LESSON 2 : BASIC

OPERATIONS AND
COMPONENTS OF A COMPUTER
 INTRODUCTION

Saying that PCs have changed our lives cannot be denied. These machines have
changed how we play out every day by day task. It affects our lives in a great deal in a way that it
runs almost all our needed equipment in our everyday lives. The different operations and functions
of computers are also increasing and becoming very powerful that many people cannot cope with
the operations of a simple computer. It created and developed many cause and effect events in our
society.

In this lesson, those computer components with functions and operations will be dealt
with in a lay manner that can be understood by a user beginning to grasp the usefulness of the
computer. The lesson will also prepare the learner‘s experience of how does a computer‘s part and
component interact with each other.

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LESSON 2.1 :
BASIC OPERATIONS OF COMPUTER SYSTEMS

The basic operations of a

computer system are input,
processing, output, and
storage, as illustrated in
the figure:

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 The 5 Basic Operations of a Computer
System

1. Inputting
2. Processing
3. Outputting
4. Storing
5. Controlling

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 INPUTTING
is an essential operation of a computer system. This is the act of
feeding in the data and instruction to the computer (by computer here, it
means the processing unit). A computer system consists of different
functional units, and the Input Unit does the operation of Inputting. By
inputting, you should understand that it is to send data and instruction to the
computer in the required format. Information and programs are entered into
the computer through Input devices such as the keyboard, disks, or through
other computers via network connections or modems connected to the
Internet.

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 PROCESSING UNIT
The unit in Computer System that is responsible for processing is ALU
(Arithmetic and Logical Unit). ALU is the place where the actual execution of
the instructions takes place during the processing operations. All calculations
& comparisons are made in the ALU. The data and instructions stored in the
primary 69 storage are transferred to it as when required. ALU may produce
Intermediate results and keep it in the memory, which is also moved back to
the ALU for the final processing. After completion of processing, the final
results are sent to storage units from ALU.

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 OUTPUTTING
This unit takes care of receiving processed information from the processing
unit and presents it to the user in a suitable form.

A computer produces results in binary form, and the output unit does
decoding to make it usable to the users. The devices that can output information from a
computer are known as output unit devices. Monitors, Speakers, Projectors are soft
output devices, whereas printers, plotters produce hard copy output. Soft copy output
is something that is temporary or is available only as long as the output device is turned
on. Contrary to these are hard copy output, which is permanent. The printout in a paper
is not lost because the printer is turned off!

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 STORING
Before the actual processing start, data & instructions entered to the
computer must be stored somewhere inside the computer. Similarly, results
produced by the computer are required to be held before it is passed to the
output unit. The intermediate product made by the computer must also be
stored for further processing. Thus the importance of storage units in a
computer system is vital.

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 CONTROLLING
ALU dose does not know what should be done with the data;
likewise, the output unit does not know when the result should be displayed.
By selecting, interning, and seeing to the execution of the program, the CU
can maintain order and direct the operations of the entire system. CU doesn't
perform any actual processing on data, yet it is known as a central nervous
system for the comforts of the computer. It manages and coordinates the
entire system. I hope this discussion helps you and makes you select the
correct answers in your exam. The following questions are probable from this
topic.
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LESSON 2.2 :
DATA PROCESSING CYCLE

The data processing

cycle, as the term suggests a
sequence of steps or operations
for processing data, i.e.,
processing raw data to the usable
form. Several data processing
methods can do the processing of
data. This essential operation of a
computer system is also known as
data processing, manipulating
data into a more useful form.

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 DATA COLLECTION
Data collection is a stage of gathering data from the environment
and preparing it for input. The collection process is the first step that provides
the data. Collecting data is hard work on its own, but it is the most essential
on which the results depend. The quality of input will determine the quality of
output. This data collection can be done in various ways by primary or
secondary sources. This data might include census data, GDP or other
monetary figures, data about several industries, the profit of a company, etc.

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 INPUT
This is the feeding of raw and filtered data for processing. If the
inputs are not given correctly or entered wrong, the output will be directly
affected. This is because the product observes the standard of "Garbage in –
garbage out." Utmost consideration ought to be taken to give the right
information.

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 PROCESSING
Processing is the step where data is processed by electronic data
processing, mechanical processing, or automated means. The processed data
is one who gives information to the user and can be put to use. The raw data
cannot be understood and thus needs processing, which is done in this step.
Processing of data may take time depending on processing power, the
complexity of the data, computer systems, and the volume of input data. The
step of preparation mentioned above helps in making this process faster.

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 OUTPUT
This is the step where data is processed by electronic data processing, mechanical
processing, or automated means. The processed data is one who gives information to
the user and can be put to use. The raw data cannot be understood and thus needs
processing, which is done in this step. Processing of data may take time depending on
processing power, the complexity of the 72 data, computer systems, and the volume of
input data. The step of preparation mentioned above helps in making this process faster

The output data may be stored on a

STORAGE disk or permanent memory media for

future reference or use.

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LESSON 2.2.2 :
SOME BASIC DEFINITIONS IN DATA PROCESSING
◉ Source Document - The paper or document on which data is recorded when collected is called a
source document.
◉ Data capture - is the stage of entering the collected data into a data processing system such as a
computer or calculator.
◉ Encoding - means converting data into a form that is easier to input into a data processing system.
◉ Decoding – means converting encoded data into a form that is easier to understand by people.
◉ Data transmission - is the stage of sending input data to the processor and carrying it across its
various components.
◉ Data communication - is the set of activities that allow data to be sent from one data-processing
system to another.
◉ Turnaround document - is a document that contains the results of one processing activity, has more
data added to it, and is used as input for another processing activity is called a turnaround document.

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LESSON 2.3 :
BASIC COMPONENTS OF COMPUTER SYSTEM
HARDWARE - It is the physical or tangible parts of the computer.

1. Input Devices - allow the user to input data/facts into the computer in a form that the
computer understands.
2. Processing and Memory Devices - acts as the computer‘s brain. They are typically housed
together in a single unit called the system board.
3. Secondary Storage Devices - these are the devices outside the system board that allows data
and programs to be stored.
4. Output Devices - converts information that has been processed by the computer into a form
that the user can understand.
5. Communication Devices - these are used to communicate with another computer via
telephone lines or radio links.
6. Chipset and Expansion Slots - are built-in communication devices and ports inside a
motherboard.

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SOFTWARE - it is the collection of related programs that contain the step-by-step instructions telling the
computer how to perform a task.

1. Application Software - – it refers to a set of programs designed to help the user to perform a
particular type of work. It is generally distinguished from system software because it deals
more with data processing applied in business, education, science, and other tasks.

2. System Software - this software manages the computer hardware and works with the other
software. It is computer software designed to operate the computer hardware and to provide a
platform for running application software. The system software also provides services to
computer users and application programs.

3. Peopleware - these are personnel involved in the computer system. Examples are computer
programmers, computer engineers, software designers, system analysts, server administrators,
computer technicians, network administrators, etc.

4. Dataware- is an extensive collection of computer data used to help an organization make

decisions. It also consists of all the data needed in data processing. Dataware is synonymous
with a data warehouse.

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 THANKS!
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