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Northern Ireland · CCEAQ&A
Technology and DesignQ&A by dot point
A short Q&A bank for every Northern Ireland Technology and Design syllabus dot point. Each question and answer is drawn directly from our worked dot-point page, so you can scan key concepts before opening the long-form answer.
A2 1 Electronic and Microelectronic Control Systems
- Analogue and digital signals, the binary number system, analogue-to-digital and digital-to-analogue conversion, resolution and quantisation.3Q&A pairs
- The microcontroller (PIC): architecture, input/output ports, memory, the program cycle, and the advantages of programmable control over discrete logic.3Q&A pairs
- Open- and closed-loop control, feedback and the error signal, and proportional, integral and derivative (PID) control.3Q&A pairs
- The operational amplifier as a summing amplifier, difference amplifier and voltage follower, with the ideal op-amp assumptions.3Q&A pairs
- Flowcharts and their symbols, programming constructs (sequence, selection, iteration), inputs/outputs, delays and subroutines for microcontroller control.3Q&A pairs
- Sequential logic: the bistable/flip-flop (set-reset, D and JK), latching, and binary counters and frequency division.3Q&A pairs
A2 1 Mechanical and Pneumatic Control Systems
- Ratchet and pawl, clutches and brakes, the Geneva mechanism and intermittent motion, and screw threads for converting rotary to linear motion.3Q&A pairs
- Work, power, torque and efficiency in mechanical systems, and the relationship between mechanical advantage, velocity ratio and efficiency.3Q&A pairs
- Pneumatic logic (AND, OR via shuttle and two-pressure valves), pilot operation, and controlling a cylinder with directional control valves.3Q&A pairs
- The pneumatic time-delay circuit (reservoir and restrictor), flow-control of cylinder speed, and sequencing cylinders with limit valves.3Q&A pairs
- Stress, strain, the Young modulus, the stress-strain graph, elastic and plastic behaviour, and factor of safety.3Q&A pairs
- Structural members in tension and compression (ties and struts), triangulation, beams and the forces in simple frameworks.3Q&A pairs
A2 2 Product/System Design and Manufacture
AS 1 Design and Manufacture
- Classification of materials: ferrous and non-ferrous metals and alloys, thermoplastics and thermosets, natural and manufactured timbers, and composites and smart materials.4Q&A pairs
- Graphical communication: sketching, orthographic and isometric drawing, sectional and assembly drawings, dimensioning and rendering.4Q&A pairs
- Composites (GRP, CFRP) and modern/smart materials (shape-memory alloys, thermochromics, piezoelectrics) and their applications.3Q&A pairs
- Writing measurable design, engineering and manufacturing specifications, and using them as evaluation criteria.3Q&A pairs
- Evaluation against the specification, user testing and feedback, objective and subjective evaluation, and modification.5Q&A pairs
- Idea-generation techniques, developing ideas through annotation and modelling, CAD and prototyping.3Q&A pairs
- Manufacturing processes for metals, polymers and timbers (casting, forming, moulding, machining, joining) and matching process to scale of production.3Q&A pairs
- Mechanical and physical properties of materials: strength, hardness, toughness, ductility, malleability, elasticity, stiffness, density, conductivity and corrosion resistance.3Q&A pairs
- Quality assurance and quality control, tolerance, standards and the use of jigs, fixtures and templates in volume production.3Q&A pairs
- Research methods (questionnaires, surveys, product analysis) and the use of ergonomics, anthropometric data and percentiles in design.3Q&A pairs
- Sustainability, the 6 Rs, life-cycle assessment, and the social, moral and environmental responsibilities of designers.3Q&A pairs
- The iterative design process: identifying needs, research, specifications, generating and developing ideas, modelling, evaluation and the role of the client and user.4Q&A pairs
AS 1 Electronic and Microelectronic Systems
- Input transducers (LDR, thermistor, switches) and the potential divider as a sensing subsystem.3Q&A pairs
- Logic gates (AND, OR, NOT, NAND, NOR, EOR), truth tables, Boolean expressions and combinational logic for decision-making.3Q&A pairs
- The operational amplifier as a comparator and as an inverting/non-inverting amplifier, with gain and the use of a reference voltage.4Q&A pairs
- Output transducers (LED, lamp, buzzer, motor, relay, solenoid), current-limiting resistors and driver/interface circuits.3Q&A pairs
- The systems approach: input, process and output subsystems, block diagrams, signal flow and feedback.4Q&A pairs
- The bipolar transistor and MOSFET as switches, base/gate biasing, the Darlington pair and switching inductive loads.3Q&A pairs
- The capacitor-resistor time constant, and the 555 timer in monostable and astable modes.3Q&A pairs
AS 1 Mechanical and Pneumatic Systems
- Cams and followers, cam profiles (pear, circular/eccentric, heart-shaped/snail), dwell, rise and fall, and crank-and-slider mechanisms.3Q&A pairs
- Spur, idler, compound, bevel and worm gears, the gear ratio, and the trade-off between speed and torque.3Q&A pairs
- The three classes of lever, the principle of moments, mechanical advantage, and linkages (reverse-motion, bell-crank, parallel).3Q&A pairs
- Pneumatic components: single- and double-acting cylinders, control valves (3/2 and 5/2), and calculating the thrust of a cylinder.3Q&A pairs
- Belt and pulley drives, the velocity ratio from pulley diameters, chain and sprocket drives, and pulley systems for lifting.3Q&A pairs
- The four types of motion (linear, rotary, reciprocating, oscillating) and the role of mechanisms in changing the type, direction or magnitude of motion and force.3Q&A pairs