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    Essential Concepts: Lesson 3

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    Aditya Nema
    This document discusses how computers represent and process data, including how binary numbers work, the role of bits and bytes, different storage devices like hard disks and optical disks, and factors that affect processing speed like CPU speed and memory. It explains that all data is converted to binary and stored on various storage media using magnetic or optical technology, and processing is performed by the CPU which contains a control unit and ALU to manipulate data and move it to and from memory.

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    Essential Concepts: Lesson 3

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    Aditya Nema
    19 views40 pages
    This document discusses how computers represent and process data, including how binary numbers work, the role of bits and bytes, different storage devices like hard disks and optical disks, and factors that affect processing speed like CPU speed and memory. It explains that all data is converted to binary and stored on various storage media using magnetic or optical technology, and processing is performed by the CPU which contains a control unit and ALU to manipulate data and move it to and from memory.

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    This document discusses how computers represent and process data, including how binary numbers work, the role of bits and bytes, different storage devices like hard disks and optical disks, and factors that affect processing speed like CPU speed and memory. It explains that all data is converted to binary and stored on various storage media using magnetic or optical technology, and processing is performed by the CPU which contains a control unit and ALU to manipulate data and move it to and from memory.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PPS, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pps, pdf, or txt
    19 views40 pages

    Essential Concepts: Lesson 3

    Uploaded by

    Aditya Nema
    This document discusses how computers represent and process data, including how binary numbers work, the role of bits and bytes, different storage devices like hard disks and optical disks, and factors that affect processing speed like CPU speed and memory. It explains that all data is converted to binary and stored on various storage media using magnetic or optical technology, and processing is performed by the CPU which contains a control unit and ALU to manipulate data and move it to and from memory.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PPS, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pps, pdf, or txt
    of 40

    essential concepts

    lesson 3
    Transforming Data
    into Information
    This lesson includes the following sections:
    • How Computers Represent Data
    • How Computers Process Data
    • Factors Affecting Processing Speed
    • Extending the Processor's Power to Other Devices
    • CPUs Used in Personal Computers
    • Magnetic Storage Devices
    • Optical Storage Devices
    How Computers Represent Data
    • Binary Numbers
    • Bits and Bytes
    • Text Codes
    How Computers Represent Data –
    Binary Numbers
    • Computer processing is performed by transistors,
    switches that can be on and off.

    • All computer data is converted to a series of binary


    numbers – 1 and 0. You see a word as letters; the
    computer sees it as a series of 1s and 0s.

    • If a transistor is assigned a value of 1, it is on. If its


    value is 0, it is off.
    Ten different
    symbols in
    the decimal
    system

    Numbers above 9
    use more than 1 digit
    How Computers Represent Data -
    Bits and Bytes

    • A single unit of data--called a bit--is the value assigned


    to one transistor (1 or 0). A bit is the smallest unit of
    data a computer can use.

    • Eight bits make up one byte. A byte can store one


    . alphanumeric character.

    • With one byte, the computer can represent one of 256


    different symbols or characters.
    1 01 10 1 01 01 1 01
    How Computers Represent Data -
    Text Codes

    A text code is a system that uses binary numbers to


    represent characters understood by humans. The
    primary text code systems are:

    EBCDIC -- an early text code, used mainly in older


    mainframe systems.

    ASCII -- assigns each character 1 byte of data, used


    in nearly all PCs.

    Unicode -- assigns each character 2 bytes of data,


    capable of including all the characters of
    all the languages in the world.
    How Computers Process Data
    • Where Processing Occurs

    • The CPU

    • Memory
    How Computers Process Data -
    Where Processing Occurs

    • Processing takes place in the central processing


    unit (CPU).

    • The computer’s memory plays a crucial role in


    processing data.

    • The CPU and memory are attached to the


    motherboard, which connects all the computer’s
    devices together.
    How Computers Process Data –
    The CPU
    • The CPU includes a control unit and an arithmetic logic
    unit (ALU).

    • The control unit directs the flow of data through the


    CPU, and to and from other devices. The control unit
    stores microcode, instructions for all the tasks the CPU
    can perform.

    • The actual manipulation of data takes place in the ALU.


    The ALU can perform arithmetic and logic operations.

    • The ALU is connected to small memory areas -- called


    registers -- that hold data and instructions while they
    are processed.
    How Computers Process Data –
    Memory
    • Random-access memory (RAM) is volatile
    (temporary). Programs and data can be written to and
    erased from RAM as needed.

    • Read-only memory (ROM) is nonvolatile (permanent).


    It holds instructions that run the computer when it is
    first turned on.

    • The CPU accesses each location in memory by using a


    unique number, called a memory address.
    Factors Affecting Processing Speed
    • The size of the CPU’s registers (word size) determines
    how much data the computer can process at one time.
    • The more RAM a PC has, the more program
    instructions and data can be held in memory.

    • The system clock sets the pace for the CPU. Speed is
    measured in Hertz (Hz), or cycles per second.

    • A bus is a path between the components of a


    computer, on which data and instructions travel. The
    wider the bus, the more data it can carry.

    • Cache memory is high-speed memory that holds the


    most recent data and instructions that have been
    loaded by the CPU.
    More RAM = Better Performance!
    Extending the Processor's Power to Other
    Devices
    • External devices are connected to the system by
    ports on the back of the computer. PCs feature
    ports for devices such as a printers and mice.

    • A serial port transmits one bit at a time; a parallel


    port transmits one byte at a time.

    • If the PC does not have a port for an external


    device, you can install an expansion board into one
    of the PC’s empty expansion slots.
    Common Ports
    CPUs Used in Personal Computers
    • CPU Manufactures

    • RISC and Parallel Processing


    CPUs Used in Personal Computers –
    CPU Manufacturers
    • Intel Corp. is the world’s largest maker of
    microprocessors. Intel’s 80x86 processor family
    includes the 80286, 80386, 80486, and Pentium models.

    • Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has challenged Intel


    in the IBM-compatible market. AMD processors
    include the K6 and Athlon lines.

    • Cyrix is best known as a maker of low-cost chips for


    budget PCs.

    • Motorola makes processors for Macintosh and


    PowerPC computers. Motorola processors include the
    680x0, PowerPC, G3, and G4.
    CPUs Used in Personal Computers -
    RISC Processors

    • Nearly all PC processors are called complex


    instruction set computing (CISC) processors because
    they contain large instruction sets.

    • Reduced instruction set computing (RISC) chips run


    faster than CISC chips because they use a smaller
    instruction set. RISC chips are used in mainframe
    systems, minicomputers, and workstations.

    • Multiple processors can be used in a single system,


    sharing processing tasks. This type of system is
    called a parallel processing system.
    Magnetic Storage Devices

    • How Magnetic Storage Works

    • Formatting

    • Disk Areas

    • Diskettes

    • Hard Disks
    Magnetic Storage Devices -
    How Magnetic Storage Works

    • A magnetic disk's medium contains iron particles,


    which can be polarized—given a magnetic charge—in
    one of two directions.

    • Each particle's direction represents a 1 (on) or 0 (off),


    representing each bit of data that the CPU can
    recognize.

    • A disk drive uses read/write heads containing


    electromagnets to create magnetic charges on the
    disk.
    Write head

    Medium

    Random particles Current flow


    (no data stored) (write operation)

    Organized particles
    (represent data)
    Magnetic Storage Devices -
    Formatting
    • Before a magnetic disk can be used, it must be
    formatted—a process that maps the disk's surface and
    determines how data will be stored.

    • During formatting, the drive creates circular tracks


    around the disk's surface, then divides each track into
    sectors.

    • The OS organizes sectors into groups, called clusters,


    then tracks each file's location according to the clusters
    it occupies.
    Formatted Disk
    Magnetic Storage Devices -
    Disk Areas
    When a disk is formatted, the OS creates four
    areas on its surface:
    • Master boot record – an area of the disk containing a
    small program that runs when you first start (boot) the
    computer

    • File allocation table (FAT) – a log that records each


    file's location and each sector's status

    • Root folder – enables the user to store data on the disk


    in a logical way

    • Data area – the portion of the disk that actually holds


    data
    Magnetic Storage Devices -
    Diskettes
    • Diskette drives, also known as floppy disk drives,
    read and write to diskettes (called floppy disks or
    floppies).

    • Diskettes are used to transfer files between


    computers, as a means for distributing software, and
    as a backup medium.

    • Diskettes come in two sizes: 5.25-inch and 3.5-inch.


    3.5 inch
    floppy
    and drive
    Magnetic Storage Devices -
    Hard Disks

    • Hard disks use multiple platters, stacked on a


    spindle. Each platter has two read/write heads, one
    for each side.

    • Hard disks use higher-quality media and a faster


    rotational speed than diskettes. As a result, a hard
    disk can store many times more data than a floppy
    disk.
    Read/write heads
    Optical Storage Devices
    • How Optical Storage Works

    • CD-ROM

    • DVD-ROM

    • Other Optical Storage Devices


    Optical Storage Devices –
    How Optical Storage Works

    • An optical disk is a high-capacity storage medium.


    An optical drive uses reflected light to read data.

    • To store data, the disk's metal surface is covered with


    tiny dents (pits) and flat spots (lands), which cause
    light to be reflected differently.

    • When an optical drive shines light into a pit, the light


    cannot be reflected back. This represents a bit value
    of 0 (off). A land reflects light back to its source,
    representing a bit value of 1 (on).
    1 0
    Optical Storage Devices –
    CD-ROM

    • In PCs, the most commonly used


    optical storage technology is called
    Compact Disk Read-Only Memory (CD-ROM).

    • A standard CD-ROM disk can store up to 650


    MB of data, or about 70 minutes of audio.
    Optical Storage Devices -
    DVD-ROM

    • A variation of CD-ROM is called Digital Video Disk


    Read-Only Memory (DVD-ROM), and is being used
    in place of CD-ROM in many newer PCs.

    • Standard DVD disks store up to 9.4 GB of data—


    enough to store an entire movie. Dual-layer DVD
    disks can store up to 17 GB.

    • DVD disks can store so much data because both sides


    of the disk are used, along with sophisticated data
    compression technologies.
    Optical Storage Devices -
    Other Optical Storage Devices

    • A CD-Recordable (CD-R) drive lets you record your


    own CDs, but data cannot be overwritten once it is
    recorded to the disk.

    • A CD-Rewritable (CD-RW) drive lets you record a


    CD, then write new data over the already recorded
    data.

    • PhotoCD technology is used to store digital


    photographs.
    lesson 3 review Essential concepts

    • Explain why computers use the binary number


    system.
    • List the two main parts of the CPU and explain their
    function.
    • List three hardware factors that affect processing
    speed.
    • List four common types of storage devices.
    • Explain how data is stored on the surface of magnetic
    and optical disks.

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