Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Technology

Information Systems Explained

Definition of an Information System

An information system is a set of interrelated components that collect, process, store, and distribute information to support decision-making, coordination, and control within an organization.

Key Activities in an Information System

• Input: Capturing raw data from the organization or its external environment.
• Processing: Converting raw data into a more meaningful form.
• Output: Transferring processed information to the people or activities that will use it.

Understanding the Internet of Things (IoT)

Meaning and Impact of IoT

The Internet of Things (IoT) represents a revolution in the relationship between objects and people, connecting them to the network and enabling real-time data exchange.... Continue reading "Essential Digital Concepts: Information Systems, IoT, and Web Evolution" »

Azure Core Services & Features

Application Gateway & Web Application Firewall

• Service: Azure Application Gateway
• Feature: Web Application Firewall (WAF)

Messaging & Integration

• XML Message Handling: Azure Service Bus
• Recommended Serverless Solution: Azure Logic Apps and Azure Functions
• Event Grid C# Response: Azure Functions in Consumption Plan

Content Delivery & User Proximity

• Solution for Data Proximity to User: Content Delivery Network (CDN)

High-Performance Computing (HPC)

• HPC Cluster Node Management: CycleCloud

Application Hosting & Scalability

General Hosting Solutions

• App1 Hosting Solution: Load Balancer with VM Scale Set across two availability zones
• Service1 Hosting: VM Scale Set
• Deployment of Two VMs with Traffic Manager: Recommended
• VM

Resistors

• Longer side on positive
• Limit current through circuit
• Measured in ohms (Ω)

Voltage, Current, and Resistance

• Voltage (V): Exerted force to push electricity
• Current (I): Amount of electricity pushed (measured in Amps)
• Resistance (R): Constraints on the flow of electricity
• V = I*R, R=V/I, I=V/R

Diodes

• Act as stop-gap gates
• Ensure electron flow in intended direction

Motors

• Regular DC motors: Spin at various speeds
• Servo motors: Directional control, moving arm from controllable positions

Serial Communications

• Used to print values to Serial Monitor
• Good for troubleshooting

LEDs

• Light Emitting Diodes
• Light up when required forward voltage is found
• Intensity of light depends on current flow

Photodiodes

• Trip to reception of light, not emission of it
• Basics of solar

What is the Difference Between Principle - Principle of Operation?

Brayton Cycle

The continuous combustion cycle.

How Does Engine Thrust Vary?

Low temperature gives greater thrust.

Which Statement is True?

At lower engine speeds...

Static Thrust is Developed

Aircraft on the ground and stationary.

The Fan Bypass Ratio (BPR)

The mass ratio of air that passes...

P2 and P7 Sensors are Pickups for

Inlet and outer pressures.

Thrust

Increases with an increase in speed.

EPR (Engine Pressure Ratio) is

The main parameter that shows the thrust produced.

Compressor Inlet Screens

For protection against Foreign Object Debris (FOD).

Intakes are Designed to

Decelerate the free air stream.

What is the Shape of a Jet Engine Air Intake?

Divergent

Compressor Stall

Is the airflow separation... Continue reading "Jet Engine Fundamentals and Operations" »

The Motherboard: The Backbone of Your Computer

The motherboard is the central component of a computer, connecting all of its parts together. It serves as a platform for the CPU, memory, hard drives, optical drives, video card, sound card, and other ports and expansion cards.

Features of a Motherboard

• Supports various types of components
• Supports a single type of CPU and few types of memories
• Video Cards, Hard disks, Sound Cards must be compatible with the motherboard to function properly
• Motherboards, cases, and power supplies must be compatible to work properly together

Popular Motherboard Manufacturers

• Intel
• ASUS
• AOpen
• ABIT
• Biostar
• Gigabyte
• MSI

The CPU: The Brain of Your Computer

The CPU, or Central Processing Unit, is the brain of the computer. It handles... Continue reading "Motherboard and CPU: The Core Components of a Computer" »

Fundamental Concepts of Forces and Structures

A force is anything that can deform a body (static effect) or change its state of movement or rest (dynamic effect).

Examples of Forces

• Gravity: Pulls us towards the Earth and gives us weight.
• The force of the wind.
• Mechanical forces that move machines.
• Pressures of gases in closed containers.
• The force created by the effects of heat.

A structure is the set of elements in a body that are intended to resist the effects of the forces that act on it. A structure prevents a body from breaking or becoming too deformed.

Loads and Internal Stresses

The forces that act on a structure are called loads.

Types of Loads

• Fixed or Permanent Loads: Do not vary over time.
• Variable Loads: Are occasional and changeable.

Loads... Continue reading "Principles of Structural Mechanics and Applied Forces" »

Fossil Fuel Power Stations

Fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, are used to heat water in a boiler. Steam from the boiler turns a turbine, which is connected to the rotor of a generator. The generator produces electricity, which is transported by a network of high voltage power lines. After that, the steam goes to a condenser where it cools and becomes liquid water again. Finally, the water is pumped back to the boiler.

Combined Cycle Power Stations

Electricity is generated in two systems. In the first, natural gas is burned with compressed air. This produces superheated gases which turn a turbine to generate electricity. In the second, the hot gases from the first system are used to produce steam in a heat recovery boiler. Then the... Continue reading "Types of Power Stations: Fossil Fuels, Combined Cycle, Hydroelectric, Geothermal, and Solar" »

Java Book Class Example

Sorting and Displaying Books by Price

This code defines a simple Book class in Java and demonstrates how to sort and display a list of books by price in ascending order.

Book Class

The Book class has the following attributes:

• bookId: Unique identifier for each book.
• title: Title of the book.
• author: Author of the book.
• publisher: Publisher of the book.
• price: Price of the book.

The class provides a constructor to initialize these attributes, getters to access them, setters to modify them, and a toString() method to represent a Book object as a string.

Program3 Class

The Program3 class contains the main method, which performs the following actions:

1. Creates a list of Book objects.
2. Adds several book instances to the list.
3. Sorts the bookList

Effects of Electric Current

The movement of electrons through conductive materials produces effects that have useful applications.

• Heat: The Joule Effect

  The movement of electrons through an electrical wire is slow and disorderly. Electrons often collide, increasing the temperature of the wire itself. The energy that an electrical current produces in the form of heat is called the Joule effect.

• Light Production from Electricity

  There are several ways that electricity can be used to produce light:

  • Incandescent Bulbs

    When an electrical current passes through the metallic filament of a bulb, it produces light. This phenomenon is called incandescence.

  • Fluorescent Tubes

    Inside a fluorescent tube, there is a metallic filament, usually tungsten. There is also

Plastics

Plastics are materials formed by chains of carbon and hydrogen atoms. We call the chains polymers, while the atoms that form them are called monomers.

Thermoplastics

Thermoplastic materials are plastics that are softened by heating and can be formed and melted as many times as we want. This is because their polymers have weak bonds. (Polyethylene (PE), Polystyrene (PS), PVC (polyvinyl chloride))

Thermoset Plastics

The polymers of thermoset plastics criss-cross to form networks. Because of this bond, the plastics can be shaped using heat; however, once they have been formed, they cannot be re-melted to create different forms. (Melamine, Bakelite, Polyester resins)

Elastomers

Elastomers are very flexible materials that recover their shape and... Continue reading "Understanding Plastics: Types and Manufacturing Processes" »