COMPUTER HARDWARE

HARDWARE
Hardware is any physical part of the computer that you can touch, see and pickup. Examples of hardware include the monitor, keyboard, mouse, disk drives, printer, scanner and speakers

1|Page Assignment for Naomi Matangara,TFC OCT 10/DPS

COMPUTER HARDWARE
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PROCESSING HARDWARE
Central Processing Unit Parts of the CPU

There are three main components to the CP ! the arithmetic"lo#ic unit $%& ', control unit and on"board cache memory. CP is sometimes referred as microprocessor whose functions are! i. Recognize instructions:

Tell the difference between instruction and data and fetch them from (%) as needed. ii. Execute Instructions

Translate instructions into specific si#nals and write the si#nals to other components. iii. iv. Change Instruction execution sequence Coordinate data transfer *ata transfer to and from primary stora#e $(%)' and %& v. vi. Provide temporar storage for answers and intermediate results $Presence of re#ister' Control timing of s stems operation using s stem cloc! .

"rithmetic#logic unit: The %& is responsible for carryin# out arithmetic operations such as addition and subtraction as well as lo#ical decisions such as whether one number is bi##er than another. %ll pro#rams consist of complex sets of arithmetic
+|Page Assignment for Naomi Matangara,TFC OCT 10/DPS

COMPUTER HARDWARE
and lo#ical operations. %nother way of thinkin# of a lo#ical operation is as a decision makin# operation. "'U (unctions. 1. +. Performs, arithmetic operations 2, ", 3, 4 etc Performs lo#ic $comparison' operations. e.#. 5, 6,7 etc.

)emor

The CP works hand in hand with other circuits known as main memory to carryout processin#. There are two types )emory 1. R"): (andom %ccess )emory. sed for storin# pro#rams which are currently runnin# and data which is bein# processed8 ,ts volatile,i.e it loses all its contents as soon as the machine is switched off4power is off. (U*C+I,*- ,( R") $i' $ii' $iii' Holds data for processin# Holds instructions $pro#ram' for processin# the data Holds the processed data $information' waitin# to be sent to an output4secondary stora#e device.

There are two important facts to know about main memory. $i' /nce the power to computer is turned off, all the data and pro#rams within the main memory simply vanish. -ote ! in latest version of windows ed vista there is auto save ,this leads to #et the document later. ,ts capacity varies in different computers. The si9e determine how much data can be processed at once and how bi# complex the pro#rams are that can be use to process it. R,)! (ead /nly )emory. on volatile ,with its contents permanently etched into the memory chip at the manufacturin# sta#e. sed to hold :oot strap loader the pro#ram which runs as soon as the computer is switched on and instructs it to load the operatin# system from the disk into memory.

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;|Page Assignment for Naomi Matangara,TFC OCT 10/DPS

COMPUTER HARDWARE
The followin# table compares (%) and (/). R") (unction .olatilit Changea/le 0tore the currently active pro#rams and their data. (%) is volatile! .hen the computer is switched off, the contents are lost. The contents of (%) can be chan#ed or deleted. R,) 0tores certain fixed routines such as the boot"up routines. (/) is non"volatile! .hen the computer is switched off, the contents are not lost. The contents of (/) cannot be chan#ed or deleted.

INPUT HARDWARE
Input %evices

Consists of devices that allow people 4 machine to put data into the computer in a form that computer can use.They translate data into a form a computer can process..e can use any mechanical movement, sound, li#ht, heat or electronic si#nals to input data and instructions.

<|Page Assignment for Naomi Matangara,TFC OCT 10/DPS

COMPUTER HARDWARE

There are many different kinds of input devices which can be cate#ori9ed as manual and automatic input devices Manual input devices

)anual input devices re=uire that you physically operate them in some way in order to input data. Examples of manual input devices which are commonly used are >eyboard, )ouse ,Tablet, 0canner Concept , and Touch screen

Keyboards. Convert letter, numbers ? other characters into electrical si#nals that are machine readable by the computers processor.,t is the most familiar input device. sers type the text 4numbers directly into the computer. There are a number of layouts of the keyboard.

Mouse
@|Page Assignment for Naomi Matangara,TFC OCT 10/DPS

COMPUTER HARDWARE
The A)ouseA is a very popular way of controllin# the screen cursor. ,t also makes it very easy to re"si9e, close and open windows. ,t is used for #enerally controllin# software throu#h the use of on"screen AmenusA. %s you move the mouse across a surface, it senses this movement either mechanically or optically. This is translated into the movement of a pointer on the screen. Bunctions are represented as icons on the screen. .hen you click on these usin# a mouse button, the function is executed. )ouse 'anguage.The directions you are most likely to encounter for usin# a mouse or trackball are the followin#. +erm Point Clic! %ou/le clic! %efinition )ove the pointer to the desired spot on the screen, such as over a particular word or obCect. +ap"that is, press and =uickly release"the left mouse button .% click often selects an item on the screen Tap"press and release Dthe left mouse bottom twice, as =uickly as possible. % double click often opens a document or starts a pro#ram Press and hold the left mouse button while movin# the pointer to another location. (elease the mouse button after dra##in# .*ra##in# and droppin# makes it ease to move an item on the screen )ake a selection by usin# the button on the ri#ht side of the mouse .*oin# so in the windows E@4EF4+GGG4xp environment typically brin#s up a pop up menu with options available to the obCect over which the cursor is positioned.

%rag %rop Right clic!

Touchpad % touchpad is an input device which is usually found on a laptop computer.

H|Page Assignment for Naomi Matangara,TFC OCT 10/DPS

COMPUTER HARDWARE
:ecause a laptop is meant to be portable, people arenAt always able to attach a traditional mouse, it mi#ht be too much hassle or there mi#ht not be enou#h room to use one. % touchpad can be used in place of a mouse. Trackball % trackball acts as a type of overturned mouse. The ball is on the top side of the obCect. :y rollin# the ball you can move the pointer across the screen. 0ome keyboards have an in"built trackball. The trackball has been superseded by the touchpad. Touch Screen % touch screen is the only device which works as both an input and an output device. Iou view the options available to you on the screen $output' and you then use your fin#er to touch the option that you have chosen $input'. Lightpen % li#ht pen is a device which is sensitive to variations in patterns on a surface. &i#ht pens act like a miniature scanner and can read text as they are dra##ed across the printed pa#e. This can be transferred directly to the current open document.

Joystick % Coystick is a device that is familiar for use in #ames to move obCects on the screen. However, it is also used to control the movements in computerised industrial machines such as lathes. ,t consists of a small vertical lever which can move in any direction. These movements are translated to the computer which in turn uses them to control the movements of machinery. Concept Keyboard % concept keyboard is a flat board that contains a #rid of buttons. Each button can be pro#rammed to do whatever you want. %n overlay sheet with pictures or symbols is placed on the #rid so that the user can tell what pressin# on different areas will do. Digital Camera

J|Page Assignment for Naomi Matangara,TFC OCT 10/DPS

COMPUTER HARDWARE
% di#ital camera records ima#es electronically on a memory card rather than on film as did the older models of camera. The ima#es can be downloaded from the memory card onto a computer and then printed, stored or manipulated with a photo editin# application.

Graphics Tablet

1raphics tablets are often used by #raphics desi#ners and illustrators. sin# a #raphics tablet, a desi#ner can produce much more accurate drawin#s on the screen than they could with a mouse or other pointin# device. *rawin#s created usin# a #raphics tablet can be accurate to within hundredths of an inch. Microphone % microphone can be used to input sound. The sound is detected by the microphone and an electrical si#nal is transmitted to the computer. 0pecial hardware is used to convert this analo#ue data into di#ital data so it can be stored and manipulated. Scanner 0canners can be used to convert ima#es or text on paper into a di#ital format that can be used by the computer. AUTOMAT D !"#UT D $!C S

Optical Character %ecognition &OC%' %n /C( system consists of a normal scanner and some special software. The scanner is used to scan text on a document or piece of paper into the computer. The /C( software then examines the pa#e and chan#es the letters into a form that can be edited or processed by a normal word processin# packa#e.
F|Page Assignment for Naomi Matangara,TFC OCT 10/DPS

COMPUTER HARDWARE
Magnetic !nk Character %ecognition Each day, banks process millions of che=ues. ,t would take them far too lon# to manually enter the data from each che=ue. They use a techni=ue called A)a#netic ,nk Character (eco#nitionA $),C(' which enables them to process ;GG che=ues per minute with 1GGK accuracy. Optical Mark %eader &OM%' Have you ever looked closely at the -ational &ottery ticket selection form8 /r have you ever had to do a multiple choice test at school where you had to use a pencil to show your answer $like our picture on the ri#ht'8 (arcode %eader )ost items that are for sale in shops have a barcode printed somewhere on the packa#in#. Magnetic Stripe %eader )a#netic strips are usually found of the back of most credit cards, che=ue #uarantee cards, loyalty cards, membership cards etc. The ma#netic strip can hold personal details about the card number such as account number and name. The strip can contain up to HG characters, stored ma#netically. (iometric De)ices

There is an increasin# trend towards usin# biometric data from people in order to identify them. Bin#er print and retinal identification are bein# used in many places now and even facial reco#nition systems are startin# to be introduced. Sensors 0ensors are used to detect physical =uantities outside a computer such as li#ht, temperature and pressure.

E|Page Assignment for Naomi Matangara,TFC OCT 10/DPS

COMPUTER HARDWARE

OUTPUT DEVICES

%n output device is any device that the computer uses to send the results of processin# to the user. +he function of output hardware is to provide the user with the means to view and use information produced by the computer system. ,t consists of devices which translates information processed by the computer into a form that humans can understand.

Types o* output There two kinds of outputs which depends on the media used to output the information" $i' 0oftcopy such as materials on displays screen $ii' Hardcopy such as materials on printed materials. #rinters % printer is an output device that produces text and #raphics on a physical medium such as paper or transparency film. Printed information is called hard cop because the information exists physically and is a more permanent from of output. 0asic classification of printers and print speed1$,& ("-+ I- +$E PRI*+ER2 $a' Character printers! which print one character at a time. The most common example is the dot matrix printer.

1G | P a g e A s s i g n m e n t f o r N a o m i M a t a n g a r a , T F C O C T 10/DPS

COMPUTER HARDWARE
The speed is determined dependin# to how many characters can be printed in second that is cps3characters per second $b' 'ine printers! which print whole lines at a time The speed is determined dependin# to how many lines can be printed in a minute that is lpm3lines per minutes $c' Page printers: $,ma#e printers' which print whole pa#es at a time. E#. &a9er printer The speed is determined dependin# to how many pa#es can be printed per minute that is ppm3pages per minute The faster the printin#, the more expensive the printer. 'I*E PRI*+ER

% line printer is an impact printer that prints an entire line at one time. Two popular types of line printers are /and printers and shuttle#matrix printers.

#LOTT %

Plotters are a specialist type of printer which is able to draw hi#h =uality ima#es on very lar#e pieces of paper, for example ; foot wide by 1G foot lon#. lectrical transducers
% electrical transducer converts an electrical current into an output such as li#ht, sound or movement.

Speakers

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COMPUTER HARDWARE
)odern computers usin# the appropriate software can turn text in a document into audible speech. This is known as speech s nthesis. /ther types of software allow music and other sounds to be created and played back. Lights 'ight 0ul/s:
These use too much current to be powered directly by a computer but they can easily be switched on usin# a relay which is an an electronic switch. ,n a relay a small current controls an electroma#netic switch which can turn on or off the much lar#er current which powers the li#ht bulb. 'ight#emitting diodes 1'E%4s2 &i#hts such as &E*s $&i#ht Emittin# *iodes' can be connected to a computer and respond to electrical si#nals which tell them to switch on and off. Control devices such as li#hts, bu99ers and motors are used when the computer is controllin# a situation such as traffic li#hts.

MOTO%S+ )otors are not usually powered directly from a computer as they use too much current. They are usually controlled throu#h a relay which is an an electronic switch. ,n a relay a small current controls an electroma#netic switch which can turn on or off the much lar#er current which powers the motor. (u,,ers+ These cheap transducers chan#e a current directly into a simple sound. They use a low current so can be powered directly from a computer. #ro-ector ProCectors are display devices that proCect a computer created ima#e. The computer sends the ima#e data to the video card which then sends the video ima#e to the proCector. They are typically used for presentations or for viewin# videos

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COMPUTER HARDWARE

STORAGE MEDIA AND STORAGE DEVICES

Secondary Memory 0econdary memory is where pro#rams and data are kept on a lon#"term basis. Common secondary stora#e devices are the hard disk and floppy disks. Primar memor 1. Bast +. Expensive ;. &ow capacity <. Connects directly to the processor -econdar memor 1. 0low +. Cheap ;. &ar#e capacity <. -ot connected directly to the processor

-econdar storage devices also known as auxiliary stora#e devices are devices used to store data permanently as opposed to primary stora#e devices that store data temporarily $volatile'.There are four main types of these devices which are ma#netic tapes, ma#netic disks, optical disks and mass stora#e devices, flash memory cards and online stora#e. .ard Disk
The hard disk is the main stora#e device in your computer. ,t is a bit like a filin# cabinet! all of your data files and applications software are stored on it. 1; | P a g e A s s i g n m e n t f o r N a o m i M a t a n g a r a , T F C O C T 10/DPS

COMPUTER HARDWARE
Diskette % diskette comprises a plastic flexible disk enclosed inside a tou#h plastic cover. %t one end is a window. .hen the diskette is placed inside a diskette drive, the window is pushed to the side. The read"record head inside the drive makes contact with the ma#netic disk.

Magnetic tapes )agnetic tape has been used for data storage for over @G years. .hen storin# lar#e amounts of data, tape can be substantially less expensive than disk or other data stora#e options. Tape stora#e has always been used with lar#e computer systems. )odern usa#e is primarily as a hi#h capacity medium for backups and archives. /ip disk % 9ip disk is a removable ma#netic disk which fits into a special 9ip drive. The surface is coated with a special scratch resistant material which makes a 9ip disk a very robust stora#e device Data cartridge % data cartrid#e is a tape very similar to that found in a tape recorder, only much hi#her =uality. These are used in a device called a tape streamer to record data. *ata cartrid#es, especially if #ood =uality, are reliable and cheap devices for creatin# backups of lar#e =uantities of data. CD %OM % C* (/) uses optical technolo#y. .hen data is written, small pits are burned into the surface usin# a hi#hly focussed laser beam. These are read by another laser beam.

D$D The %igital .ersatile %is! is a development of the stora#e technolo#y of the C* (/). sin# newer stora#e methods and hi#her =uality media, % sin#le sided *L* can store about <.J1b of data .*L*s which store data on both sides can hold over E1b of data. This is enou#h to store a full len#th film. 0lash memory and memory sticks

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COMPUTER HARDWARE
% new type of external memory is the flash disk or memory stick. This is a solid state device $no movin# parts' that connects to the computer via the 0: port. ,t provides a very fast and reliable method of storin# data externally.

1@ | P a g e A s s i g n m e n t f o r N a o m i M a t a n g a r a , T F C O C T 10/DPS