CE0002L

(Computer Fundamentals and Programming)

SUMMATIVE

1
COMPONENTS OF COMPUTER SYSTEM

John Henry A. Escoto Prof. Abraham Magpantay

September 21, 2020 September 21, 2020
I. OBJECTIVES

At the end of the experiment students must be able to:

a) Understand the key features of C programming language

b) Write, compile and run a simple C program.
c) Understand computer hardware.
d) Understand basic computer components.
e) Learn the function of storage.
f) Learn about history of computers.

II. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Computer hardware is the physical parts or components of a computer, such as

the monitor, keyboard, computer data storage, hard disk drive (HDD), graphic
cards, sound cards, memory (RAM), motherboard, and so on, all of which are
tangible physical objects.

III.EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE

Task 1: Computer Components

As previously mentioned, the computers that are used nowadays are based upon the stored-
program computer concept proposed by John Von Neumann. Also, in Module 1, we pointed out
that a computer is a device capable of storing, retrieving, and processing information or data.
These suggest that a computer must consist of four basic components. These components are
 Central processing unit (CPU)
 Memory unit
 Input unit
 Output unit

Figure 1: Computer Advertisement

Activity 1.1: Complete the following table by listing the actual components from
the ad in Figure 1 to match the categories listed.
Basic Component Component from Figure 1
Central Processing Unit Intel Core 2 Duo Processor E6320
RAM: 2 GB Dual Channel DDR2 (667MHz)
Memory Unit
ROM: 250 GB Serial ATA 3Gb/s Hard Drive (7200RPM)
Input Unit 16X CD/DVD burner; Dell USB Keyboard; Dell Optical USB Mouse
22-inch E228WFP Widescreen Digital Flat Panel; Dell Lase Printer
Output Unit
1110; Dell AS501PA 10W Flat Panel Attached Speakers

Processor
Activity 1.2: A central processing unit or processor consists of Arithmetic Logic unit (ALU) and
Control unit (CU) unit. What is the function of ALU?
It performs arithmetic calculations and logic decisions in computer instruction language.

Activity 1.3: What is the function of control unit?

Control Unit is responsible for the execution of instructions but does not carry out
any actual data processing operations.

Activity 1.4: What does “Core 2 Duo Processor” in the description of processor in
Figure 1 mean?
It means that there are two processor cores working inside that is in parallel.

Processor Speed
What does “1.86 GHz” in the description of processor in Figure 1 mean?
GHz stands for giga-Hertz, which means billion cycles/ticks per second. This is a unit used to
measure CPU/processor or clock speed. Clock speed is the speed at which the processor executes
instructions. The CPU requires a fixed number of clock cycles/ticks to execute each instruction.
The faster the clock, the more instructions the CPU can execute per second.
So, 1.86 GHz refers to the processor that can process instructions at the speed of 1.86 billion
cycles per second.
Clock speed can be used as a rough comparison of the speed of two processors as long as they
are the same type and the same brand/maker. Comparing different processors is much more
difficult. The clock still makes each processor do something each cycle, but what that
something is can be very different. For example, on old computers, it would
take several cycles for the processor to complete one operation. On a
Pentium4, however, it usually completes two operations per cycle.

Figure 2: Description of Two Intel Precessors

Activity 1.5: In the above Figure 2, what does “2.4 GHz” in the description of processor Intel
core 2 Duo Processor E6600 mean?
The processor can do instructions at the speed of 2.4 billion cycles per second.

Activity 1.6: In the above Figure 2, which processor is faster, E6320 or E6600? Why?
E6600 Processor is faster because it has 2.4 GHz processor speed.

Task 2: Memory
What is computer memory or memory? From:
1. The American Heritage® Dictionary: Memory is
a. A unit of a computer that preserves data for retrieval.
b. Capacity for storing information: two gigabytes of memory.
2. The Encyclopedia Britannica: Computer Memory is device that is used to store data or
programs (sequences of instructions) on a temporary or permanent basis for use in an
electronic digital computer.
From the Webopedia Computer Dictionary, “Every computer comes with a certain amount of
physical memory, usually referred to as main memory or RAM. You can think of main memory
as an array of boxes, each of which can hold a single byte of information. A computer that has 1
megabyte of memory, therefore, can hold about 1 million bytes (or characters) of information.”
Activity 2.1: What does RAM stand for?
RAM is Random Access Memory.

Activity 2.2: There are two basic types of RAM: Dynamic RAM (DRAM) and Static RAM
(SRAM). What is a Dynamic RAM?
Dynamic RAM stores data dynamically and constantly needs to refresh the data stored in the
memory.

Activity 2.3: What is a Static RAM?

Static RAM stores data using a static method, in which the data remains constant as long as
electric power is supplied to the memory chip

Activity 2.4: Which is more expensive Dynamic RAM or Static RAM?

Static RAM is more expensive because it is built with a more complex structure.

Activity 2.5: When someone says a computer has “one gigabyte of RAM”, do they mean the
computer has one gigabyte of Dynamic RAM or Static RAM?
They really mean that the computer has one gigabyte of Dynamic RAM.

Figure 3: Description of Memory

Activity 2.6: Is the memory listed in My Components in Figure 3 of type Dynamic RAM or
Static RAM?
The memory listed is Dynamic RAM.

Activity 2.7: What is “SDRAM” in the description of Memory in Figure 3?

SDRAM means Synchronous Dynamic Random-Access Memory.

Activity 2.8: What does “DDR2” in the description of Memory in Figure 3 stand for?
DDR2 means for Double Data Rate 2.

Activity 2.9: What is “cache” in the description of Processor in Figure 3?

Processor cache is a cache memory that a computer processor uses to access data and programs
more quickly than through random access memory.
Activity 2.10: Is cache a memory of type Dynamic RAM or Static RAM?
Cache is a type of static RAM.

Activity 2.11: How many types are of cache? What are they?
There are 4 types of caches incorporated in a computer. These are browser, disk, memory, and
processor cache.

Task 3: Input and Output and Secondary Storage

Input and Output
Input and output are the basic computer components that communicate with CPU. An input
device sends data/information to CPU. An output device takes the processed data/information
from CPU and makes it available for the user.
Activity 3.1: List all input devices that you know?
Keyboard, Mouse, Touchpad, Joystick, Light pen, Track ball, Scanner, Graphic tablet,
Microphone, QR and bar code reader, Webcam, and Touchscreen

Activity 3.2: List all output devices that you know?

Monitor, Printer, Headphones, Speakers, Projector, Sound Card, and Video Card

Activity 3.4: What is a USB/flash drive?

A USB flash drive is used for data storage that includes a flash memory and an integrated
Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface.

Activity 3.5: Is USB/flash drive an input or output device?

It can be either an input or output device since you can copy files from and to it.

Activity 3.6: What does USB stand for?

Universal Serial Bus

Activity 3.7: What is secondary storage?

It is a non-volatile device that holds data until it is deleted or overwritten.

Activity 3.8: Is USB/flash drive a secondary storage?

Yes.

Activity 3.9 List all secondary storages that you know?

Hard disk drive (HDD), Solid-state drive (SSD), USB thumb drive/flash drive, SD card, CD,
DVD, Floppy diskette

Activity 3.10 What do CD and DVD stand for?

CD stands for Compact Disk and DVD stands for Digital Versatile Disk.

Activity 3.11 Are CD and DVD secondary storage?

Yes.

Activity 3.12 What is a capacity of a CD?

CD’s capacity is 700 MB.

Activity 3.15 What is a capacity of a DVD?

DVD’s storage capacity is 4.7 GB.

Activity 3.16 What is a CD-R?

It is a blank CD where you can store data once.

Activity 3.17 What is a CD-RW?

A type of CD where you can erase and use it multiple times.

Task 4: History of Computers

The first computing device is Abacus which can be traced back to
5,000 years ago in Asia and still is being used today. Abacus is
considered to be a mechanical computing device. Hence we can
categorize computing devices/computers into two types:
mechanical and electronic computing devices/computers.
Use the Internet to perform these activities.

Activity 4.1 The real beginnings of computers as we know them today lay with an English
mathematics professor, Charles Babbage. In 1822, what machine did he invent to be able to
compute tables of numbers, such as logarithm tables? What did it use to make
the machine run?
Difference Engine. The machine was to be steam-driven and run by one attendant.

Activity 4.2 An important step in the history of computers was the design of a mechanical
general-purpose computer by Charles Babbage in 1837. What machine did he invent?
Analytical Engine

Activity 4.3 Who created a program for the mechanical general-purpose built by Charles
Babbage in 1837.
Lady Ada Augusta Lovelace

Activity 4.4 What is the Turing Machine? Who developed it and in what year?
A Turing machine is a hypothetical machine thought of by Alan Turing in 1936. The Turing
machine can simulate any computer algorithm, no matter how complicated it is.

Activity 4.5 Who proposed the so called Stored-Program Computer concept or model in
his paper that we are still using till these days? In what year did he propose?
Stored program computer was proposed by John von Neumann in 1945.
Activity 4.6 What is the first electronic computer? Who created it and in what
year?
Vannevar Bush introduced the Differential Analyzer in the United States around 1930.

Activity 4.7 What is the first general-purpose electronic computer? Who

created it and in what year?
Built by American Physicist John Mauchly and Engineer J. Presper Eckert, Jr., Electronic
Numerical Integrator and Computer is the first general purpose electronic computer around
1943-44

Activity 4.8 The history of computer development is often referred to in reference to the different
generations of computing devices. Each generation of computer is characterized by a major
technological development that fundamentally changed the way computers operate, resulting in
increasingly smaller, cheaper, more powerful and more efficient and reliable devices. For
example, the First Generation covers 1940-1956 and vacuum tubes were the fundamental
change. Complete the following table:
From Year To Year Fundamental Change
Second Generation 1959 1965 Transistor
Third Generation 1965 1971 Integrated Circuit
Fourth Generation 1971 1980 VLSI Microprocessor

IV. QUESTION AND ANSWER:

1. What did John Von Neumann propose in 1945 that we are still using till these days?
Stored Program Computer

2. What are the basic components of a computer system?

Every computer system has a central processing unit (CPU), a keyboard, a mouse, and a
monitor.

3. What are the two units of CPU?

arithmetic logic unit (ALU) and control unit (CU)
4. Which one is more expensive, cache memory or DRAM?
Cache memory is much more expensive.

5. What cache resides in CPU or processor?

It is a hardware cache that is organized in levels depending on the location namely L1, L2,
L3, L4, etc. These cpu caches may be instruction or data caches.

6. Is USB\flash drive output device?

Yes, it can be an output device since you can copy files into it from the computer.

7. When we say the word memory, we refer to RAM or Hard drive?

It refers to RAM.

8. Which device has more storage capacity, CD or DVD?

DVD

9. List one input and one output device.

Mouse and Monitor

10. What is a register?

It is one of a small set of data holding places that are part of the computer processor. It may
hold an instruction, a storage, etc.

11. What does control unit of CPU do?

It regulates and integrates the operations of the computer.

12. Suppose the clock speed of Processor A is rated as 1.5 GHz and can process 2 instructions
per cycle. How many instructions can Processor A process in a second?
Three billion instructions per second.

13. If a computer bus is 16 bits wide, how many bits of information can be transferred at one
time through that bus?
It can transfer 16 bits of data in parallel.

14. Hard disks are what kind of storage medium?

Magnetic storage device

15. Integrated circuit was developed in which technology generation?

Second Generation (Transistor based)

16. What does SCSI mean?

It means small computer systems interface

17. What does ALU mean?

It means arithmetic-logic unit.

18. What is the name given to an electronic circuit that carries data from one computer
component to another?
Output circuits

V. ASSESSMENT

Department Computer Science Department

Subject Code CE0002L
Description Computer Fundamentals and Programming
Term/Academic Year 1 / 2020-2021

Topic Introduction to Computers

Lab Summative 1
No.
Lab Summative Components of Computer
System
CLO 1

Note: The following rubrics/metrics will be used to grade students’ output in the Lab
Summative 1.
Criteria Descriptions Points
Completeness of answers Each of the items are completely 29
answered
Correctness of the answers Each of the items that are answered
correctly. One point for each correct 71
answer.

Task 1 – Activity 1.1 to 1.6 (9 points)

Task 2 – Activity 2.1 to 2.11 (11
points)
Task 3 – Activity 3.1 to 3.17 (17
points)
Task 4 – Activity 4.1 to 4.7 (7 points),
Activity 4.8 (9 points)
Question and answer (18 points)
Total 100%