address (addressable).

:D

yeah, simple really, init ... :D
 
Gabby ... It is one of the reasons I never did very well at school ... I never understood the questions.

Shove a PC under my face and I'll fix it ... or ... tell you what needs replacing ... :D
 
Plan C

Nick someone else's books ... but make sure you use your name and change some words and pre-date it before theirs

:thumb:
 
muckshifter said:
Plan C

Nick someone else's books ... but make sure you use your name and change some words and pre-date it before theirs

:thumb:
Click to expand...

i like the sound of this one, although i prefer the term 'permanently borrow' ;)
 
Hi Mucks

To answer your question and to be absolutely honest...I haven't the foggiest notion!!

I have well and truly lost the plot but you may well be right.

So, how would one differentiate the need for addressable/non addressable memory in the context of the question(s) I am answering??

Let's sleep on it and if you still have the will to live in the morning (cos I may have lost it big style!!!!) - let's catch up!!

Many thanks again!!

Gabs xx
 
gabriella said:
Hi Mucks

To answer your question and to be absolutely honest...I haven't the foggiest notion!!

I have well and truly lost the plot but you may well be right.

So, how would one differentiate the need for addressable/non addressable memory in the context of the question(s) I am answering??

Let's sleep on it and if you still have the will to live in the morning (cos I may have lost it big style!!!!) - let's catch up!!

Many thanks again!!

Gabs xx
Click to expand...
Yes please ... it is half-past my bed time and I am quite tired. :thumb:

So, how would one differentiate the need for addressable/non addressable memory in the context of the question(s) I am answering??
Click to expand...
I'll write it up for you ... in the morning. :thumb:
 
OK, this is my understanding of possibly what they are looking for ...

http://www.pcguide.com/ref/ram/types-c.html

Non-Addressable ... examples?
The BIOS settings that you use to control how your PC works must be saved in non-volatile memory so that they are preserved even when the machine is off. This is as opposed to regular system memory, which is cleared each time you turn off the PC. A special type of memory is used to store this information, called CMOS memory, and a very small battery is used to trickle a small charge to it to make sure that the data it holds is always preserved. These memories are very small, typically 64 bytes, and the batteries that they use typically last for years. This non-volatile memory is sometimes called NVRAM. CMOS stands for "Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor". This is one type of technology used to make semiconductors (integrated circuits) such as processors, chipset chips, DRAM, etc. CMOS has the advantage of requiring very little power, compared to some other semiconductor technologies. This is why it was chosen for this use, so that the amount of power required from the battery would be minimal, and the battery would be able to last a long time. This memory came to be called just "CMOS" since in the early days most parts of the computer did not use CMOS. Ironically, with today's processors having to do more and more and needing to do it with lower power consumption, they themselves are typically made entirely with CMOS technology. However, "CMOS" by itself usually still refers to the BIOS settings memory. Old habits die hard in the computer world.

Addressable ... example?
The kind of memory used for holding programs and data being executed is called random access memory or RAM. RAM differs from read-only memory (ROM) in that it can be both read and written. It is considered volatile storage because unlike ROM, the contents of RAM are lost when the power is turned off. RAM is also sometimes called read-write memory or RWM. This is actually a much more precise name, so of course it is hardly ever used. :^) It's a better name because calling RAM "random access" implies to some people that ROM isn't random access, which is not true. RAM is called "random access" because earlier read-write memories were sequential and did not allow random access. Sometimes old acronyms persist even when they don't make much sense any more (e.g., the "AT" in the old IBM AT stands for "advanced technology" :^) ).

Obviously, RAM needs to be writeable in order for it to do its job of holding programs and data that you are working on. The volatility of RAM also means that you risk losing what you are working on unless you save it frequently.
Click to expand...


http://www.pcguide.com/ref/ram/types.htm



Now, the obvious differences between the two are "WE" cannot really access non-addressable memory but the system needs to ... at least to acquire basic settings.



If anybody else has any ideas or thoughts on this ... please, jump in. :thumb:
 
A big thank you Mucks for spending so much time on this for me. I shall finish writing up the work this afternoon I think.

Again, thank you - you are a star!!

Gabs xx
 
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