The diagram in Fig. 1 shows equipment carried by Kay's environmental survey team. A drone records high-resolution video onto a microSD card. Back at camp, K...
Question 1 Report
The diagram in Fig. 1 shows equipment carried by Kay's environmental survey team. A drone records high-resolution video onto a microSD card. Back at camp, Kay copies the footage to a portable SSD and then uses a satellite link to upload selected clips to an online project folder. The team has limited battery power and works in dusty conditions. Several people use smartphones to view low-resolution clips, but only Kay's laptop is used to edit the original files.
(a) Describe four differences between the microSD card and the portable SSD that affect the way the team uses them. [4]
(b) Which device should remain in the drone while it records video? Give reasons linked to size and power use. [5]
(c) State three checks Kay should make before deleting video from the microSD card. Explain why each check is needed. [6]
(d) Explain why the team should not use smartphones as the only storage devices for the original drone footage. [7]
Answer Details
(a) The microSD card is much smaller and fits the drone card slot; an SSD normally has greater capacity and is better for a large archive. The SSD is easier to connect to a laptop by cable or USB. Both use solid-state flash memory and have no moving parts, but the tiny microSD is easier to lose. [4]
(b) The microSD card should remain in the drone. It is physically small and light, fits the built-in card slot, uses little power, and needs no cable or external drive to be carried during flight. [5]
(c) Confirm every file has copied to the SSD, so the only copy is not deleted. Open or play sample files, or compare file sizes, to check the copy is complete and uncorrupted. Confirm an additional backup or upload has completed, protecting against SSD failure or loss. Checking files are no longer required for immediate review is also valid. [6]
(d) Smartphones may lack capacity for original high-resolution footage and may compress or change video quality. They can be lost, stolen or damaged, and their batteries can run out. Connectors or formats may differ between phones. Multiple users increase the risk of accidental deletion, and phones are impractical for managing a large organised archive. Original files should remain on SSD or network storage for editing; uploads from phones may also depend on limited network access. [7]
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