Anatomy of a Computer System

Notes

4
ANATOMY OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM

Structure, parts and connectivity among various internal parts of a computer system, will
be discussed in this lesson. As the input, output and storage devices have already been
discussed in the previous lessons, the main focus in this lesson will be on the working and
functioning of the internal components, modules and sub-assemblies of the system box.
The system box has a number of components
inside it like CPU, motherboard, RAM,
expansion cards etc. All these components,
along with the external devices, perform a
task together.

Have you ever looked inside a system box

before, or seen pictures of the internal
components? This lesson will make you
aware of some of the basic terminologies
and major components and will help you in
Fig. 4.1 Computer System
understanding in brief, about what goes-on
inside the computer system box while a task gets performed. If you are familiar with the
parts of the computer, you will definitely be comfortable in assembling a system
according to the requirement.

OBJECTIVES
After reading this lesson, you will be able to:
z identify the components in the system unit, CPU and motherboard.
z distinguish among the data bus, address bus and the control bus.
z operate the commonly used various plug and play devices.

z locate the slots for various external cards.

z identify various peripheral devices connected internally and externally.

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4.1 COMPONENTS OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM

A computer system comprises of a number of components. In this section, you will learn Notes
about the components that are responsible for working of the computer system.

4.1.1 Central Processing Unit

Every PC has a Central Processing Unit (CPU). You already know that CPU is the brain
of the computer system. Every computer will have a specific type of processor, such as
a Pentium chip or an AMD chip. Now let us understand how CPU works. It connects to
the motherboard and works alongside the other components, processing many instructions
at the same time among the different hardware and memory systems. The processor, as
shown in Fig. 4.2, is an electronic device, about one inch square, covered with plastic.
Inside this square, there are even smaller squares of silicon, containing millions of tiny
electronic parts. A processor may contain 100 million transistors. The chip is usually
about the size of a thumbnail. The CPU fits into the motherboard's CPU socket, which is
covered by the heat sink, an object that absorbs heat generated in the CPU and dissipates
it into the atmosphere. The CPU does the
fundamental computing within the system, and
directly or indirectly controls all the other
components. The speed of the processor is given by
its clock speed. A processor's speed is measured in
megahertz (MHz), or millions of instructions per
second, and gigahertz (GHz), or billions of
instructions per second. A faster processor can
execute instructions more quickly. However, the
actual speed of the computer depends on the speed
of many different components.
There are many processor manufacturers for
personal computers, but the most well-known ones Fig. 4.2 Processor
are Intel and AMD. Advancements in CPU
technology have led to systems typically with Dual Core, Triple core or Quad Core
processors (on one single chip) instead of the traditional one core per chip. Now all the
cores can fit into a single socket as before and a single heat sink and fan can keep
everything at the right temperature. CPUs come in different types and speeds. The
different versions released by Intel are: 4004, which is a 4-bit processor. 8085, which is
a 8-bit processor. 286, a 16-bit processor. 386, 486, 586, 686, K5, K6, K6 MMX,
Pentium, Pentium Pro, Pentium MMX, Pentium II, Pentium III and Pentium IV, which are
32-bit processors. Itanium, Pentium D, Celeron, Core Duo, Core 2 Duo, Core 2 Quad, I3,
I5 and I7 have 64-bit processor.

A 64-bit processor generally has data and addressing registers that are 64 bits wide that
allows storing 264 different values. Hence, a processor with 64-bit memory addresses can
directly access 264 bytes of byte addressable memory. However, a CPU might have

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external data buses or address buses with different sizes from the registers, even larger
(the 32-bit Pentium had a 64-bit data bus, for instance).
Notes
A generalization would be to suggest that 64-bit architecture would double the amount of
data a CPU can process per clock cycle, compared to 32 bit. Users would note a
performance increase because a 64-bit CPU can handle more memory and larger files.
One of the most attractive features of 64-bit processors is that it can address up to 1
Terabyte (1024GB) of memory.

The processor of the computer system is comprised of Arithmetic Logic Unit(ALU) and
Control Unit (CU). The processor is responsible for synchronization of instructions and
logical and arithmetic operations on the data. In a microcomputer, both ALU and CU are
integrated on a single microprocessor chip. The sytem unit also includes circuit boards,
memory chips, ports and other components. A microcomputer’s system cabinet may also
house disk drives, hard disks, etc., but these are not considered to be part of the CPU.

Functions of Control Unit

Now we will execute some instructions and understand the functions of Control Unit.

Suppose the program or software needs to execute following instructions:

(1) Declare X, Y, Z • Control bus is used to carry signals that decides what
work has to be done like reading, storing, calculation,
(2) Read X and Y camparison etc.
(3) Z=X+Y • Data bus is used to carry data
(4) Display Z • Address bus is used to carry memory address of the
data is carried by the data bus

Interpretation & Execution of a program by the CU using System Bus.

1. The control unit recognizes that the program has been loaded into the primary
memory and it begins to execute the first line in the program. This is accomplished
with the help of control signals initiated by the control unit via the control bus.

The control unit reads line (1) and directs the primary memory using the control
bus to assign memory addresses to variables X, Y and Z (which is communicated
via address bus). In simple words, X, Y and Z are three memory variables that
are created in RAM for storage purpose.
2. The control unit reads the line (2) and directs the input device, using the control
bus, to enter data for X and Y. It also sends the memory addresses of X and Y via
the address bus. The values entered travel via the data bus to the control unit. And
then again using all the three busses the data gets stored in their respective
corresponding addresses in the primary memory.

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3. The control unit reads the line (3) using Databus, Control bus, and Address bus
and retrieves the values of variable X and Y from primary memory and sends to
the ALU for the addition of X and Y. The sum is again moved with the help of bus Notes
to primary memory and gets stored in Z variable.

4. The control unit reads the line (4). Data bus Control bus and Address bus retrieves
the value of Z variable from primary memory and send it to the output unit to
display the sum.

Following are some of the additional components that support the working of the CPU:

Bus
Bus is a transmission path in which signals/data travers within a Computer i.e.,address,
data,and control bus together constitute the System Bus. In the previous section, you have
learnt about the usage of address bus, data bus and control bus. The CPU performs
primarily the following four operations:

z Memory Read: Reads data or instruction(s) from memory.

z Memory Write: Writes data or instruction(s) into the memory
z I/O read: Accepts data from input device
z I/O write: Sends data to output device
All these operations are performed using a communication process that involve 3 steps:
Step 1: Identify the peripheral or the memory location. It uses the address bus.
Step 2: Transfer data. It uses the data bus.
Step 3: Provide timing or synchronization signal. It uses the control bus.

Address bus: The address bus is a group of wires or lines which is generally identified as
A0, A1, A2, and so on. It is unidirectional. Bits flow in only one direction, from the CPU
to the peripheral devices. In a computer system, each peripheral or memory location is
identified by a binary number, called an address, and the address bus carries an address
of a memory location or a peripheral device. The size of the address bus determines the
maximum RAM capacity which the processor can address.

Data bus: The data bus is a group of wires used for data flow. These lines are bidirectional
i.e., data flow in both directions between CPU and the peripheral devices.

Suppose CPU has 32-bit data bus which implies that it can manipulate 32 bit data. And
sometimes we may call it a 32-bit processor. That means 232 different characters can be
represented. The data bus influences the microprocessor architecture considerably. It
determines the word length and register size of a processor.

Control Bus: The control bus is comprised of various signal lines that carry synchronization
signals. These are not group of lines like address or a data bus, but individual lines that
provide a pulse to indicate an operation in the CPU. The signals are device specific and
are used to activate that device for the specific operation.

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4.1.2 Registers

Notes The ALU and Control Unit (CU)communicate with each other and perform operations in
memory locations using a register. Registers are used to quickly accept, store, and transfer
data and instructions that are being used immediately by the CPU. Do you know the
types of Registers?

Types of Registers
1. Memory Address Register (MAR): This register holds the memory addresses of data
and instructions. It is used to access data and instructions from memory during the
execution phase of an instruction. Suppose CPU wants to store some data in the memory
or to read the data from the memory. It places the address of the required memory location
in the MAR.

2. Program Counter: The program counter (PC) is a processor register. It is a 16 bit

special function register in the 8085 microprocessor. It keeps track of the next memory
address of the instruction that is to be executed once the execution of the current
instruction is completed. In other words, it holds the address of the memory location of the
next instruction when the current instruction is executed by the microprocessor.

3. Accumulator Register: This Register is used for storing the results that are produced
by ALU.

4. Memory Data Register(MDR): It is the register of a computer's control unit that

contains the data to be stored in the RAM. It is the data that gets stored after being fetched
from the computer storage. It acts like a buffer and holds anything that is copied from the
memory ready for the processor to use it. MDR holds the information before it goes to the
decoder.

The MDR is a two-way register. When data is fetched from memory and placed into the
MDR, it is written to in one direction. When there is a write instruction, the data to be
written is placed into the MDR from another CPU register, which then puts the data into
memory.

5. Index Register: A register which holds a number that can be added to (or, in some
cases, subtracted from) the address portion of a computer instruction to form an effective
address. Also known as a base register used for modifying operand addresses during the
run of a program.

6. Memory Buffer Register(MBR) : This register holds the contents of data or

instruction, read from, or written in memory. It means that this register is used to store
data/instruction coming from the memory or going to the memory.

Cache Memory
The speed of CPU is extremely high compared to the access time of main memory.
Therefore, the performance of CPU decreases due to the slow speed of main memory. To
minimise the mismatch in operating speed, a small memory chip is attached between CPU

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and main memory whose access time is very close to the processing speed of CPU. It is
called Cache memory. Cache memories are accessed much faster than conventional
RAM. It is used to store programs or data currently being executed or temporary data Notes
frequently used by the CPU. It is also very expensive to have larger size of cache memory.

Main memory access by the CPU may take as long as 180 ns. However, it may take 45
ns to access external cache memory or, even less for internal (Level 1) or on-board (Level
2) cache. While the CPU is processing information retrieved from cache, the cache
controller is refreshing cache with data and instructions from main memory or a storage
device. Fig. 4.3 depicts cache memory chips.

Fig. 4.3 Cache memory chips

There are two categories of cache memory: Internal and External.

In older CPUs, and even in some current CPUs, internal cache memory is located in the
CPU, and external is located on the motherboard between the RAM and the CPU. It is
often called 'cache RAM'. Internal Cache memory is often called "level 1" or L1 cache.
External cache is often called "level 2" or L2 cache. L2 Cache may be on-board (in the
CPU chip) or in Static RAM (SRAM) chips on the motherboard. External cache acts as
a quick access buffer between the RAM and L1 cache in the CPU.
L2 Cache RAM is a small block of high-speed memory, usually SRAM (Static RAM),
located between the CPU and main memory. It is used to store data or instructions that
are used often. There are several types of SRAM having a speed of 4-8 ns.

INTEXT QUESTIONS 4.1

1. The task of performing arithmetic and logical operations is performed by ______.
(i) ALU (ii) Editor
(iii) storage (iv) output device
2. The ALU and CU are jointly known as ____________.
(i) RAM (ii) ROM
(iii) CPU (iv) None of the above
3. Data, control and addess bus together constitute ____________ bus.

(i) System (ii) CPU

(iii) memory (iv) speed

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4. Which register is used for storing the results that are produced by ALU?

Notes (i) Program Counter (ii) Memory

(iii) Accumulated Register (iv) Memory Data register

4.1.3 Memory
Memory is a storage area in Computer which holds data and instructions. The measuring
unit of memory is byte where
1 Byte = 8 bits
1024 Byte = 1 Kilo Byte (KB)
1024 KB = 1 Mega Byte (MB)
1024 MB = 1 Giga Byte (GB)
1024 GB = 1 Tera Byte (TB) and so on.
Have you heard the types of memory? There are two types of computer memories:
Primary and Secondary. Primary memory is accessible directly by the processor. ROM
and RAM are the parts of a primary memory. ROM stores some basic programs, pre-
programmed by the manufacturer, while RAM is the area where data gets stored
temporarily.

The storage capacity of the main memory is also very limited. Often it is necessary to store
hundreds of millions of bytes of data for the CPU to process. Therefore, additional
memory is required in all the computer systems. This memory is called auxiliary memory
or secondary storage or secondary memory. In this type of memory the cost per bit of
storage is low. However, the operating speed is slower than that of the primary memory.
Huge volume of data are stored here on permanent basis and transferred to the primary
storage as and when required. Most widely used secondary storage devices are magnetic
tapes, magnetic disks, flash drives, CD-ROM etc.,

ROM
The ROM is Read Only Memory that can only be read by the CPU but it cannot be
changed or modified as the name suggests. The Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) is
stored in the ROM that checks and initializes various peripherals attached to the PC when
the switch is turned ON. "BIOS" is a pre-programmed
software that controls the computer's start up processes
and other basic components such as keyboard, monitor/
display, disk drives, etc. The programs that are
preloaded in the ROM are also known as firmware. A
conventional ROM looks like as shown in Fig. 4.4.
The memories, which do not lose their content on
failure of power supply, are known as non-volatile
memories. ROM is a non-volatile memory. This area
is only readable by the user and cannot be used for
storing data. Fig . 4.4 ROM

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ROM can be categorized into two types:

1. The permanent type - includes Masked ROM and PROM
2. Semi-permanent includes EPROM and EEPROM. Notes

1. PERMANENT ROM
a) Masked ROM: In this ROM, a bit pattern is permanently recorded by the masking
and metallization process. It is an expensive and specialized process.

b) PROM: It is Programmable Read Only Memory. This memory has ni-chrome

or polysilicon wires arranged in a matrix. These wires can be functionally viewed
as diodes or fuses. This memory can be programmed by the user with special
software that selectively burns the fuses according to the bit pattern to be stored.
You know that it is not possible to modify or erase programs stored in ROM, but
it is possible for you to store your program once in PROM chip. Once the programs
are written, these cannot be changed and remain intact even if power is switched
off. Therefore, programs or instructions written in PROM cannot be erased or
changed.

2. SEMI PERMANENT ROM

a) EPROM: This stands for Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory, which
overcomes the problem of PROM and Masked ROM. EPROM chip can be
programmed time and again by erasing the information stored earlier in it. It uses
the technology of charging gates, using high voltage. Information stored in EPROM
can be erased by exposing it to ultraviolet light.

b) EEPROM: This stands for Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only

Memory. This concept is same as that of EPROM. The only difference is that the
memory can be altered using electrical signals. The whole of the memory need not
be erased.

RAM
RAM stands for Random Access Memory. It randomly selects and uses any location of
the memory directly to store and retrieve data. It takes same time to retrieve any address
of the memory as it takes for the first address. It is also called read/write memory. The
storage of data and instructions inside the primary storage is temporary, i.e. data or
instruction stored in RAM disappears from RAM as soon as the power to the computer
is switched off. So now we can say that RAM is a volatile memory. You can store and
retrieve data much faster with primary memory compared to secondary memory.
Secondary memory such as floppy disk, magnetic disk, etc., are external and located
outside the motherboard whereas RAM is located on the motherboard.

RAM is also referred to as Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM). It consists of

chips of memory, either in short chips (Dual In-line Pin (DIP) chips) or in memory
modules. Memory modules are either "Single Inline Memory Modules" SIMMs or "Dual
In-Line Memory Modules" DIMMs. A single 30-pin SIMM can hold up to 4MB and a 72-
pin SIMM can hold up to 32 MB of memory. Nowadays, DRAM comes in either DDR,
DDR2 or DDR3 form.

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The term "DDR" stands for Double Data Rate. DDRSDRAM was capable of two data
transfers per clock cycle, giving it twice the theoretical peak bandwidth of previous
Notes SDRAM (Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory or Synchronous DRAM is a
type of memory that synchronizes itself with the computer’s system clock). DDR2 RAM
provides 4 data transfers per cycle, while DDR3 increases the number to 8. Assuming a
base clock speed of 100Mhz, DDR RAM will provide 1600 MB/s of Bandwidth, DDR2
provides 3200 MB/s, and DDR3 provides 6400 MB/s. Examples of DDR2 and DDR3
RAM are shown below in the Fig. 4.5.

Fig. 4.5 DDR2 RAM and DDR3 RAM

These are also known as Magnetic Disk. It is an external storage unit that is located inside
the system box. It looks like as given in Fig. 4.6. You might have seen the gramophone
record, which is circular like a disk. Magnetic disks
used in computer are made on the same principle. It
rotates with very high speed inside the disk drive.
Data are stored on both the surface of the disk. Each
disk consists of a number of invisible concentric
circles called tracks. Information is recorded on tracks
of a disk surface in the form of tiny magnetic spots.
The presence of a magnetic spot represents one bit (1)
and its absence represents zero bit (0). The information
stored in a disk can be read many times without Fig. 4.6 Hard disk
affecting the stored data.

4.1.4 Motherboard
Motherboard also known as main board, it provides the connectivity and holds the various
internal components in the system box. Computer major components that work to process
data, are located on the motherboard as shown in fig. 4.7.

It is made up of fibreglass, typically brown or green in colour, with a meshwork of copper

lines. Power, data, and control signals, also called traces, travel to all components through
these electronic circuits. A group of these wires assigned to a set of functions is called a
bus. The components of a motherboard are: Chipset, Microprocessor or CPU, Clock,
chip, Memory, Bus, ports etc.

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Notes

Fig. 4.7 Computer’s major components located on the motherboard

Form Factors
In order to bring about uniformity in the design of motherboard so that further designing
and assembly of a computer system may be eased, designs of motherboards of computer
systems have been standardized. These standardizations are called Form Factor. A
motherboard form factor defines the type and location of components, the power supply
capacity and the processor type, that will fit onto the motherboard. There are several
motherboard form factors, each with different layouts, components, and specifications.
Any specific motherboard will be suitable only for certain processors and types of
memories, based on type of processor and memory sockets installed on the motherboard.

The form factor is also a deciding factor for the use of video, sound cards, hard drive
controllers (PATA and SATA) and support for various port types (parallel, serial, USB,
etc). Therefore, if you want to assemble a computer, it must be ensured that the
motherboard, the power supply, processor, memory and the box are compatible with each
other. Form factors like ATX and BTX are commonly used in the motherboard industries.

z ATX: It is a short form of Advanced Technologies Extended form factor. With the
need for a more integrated form factor which defined standard locations for the
keyboard, mouse, I/O, and video connectors, in the mid 1990's, the ATX form factor
was introduced. The ATX form factor brought about specific changes to the
motherboard, along with the case and power supply. Some of the design specification
improvements of the ATX form factor included a single 20-pin connector for the
power supply, a power supply to blow air into the case instead of out for better air
flow, less overlap between the motherboard and drive bays, and integrated I/O Port
connectors soldered directly onto the motherboard. The ATX form factor was overall
a better design for upgrading a system.

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z BTX: Balanced Technology Extended form factor, unlike its predecessors is not
an evolution of a previous form factor but a total break away from the popular and
Notes dominating ATX form factor. BTX was developed to take advantage of technologies
such as Serial ATA, USB 2.0, and PCI Express. Changes to the layout with the BTX
form factor include better component placement for back panel I/O controllers and it
is smaller than micro ATX systems. The BTX form factor enables the industry to
develop smaller size systems with an increased number of system slots. Today the
industry accepts the ATX form factor as the standard.

Memory Slots
The motherboard has slots or sockets for system memory as shown in fig 4.8. Depending
on the motherboard form factor, special sockets accept the memory card. These memory
cards come in various types of DRAM or SDRAM
memory sticks, also called modules. These sticks are
Single Inline Memory Module (SIMM), Dual Inline
Memory Module and RAMBUS Inline Memory
Module (RIMM). SIMM is the oldest technology,
while DIMM and RIMM are the current standards.
Both of these physical memory slot types move data 64
bits or 128 bits at a time. For example, a motherboard
having 6 memory slots, 4 DIMM slots for DDR2 and Fig. 4.8 Memory Slot
2 DIMM slots for DDR3. The slots look similar, but DIMM for DDR2 have 184 pins
while DIMM for DDR3 have 240 pins.

Processor Slots
Every motherboard contains at least one CPU socket, and
its location depends on the form factor. A common CPU
socket type is a zero insertion force (ZIF) socket, which is
square in shape, has a placement lever that holds the CPU
securely when closed, and makes it easy to put CPU in the
socket when open. Various types of CPU sockets like PGA
(Pin Grid Array), SPGA (Staggered Pin Grid Array) and
LGA (Land Grid Array) are used on the motherboard for
the CPU placement. These socket types uses different
technologies for connection between the processor and the Fig. 4.9 Processor Slot
motherboard. Fig. 4.9 shows a typical slot for a processor.

INTEXT QUESTIONS 4.2

5. 1024 KB = 1 _____________.
(i) MB (ii) GB
(iii) TB (iv) ZB

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6. ROM is ________________ .
(i) Volatile memory (ii) Non-volatile memory
Notes
(iii) Secondary memory (iv) Temporary memory
7. The hard disk is a part of motherboard.
(i) True (ii) False
(iii) cannot say
8. ZIF is ______________________ .
(i) Zero Insertion Point (ii) Zero Insertion Force
(iii) Zero Insertion Fact (iv) None of these

4.1.5 Clock Chip and CMOS battery

The components in a computer are designed to operate in perfect synchronization with
one another. This requires a time keeper. The clock chip provides the timing signals in the
form of electronic pulses that are used by the internal components to set up a working
pace. The chip generates a regular beat like the ticking of a clock and the operations are
timed to this beat. The faster the beats, higher is the speed of the processor. The speed of
a clock is measured in terms of frequency of pulses generated. Its unit is MHz (Mega
Hertz). For example, a PC of third generation has a clock speed of 2.4 GHz. It is one
way of measuring speed of a computer.

CMOS is an acronym for Complementary Metal Oxide

Semiconductor and is shown in fig. 4.10. It is the term
usually used to describe the small amount of memory on
a computer motherboard that stores the BIOS settings.
The CMOS is usually powered by a CR2032 cell battery.
Most CMOS batteries will last the lifetime of a
motherboard (up to 10 years in most cases) but will
sometimes need to be replaced. Incorrect or slow system
date and time and loss of BIOS settings are major signs
Fig. 4.10 CMOS Battery
of a dead or dying CMOS battery.

The function of the CMOS battery is to maintain important information for the BIOS to
begin the start-up sequence in computers. Remember, BIOS is pre-programmed software
loaded in ROM. It stores the date and time and the system configuration details.

4.1.6 Drives
There are different types of drives:-
Hard Disk Drive (HDD): Have you seen Hard Disk Drive? A hard disk drive usually
looks like a small size book but actually is a much heavier device as shown in Fig. 4.11.

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The hard disk drive is the main, and usually

largest, data storage device in a computer. Can
Notes you guess what are the files stored in HDD?
The operating system, software files and most
other files are stored in the hard disk drive.

The hard drive is sometimes referred to as the

"C drive" due to the fact that Microsoft
Windows designates the "C" drive letter to the
primary partition on the primary hard drive in
a computer by default. The sides of the hard
drive have pre drilled, threaded holes for easy Fig. 4.11 Hard Disk Drive
mounting in the system box. The hard drive is
mounted so that the end with the connections faces inwards of the computer.

The rear end of the hard drive contains a port for a cable that connects it to the
motherboard. It also has a connection for power supply.

CD/DVD Drive: This is also known as optical

drive. Optical drives retrieve and/or store data
on optical discs like CDs, DVDs, and BDs (Blu-
ray discs) which hold much more information
than any portable media like a floppy disk. Most
optical drives can play and/or record onto a large
number of different disc formats. An example of Fig. 4.12 CD/DVD Drive
this drive is given in Fig 4.12.

Popular optical drive formats include CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD, DVD-RAM,
DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, DVD-R DL, DVD+R DL, BD-R, and BD-
RE. The front of the optical drive has a small open/close button that ejects and retracts
the drive bay door.

The sides of the optical drive have pre-drilled, threaded holes for easy mounting in the
5.25 inch drive bay in the system box. The optical drive is mounted so that the end with
the connections faces inwards of the computer and the end with the drive bay faces
outwards. The rear end of the optical drive contains a port for a cable that connects it to
the motherboard. It also has a connection for power
supply.

Tape Drive: A tape drive is a data storage device that

reads and writes data onto a magnetic tape. Magnetic
tape data storage is typically used for offline, archival
data storage. It looks like fig. 4.13. Tape media generally
is much cheaper and is of long archival stability. A Fig. 4.13 Tape Drive

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tape drive provides sequential access storage, unlike a disk drive, which provides random
access storage. A disk drive can move to any position on the disk in a few milliseconds,
but a tape drive must physically wind tape between reels to read any one particular piece Notes
of data. As a result, tape drives have very slow average seek times.

4.1.7 Chipset
The chipset is made up of one or more electronic components that connect(s) and
control(s) the motherboard components, such as processor, expansion bus, and internal
memory. All components communicate with the processor through the chipset, which is
also called the hub of data transfer. Chipsets are a series of chips soldered onto the
motherboard and are not upgradable without a replacement. Every processor has different
chipset. The speed of the motherboard is determined by the speed of the chipset.

4.1.8 Ports
All the input and output devices like keyboard, printer and the mouse are connected to the
system through ports. These ports are the interfaces for external devices on the motherboard.
The CPU communicates with the outside devices, using these ports. Different ports of a
computer are shown in fig. 4.14. Modern computers don't require many of these ports
these days as most external connections go through the generic USB ports. However,
some of these ports may be found to be existing on the motherboard. Usage and
functioning of each of these ports are explained below:

Fig. 4.14 Different Ports of a Computer

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(a) USB port: Universal Serial Bus (USB) is a popular port for high speed wired
communication between electronic systems peripherals and devices with or without
Notes a computer. It eliminates the mix of different ports for different devices like printers,
keyboards, mouse, and other peripherals. That means USB-bus allows many
peripherals to be connected using a single standardized interface socket. USB also
allows hot swapping means that the devices can be plugged and unplugged without
rebooting the computer or turning off the device. That means, when plugged in,
everything configures automatically.

(b) PS/2 Port: ATX boards have 2 PS/2 ports, one for the mouse and the other for the
keyboard. These are of same size and shape but with a different colour. This is
because the mouse and keyboard connectors are not interchangeable. Plugging the
keyboard in to the mouse connector and vice versa will make both of them useless.
The usual way for these to be plugged in is to plug the mouse into the green port
and the keyboard into the purple port.

(c) Serial Port: The serial port is a type of connection that is used for peripherals
such as mouse, gaming controllers, modems, and older printers. It is sometimes
called a COM port or an RS-232 port which is its technical name. There are two
types of serial ports -- DB9 and DB25. DB9 is a 9-pin connection, and DB25 is a
25-pin connection. A serial port can only transmit one bit of data at a time, whereas
a parallel port can transmit many bits at once. The serial port is typically the
slowest port you will find on a PC. Today's computers have replaced serial ports
with much faster and more compatible USB ports.

(d) Parallel Port: The parallel port is mainly used for scanners and printers, and is
associated with LPT1. It uses a 25-pin connector (DB-25) and is rather large
compared to most new interfaces. Parallel ports send data in parallel i.e. more than
one bit at a time. If the channel is 8 bits wide then a parallel port would send 8 bits
at a time. These ports are much faster than serial ports. Parallel ports also are fast
becoming extinct as the USB ports are taking over their place.

(e) Audio Port: The Sound card that is built into the expansion board has three
connectors. These are Speaker out, Line in and Mic in.

(i) Speaker out is used for the connection of external speakers.

(ii) Line in is for external sources of audio that you want to hear through your
computer.

(iii) Mic in port which is used for the Microphone.

(f) VGA Port: It has the accommodation for the pins that are available with the
monitor cable. If you have a VGA graphics card then this port will be on the back
of your graphics card.

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INTEXT QUESTIONS 4.3 Notes

9. CMOS is a type of small ___________.
(i) clock (ii) memory
(iii) processor (iv) socket
10. HDD stands for __________.
(i) Hard disk data (ii) Hard disk doctor
(iii) Hard disk drive (iv) None of these

4.1.9 Cables
You must have seen various cables are used for connecting components in the system box.
Each cable has specific configuration and interfaces. Major cables used in the system box,
are as follows:

Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment (PATA) cables: Termed as PATA is an

interface for connecting storage devices like hard drives and optical drives to the
motherboard. Fig. 4.15 & 4.16 will help you to understand the PATA cables connectivity
in the system box. These are long and flat cables with 40-pin connectors or 80-pin
connectors on either side. One end plugs into a port on the motherboard, usually labelled
IDE, and the other into the back of a storage device like a hard drive.

Fig. 4.15 PATA Cables Fig. 4.16 PATA Cables

Serial Advanced Technology Attachment cables: Termed as SATA is an interface used

to connect hard drives and optical drives to a computer's motherboard. Fig. 4.17 and 4.18
shows the appearance and use of SATA cable. SATA transfer rates start at 150Mbps,
which is significantly faster than even the fastest PATA drives. Do you know besides faster
transfer rates, the SATA interfaces have several other advantages over the PATA

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 Anatomy of a Computer System

interface? For instance, SATA drives have their own independent bus, so there is no
competition for bandwidth as there is with PATA drives. It also uses smaller, thinner
Notes cables, which allows for better airflow inside the computer. SATA cables can be as long
as one meter, while PATA cables have a maximum length of 40cm. This gives manufacturers
more liberty when designing the internal layout of their computers. Serial ATA uses only
7 conductors, while Parallel ATA uses 40. This means there is less likelihood of
electromagnetic interference with SATA devices.

Fig. 4.17 SATA Cables Fig. 4. 18 SATA Cables

4.1.10 SMPS
SMPS stands for Switch Mode Power Supply. SMPS is one of the most important
components in the system box. As every electronic component is driven by power, SMPS
device receives the main power supply and then converts it into the required voltages that
the system requires. Successful operation of such device depends on the functioning of the
power supply.

It is a device that takes input from the normal power supply of 240V AC current and
converts into 5 V DC and 12 V DC current or as required by the computer. In simple words
it steps down the voltage as a computer requires a lesser voltage power. It is also known
as a power supply unit (PSU) located inside the system box. It supplies power to the
motherboard and also to the other installed devices.

4.1.11 CPU Fan

Fig. 4.19 shows the connector and the motherboard
header for the fan assembly. A computer fan is any
fan inside, or attached to, a system box used for
active cooling of the internal components by drawing
cool air into the case from the outside. It expels
warm air from inside, or moves air across a heat
sink to cool a particular component. The fan moves
the heat away from the heat sink.

The heat sink/fan assembly usually has a 3-pin

Fig. 4.19 CPU Fan
power connector.

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4.1.12 Heat Sink

Fig. 4.20 shows the heat sink. It is a two-part cooling device.
The heat sink draws heat away from the CPU. It is designed Notes
in a special way to lower the temperature of an electronic
device by dissipating heat into the surrounding air. All
modern CPUs require a heat sink. Some also require a fan.
A heat sink without a fan is called a passive heat sink; a heat
sink with a fan is called an active heat sink. Heat sinks are
generally made of aluminium alloy and often have fins to
enhance their surface area. Fig. 4.20 Heat Sink

4.1.13 Connectors
Motherboard Power Connectors: Just like other components, motherboard requires
power to operate. The ATX main power connector will have 20 or 24 pins. The power
supply may also have a 4-pin or 6-pin ATX power connector that connects to the
motherboard. A 20-pin connector will work in a motherboard with a 24-pin socket.
SATA Power Connectors: SATA power connectors use a 15-pin connector. Serial
advanced technology attachment (SATA) power connectors are used to connect to hard
disk drives, optical drives, or any devices that have a SATA power socket.
Molex Power Connectors: Hard disk drives and optical drives that do not have SATA
power sockets use a Molex power connector.
Berg Power Connectors: The 4-pin Berg power connector supplies power to a floppy
drive Cards.

4.1.14 Cards
Display Adaptor Card: Images that are formed on the monitor use a technology that is
provided by a display adaptor card. The key elements of a display adaptor card are the
video controller and the memory. The memory is used to store the information of the image
before it gets displayed on the screen. The controller does the change that takes place on
the image before it gets displayed on the screen.
Two types of display adaptors are available in the market. One type is for display in text
mode and the other is for graphics mode. In text mode, individual characters get printed
on the screen while in graphics mode the images get formed using dots called pixels.
Resolution indicates the number of pixels on the screen. It is an important element that
differentiates among various display adaptor cards. Higher the resolution (more the
number of pixels), better the quality of pictures displayed on the screen. The different
types of display adaptor cards are:
z EGA: Enhanced Graphics Adapter, is a card that supports 16 colours at a time. It
provides a resolution of either 640 x 200 pixels or 640 x 350 pixels.
z VGA: Video Graphics Array system provides resolution of 720 x 400 pixels. In text
mode and graphics mode, the resolution is either 640 x 480 with 16 colours or 320 x
200 with 256 colours.

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z SVGA: Super Video Graphics Array, is a higher version of VGA. It provides resolution
of:
Notes
(a) 640 x 480 pixels with 256 to 65536 colours
(b) 1024 x 768 pixels with 256 colours
(c) 800 x 600 pixels with 256 to 65536 colours
(d) 1280 x 1024 pixels with 16 colours

Video Card/Graphics Card: The video card handles video and graphics that are
displayed on the monitor. Users who plan to watch DVD's, or edit home videos or play
games need a graphics card. Sometimes the graphic processors are built into the
motherboard.

A video adapter card, is the interface between a computer and a display monitor. Video
adapter cards use Peripheral Component
Interconnect(PCI), Advance Graphics Port (AGP), and
Peripheral Component Interconnect Express(PCIe)
expansion slots on the motherboard for connectivity

Network Interface Card (NIC): A Network Interface

Card (NIC) enables a computer to connect to a network.
As shown in fig. 4.21, it uses Peripheral Component
Interface (PCI) and PCIe expansion slots on the
motherboard for connection. NIC allows computers to
Fig. 4.21 NIC
communicate over a computer network by using cables or
wirelessly.

4.2 MORE ON FLASH MEMORIES

Flash memory is an electronic storage medium that can be erased and reprogrammed
electrically. Flash memory is a non-volatile storage medium. You may have learnt about
non-volatile memory which retains data even after its power supply being switched off.
For example, when a Flash storage device is removed from a digital camera, all data (and
pictures) which was stored or saved will remain on the Flash storage device.

The ability to retain data is key to flash memory applications such as digital films for
digital cameras, mobile phones, tablets and other transportable devices. Flash memory
technology is a mix of EPROM and EEPROM technologies. The term "FLASH" was
chosen because a large chunk of memory could be erased at one time. The name, therefore,
distinguishes flash devices from EEPROMs, where each byte is erased individually.
NOR and NAND are the two forms of flash memory.
NOR Flash memory: The world's leading manufacturers of flash devices (Intel, AMD)
use NOR cell configurations. NOR is mostly found in cellular phones (to store the phone's

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operating system) and Personal Digital Assistant (PDAs). It is also used in computers to
store the BIOS program.
Notes
NAND Flash memory: To reduce cell area, the NAND configuration was developed.
NAND Flash memory reads and writes in high-speed, sequential mode, handling data in
small, block sizes ("pages"). NAND Flash can retrieve or write data as single pages, but
cannot retrieve individual bytes like NOR Flash. NAND Flash memory is commonly
found in solid-state hard drives, audio and video Flash media devices, television set-top
boxes, digital cameras, cell phones (for data storage) and other devices where data is
generally written or read sequentially. For example, most digital cameras use NAND-
Flash based digital film, as pictures are usually taken and stored sequentially. NAND
Flash memory is less expensive than NOR Flash memory.

INTEXT QUESTIONS 4.4

Choose the correct answer:
11. SATA is a type of ____________ .
(i) memory (ii) cable
(iii) form factor (iv) processor
12. NIC stands for ____________ .
(i) National Institute Card (ii) National Interface Card
(iii) New Interface Card (iv) New Imaginary Card
13. Flash memory is a ______________________ storage medium.
(i) non-volatile (ii) volatile

WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNT

In this lesson, you have learnt about the internal components of a computer, their functions
and their use in data processing. Some key points to remember are summarized below:
z The CPU is the processor that includes ALU and CU.
z The system bus includes data, address and the control bus.
z Address bus is unidirectional while data and control bus are bidirectional.
z Data bus carries data and instructions, address bus carries memory addresses while
control bus carries the control signals.
z Register is a small unit of temporary memory located inside the CPU.
z Cache memory is a small memory chip that lies between the RAM and the CPU. It is
used to accelerate data transfer between them.

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z ROM is a non volatile memory where the BIOS programs are pre loaded by the
manufacturer and are used in booting of the system.
Notes
z Motherboard is a printed circuit board that provides connectivity and slots for various
internal and external components directly or indirectly.

z USB ports are interfaces of connection for external devices. These ports allow any
device to be connected without any driver to be installed separately. These implements
plug and play technology.

z Connectors are electronic devices that connect a cable to a peripheral.

z Network Interface Card also known as NIC is used to connect a computer to a

network

TERMINAL EXERCISE
1. What are the major components of a computer system?

2. Name any 6 internal components of a system box.

3. What is a CPU? How does it work?

4. Describe the various types of cables used inside the system box.

5. Differentiate between the following:

(a) RAM and ROM

(b) DDR2 RAM and DDR3 RAM.

6. What is SMPS?

7. State the function of a network card.

8. What is flash memory? Differentiate between NOR and NAND flash memories.

ANSWERS TO INTEXT QUESTIONS

4.1
1. (i) ALU
2. (iii) CPU
3. (i) System
4. (iii) Accumulated register

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4.2
5 (i) MB
Notes
6. (ii) Non-volatile memory
7. (ii) False
8. (ii) Zero Insertion Force

4.3
9. (ii) Memory
10. (iii) Hard Disk Drive

4.4
11. (ii) Cable
12. (ii) Network Interface Card
13. (i) non-volatile

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