Components of Computer System

A computer system is a combination of hardware and software resources that work together to perform various
tasks. Hardware refers to the physical devices that make up the computer, such as the processor, memory, disk
drives, keyboard, mouse, monitor, etc. Software refers to the programs or instructions that tell the hardware what
to do, such as the operating system, applications, utilities, etc.
● There are five basic components of a computer system, which are:
○ Input Unit
○ Output Unit
○ Memory Unit
○ Control Unit
○ Arithmetic and Logic Unit

Input Unit
● The input unit consists of input devices that are used to enter data and commands into the computer. Input devices
convert the data into binary code, which is the language that the computer understands. Some of the common
input devices are:
○ Keyboard: It is used to type text, numbers, symbols, etc. using keys.
○ Mouse: It is used to point, click, drag, and scroll on the screen using a cursor.
○ Scanner: It is used to scan images, documents, barcodes, etc. and convert them into digital form.
○ Microphone: It is used to record sound and voice input.
○ Webcam: It is used to capture video input.
○ Joystick: It is used to control games and simulations using a stick and buttons.

Output Unit
● The output unit consists of output devices that are used to display or print the results of the computer processing.
Output devices convert the binary code into a form that humans can understand, such as text, images, sound, etc.
Some of the common output devices are:
○ Monitor: It is used to display graphics, text, videos, etc. on the screen using pixels.
○ Printer: It is used to print text, images, documents, etc. on paper or other media.
○ Speaker: It is used to produce sound and voice output.
○ Headphone: It is used to listen to sound and voice output privately.
○ Projector: It is used to project images and videos on a large screen or wall.

Memory Unit
● The memory unit consists of memory devices that are used to store data and instructions temporarily or
permanently. Memory devices are classified into two types:
○ Primary Memory: It is the main memory of the computer that is directly connected to the CPU. It is
used to store data and instructions that are currently being processed by the CPU. It is also called RAM
(Random Access Memory) or volatile memory, as it loses its contents when the power is switched off.
Primary memory is faster but smaller in capacity than secondary memory.
○ Secondary Memory: It is the auxiliary memory of the computer that is not directly connected to the
CPU. It is used to store data and instructions that are not currently being processed by the CPU. It is also
called ROM (Read Only Memory) or non-volatile memory, as it retains its contents even when the power
is switched off. Secondary memory is slower but larger in capacity than primary memory.

● Some of the common primary memory devices are:

○ RAM: It is used to store data and instructions that are frequently accessed by the CPU. It can be read and
written by the CPU.
○ ROM: It is used to store data and instructions that are permanently fixed and do not change. It can only
be read by the CPU.
 ● Some of the common secondary memory devices are:
○ Hard Disk Drive: It is used to store large amounts of data and programs permanently. It consists of one
or more rotating disks coated with magnetic material.
○ Solid State Drive: It is used to store data and programs permanently using flash memory. It has no
moving parts and is faster and more reliable than hard disk drive.
○ Optical Drive: It is used to read and write data and programs using laser beams. It can use CDs, DVDs,
or Blu-ray discs as storage media.
○ USB Drive: It is used to store data and programs portably using flash memory. It can be plugged into any
USB port of the computer or other devices.

Control Unit
● The control unit is the component of the CPU that directs and coordinates the operations of the computer system.
It performs the following functions:
○ Fetch: It fetches the instructions from the memory and sends them to the ALU or other units for
execution.
○ Decode: It decodes the fetched instructions and determines what actions are to be performed.
○ Execute: It executes the instructions by sending control signals to the ALU, memory, or input/output
devices.
○ Store: It stores the results of the execution in the memory or output devices.

● The control unit acts as the brain of the computer system, as it controls the flow of data and instructions within
the system.

Arithmetic and Logic Unit

● The arithmetic and logic unit is the component of the CPU that performs arithmetic and logical operations on the
data. It performs the following functions:
○ Arithmetic Operations: It performs basic mathematical calculations, such as addition, subtraction,
multiplication, and division.
○ Logical Operations: It performs logical comparisons, such as equal, not equal, greater than, less than,
etc.
○ Bitwise Operations: It performs operations on individual bits of data, such as AND, OR, XOR, NOT,
etc.

● The arithmetic and logic unit acts as the calculator of the computer system, as it performs the required
computations on the data.