S5 Sub ICT Notes-Mukalele Rogers Computer Hardware 2019

UACE Sub - ICT
Topic 5: Computer Hardware
Source: www.mukalele.net
UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 1/125

Presentation Outline
UACE Sub – ICT Topic 5:
Computer Hardware
• Sub Topic 1. Input Devices
• Sub Topic 2. Output Devices
• Sub Topic 3. Storage Devices
• Sub Topic 4. Processor Components
Learning Outcome: The learner should be able
to use and describe the functions of common
hardware devices.
Background
• A computer is made up of hardware and software.
An analogy can be made to humans that the
hardware is your body and the software is your
mind. It is important to recognize that the way
humanity is comprised of both the physical and
mental, a computer is nothing without both
hardware and software.
• Hardware is any physical part of the computer that
you can touch, see and pick up. Some examples of
hardware include the monitor, keyboard, mouse,
disk drives, printer, scanner and speakers.
Sub Topic 1. Input Devices
Sub topic Objectives:
1.Identifying the basic input devices.
2.Distinguishing between input

devices by their characteristics and
functionality.

1. The Keyboard
Odd Keys

1. The Keyboard
• Input Device Category: Text Input Devices
• A keyboard is an input device, consisting of a set of keys
(buttons) used to operate a computer.
• The QWERTY is referred to as the "Universal" keyboard.
• The name "QWERTY" comes from the first six letters in the
top alphabet row (the one just below the numbers).
• There are other setups also available such as Dvorak,
ABCDE, GKOS, QWERTZ and AZERTY
• Keypads, Keyers and chorded keyboards have fewer keys,
specially designed for devices such a pocket sized
computers.
2. Barcode reader

2. Barcode reader
• A bar code reader, is an optical reader that
uses laser beams to read bar codes that are
printed on items usually in super markets.
• A bar code normally consists of a unique set
of vertical lines and spaces of different widths
which represent coded information about the
item it represents.

3.Magnetic Strip Card Reader

3.Magnetic Strip Card Reader
• A magnetic stripe card reader reads the
magnetic stripe on the back of credit
cards, bank ATM cards, and other similar
cards.
• Exposure to a magnet or magnetic field
can erase the information and contents
of a card's magnetic stripe.
4. The Mouse
• The mouse is a hand held pointing device. A
pointing device is a spacial data input device, which
allows users to move a pointer and make selections
on the computer screen.
• A ball under the mouse senses movement while the
buttons on top are used for left, right and double
clicking and scrolling.
• An optical mouse uses a light-emitting diode and
photodiodes to detect movement relative to the
underlying surface.

4. The Mouse
Other pointing
devices include:
5. Stylus pen &
digitizing tablet
6. Cordless Mouse
7. Trackball
8. Touchpad
9. Touch Screen
10.A Track Point
11.Joystick
5. Stylus pen & digitizing tablet

5. Stylus pen & digitizing tablet
• Stylus pen- The pen lets you draw on what is
called a digitizing tablet that mirrors the
surface area of the computer screen.
• The pen can be used as a standard mouse
(without wires connected to it) or also as a
free flowing drawing device.
• The pen is useful for drawing since drawing
graphics with a mouse tends to be inaccurate.

6. Cordless Mouse

6. Cordless Mouse
• A Cordless Mouse connects to the
computer using wireless technology,
giving flexibility to the user and to move
the mouse over a wider working area.
• This mouse runs on a battery. When you
move the mouse it sends an infrared
beam to a sensor which interprets it
causing the pointer to move.
7. Trackball
• The trackball uses the
same principle as the
mouse except that the
rollers are reversed,
the ball is on top
• It can remain
stationary on your
desk.

8. Touchpad
• The touchpad has sensors that sense a
users touch and send a signal to the
computer.
• Common
on
laptop
computers.

9. Touch Screen

9. Touch Screen
• A touch screen is a touch-sensitive input and
display device. Users can interact with these
devices by touching areas of the screen.
• With some smart phones, portable media
players, and other personal mobile devices,
you can touch the screen to perform tasks
such as dialing telephone numbers, entering
text, and making on-screen selections.

10. Track Point

10. Track Point
• A Track Point, also called a pointing stick, is a
pointing device located in the middle of the
keyboard between the G, H, and B keys.
• The control buttons are located in front of the
keyboard toward the user.
• The Track Point is operated by pushing in the
general direction the user wants the cursor to
move. Increasing pressure causes faster
movement.
11. Joystick
• A Joystick consists of a stick that
pivots on a base and reports its
angle or direction to the device it
is controlling.
• Joysticks are often used to control
video games, and usually have one
or more push-buttons whose state
can also be read by the
computer.
12. Image scanner

12. Image scanner
• A scanner converts hardcopy documents, drawings,
or pictures to an electronic version (softcopy), which
can then be stored on a disk.
• Some scanners include OCR software for analyzing
what is read.
• Optical character recognition (OCR) is a technology
that involves reading typewritten, computer-
printed, or handwritten characters from ordinary
documents and translating the images into a form
that the computer can understand.

12. Image scanner
• A scanner is an imaging device.
• Imaging Devices are input devices that
input images such as still photos, motion
pictures, graphics, video etc.
• Other Imaging devices include: 13. Digital
Camera, 14. Digital video (DV) camera, 15.
Camcorder and 16. Web cam

12. Digital Camera
13.
Digital
Camera

13. Digital Camera
• A digital camera allows users to take
pictures and store the photographed
images digitally instead of storing on a
traditional film.
• Users transfer a copy of the stored
pictures to the computer or printer by
connecting a cable between the digital
camera and the computer.
14. Digital video (DV) camera
• A digital video (DV) camera, by contrast,
records video as digital signals instead of
analog signals.
• After saving the video on a storage
medium, users can play it or edit it and
burn it to a DVD using software programs
on the computer.

13. Digital video (DV) camera

15. Camcorder
• This is a light weight video camera that
records data in digital form onto a storage
device such as a videotape.
UACE SUB-ICT OPEN

Topic Five: Computer Hardware
CLOSED Slide 32/125
16. Webcam
• A Web cam, also called a PC video camera, is a type
of digital video camera that usually sits on top of the
monitor. Some laptop computers have built-in Web
cams.
• Webcams enable users to capture video and still
images and make video telephone calls

16. Webcam
• Web cams can be used for video conferencing

17. Gaming wheels
• A gaming wheel is a steering wheel-type
gaming input device. Users turn the wheel to
simulate driving a vehicle using programs on a
computer.
• Most gaming wheels also include foot pedals
for acceleration and braking actions.
• Gaming wheels include buttons, called
triggers that you press to initiate certain
events.
17. Gaming wheels

18. Game pad
• A gamepad controls the movement and
actions of players or objects in video
games or computer games.
• On the gamepad, users press buttons in
various directions to trigger events.
• Gamepads communicate with a game
console or a personal computer via wired
or wireless technology.
18. Game pad

19. Microphones
• A microphone is an instrument
for converting sound waves
into electrical energy
variations, which may then
input into the computer for
processing, recording or audio
playback.
• Microphones are connected to

the sound card in the system
unit.
20. Fingerprint scanner
• A fingerprint scanner captures curves
and indentations of a fingerprint.
• Some grocery and retail stores now
use fingerprint readers as a means of
payment, where the customer's
fingerprint is linked to a an account or
credit card.

20. Fingerprint scanner

21. Iris Recognition systems
• These are devices that use iris recognition
technology to read patterns in the iris of
the eye.
• These patterns are as unique as a
fingerprint.
• Iris recognition systems are used by
government security organizations, the
military, and financial institutions that deal
with highly sensitive data.
21. Iris Recognition systems

Sub Topic 2. Output Devices
1.Identifying the basic output devices.
2.Distinguishing between output
devices by their characteristics and
functionality.
3.Identifying the different peripheral
device interfaces.
Sub Topic 2. Output Devices
An output device is any type of
hardware component capable
of conveying information to
one or more people.
Categories of
Computer output:
Text, Graphics, Audio,
Video
1. CRT Monitors
• A CRT (cathode ray tube) monitor is a desktop
screen that contains a large sealed glass
cathode-ray tube.
• Inside the CRT, an electron beam moves back
and forth across the back of the screen.
• This causes dots on the front of the screen to
glow, producing an image on the screen.
• Each dot consists of a red, a green, and a blue
phosphor, which combine to make up a pixel.
• A pixel is a single point in an electronic image.
1. CRT Monitors
• It is advisable
to always sit
1 meter way
from CRT
monitors
because they
produce
electromagne
tic radiation,
posing a
health risk.
2. Flat-Panel Displays
• A flat-panel display is a lightweight display device
with a shallow depth and flat screen that typically
uses LCD (liquid crystal display) or gas plasma
technology.
• Examples of flat -panel displays include LCD
monitors, and plasma monitors.
• Many are widescreen, ie much wider than they are
tall.
• Screens are measured diagonally from one corner
to the other. Common sizes are 17”, 19”, 20”,
22”, 24” and 27”, 45” and 65 inch screens
2. Flat-Panel Displays
gas plasma technology

and liquid crystal display
3. Projectors
• A data projector takes the image that displays on a
computer screen and projects it onto a large screen
or wall so that an audience of people can see the
image clearly.
• For example, many classrooms use data projectors
so that all students easily can see an instructor's
presentation on the screen.
• Presence of excess light affects data projectors and
so they perform well in dark rooms.

3. Projectors

4. Interactive whiteboard (IWB)
• An interactive whiteboard is a touch-sensitive
device, resembling a dry-erase board, that
displays the image on a connected computer
screen.
• The presenter can use bare hands, a special
tablet, or remote control to interact with the
device.
• Notes written on the interactive whiteboard
can be saved directly on the computer.
4. Interactive whiteboard (IWB)
Interactive
whiteboards are
used frequently in
classrooms as a
teaching tool.

5. Head mounted display (HMD) /
headgear
• A headgear is made up of two tiny display and
sound systems that channel images and sound
from the source to the eyes and ears, thus
presenting a stereo three dimensional sound
effect in the virtual world.
• The wearer may also put on a body suit that
senses the body movement and relays the
data into the virtual reality system which in
turn adjusts the position of the user in the
system.
5. Head mounted display (HMD) /
headgear

6. LED displays
• A LED display is a flat panel display, which
uses light-emitting diodes as a video display.
• A LED panel may be a small display, or a
component of a larger display.
• They are typically used outdoors in store signs
and billboards.

7. Printers
• A printer is a device that produces a hard copy
output such as text and graphics on a physical
material like paper.
• Printed information (hard copy) exists physically
and in a more permanent form than a soft copy on
a display device.
• Printers with different speeds, features, quality, and
capabilities are available in a range of prices.
• Printers can be grouped into two categories: impact
and nonimpact printers.

7. Printers
• An impact printer forms characters and
graphics on a piece of paper by a striking
mechanism against an ink ribbon that
physically contacts the paper.
• Commonly used types of impact printers
include Daisy wheel, dot-matrix , Braille
and line printers.

7. Printers
• Daisy Wheel Printer with characters
arranged on the ends of the spokes of a wheel

7. Printers 7. Printers
• Most dot-matrix
printers use
continuous-form
paper, in which
thousands of sheets
of paper are
connected together
end to end. The
papers have holes
along the sides to
help feed the paper
through the printer.
7. Printers
• A Braille printer, commonly known as a Braille
embosser, is an impact printer, that renders text as
tangible dot cells which are felt and read by the
blind.

7. Printers
• A nonimpact printer forms characters and
graphics on a piece of paper without actually
striking the paper. Some spray ink, while
others use heat or pressure to create images.
• Commonly used nonimpact printers are ink-

jet printers, laser printers, thermal printers,
plotters, and mobile printers.

7. Printers
• The print head

mechanism in an
ink-jet printer
contains ink-filled
print cartridges.

7. Printers
• A laser printer instead
uses a laser beam and
powdered ink, called
toner, packaged in a
cartridge.

7. Printers
A thermal printer generates
images by pushing heated A mobile printer is a small,
pins against a coated heat- lightweight, battery powered
sensitive paper, ideal for use printer that fit easily in a
in small devices e.g. ATM briefcase alongside a
receipt printers. notebook computer.

7. Printers
• Plotters are printers
used to produce large,
high-quality, vector
graphic drawings such
as blueprints, maps,
posters, and signs.
• They use ink-jet
printer technology, on
a much larger scale, to
print professional
quality displays.
Factors to consider when
purchasing a printer
• Print quality: dot matrix • Running cost: The cost of
printers are good for maintaining an inkjet printer
bulk printing or low is higher than that of
quality documents, laser maintaining laser printers.
printer is good for • Speed: the speed of a
printing higher quality printer is measured in pages
documents. per minute.
• Initial cost: Laser and • Colour printing: some
thermal printers are still printers support black and
expensive compared to colour printing while others
inkjet printers. dont.Plotters are large
8. Computer Speakers
• Audio output devices like
Computer Speakers are the
components of the
computer system that
produce music, speech, or
other sounds, such as beeps
• Some Computer Speakers
use Wireless technology.
• Most personal computers
have a small internal
speakers that basically
output beeps and low-
quality sound.
9. Headphones and Earphones
• In a crowded computer laboratory environment,
speakers might not be applicable.
• Instead, users can plug head-phones or earphones
in a port on the sound card, in a speaker, or on the
front of the system unit.

10. Machine Tools
• Through
Computer-aided
manufacturing
(CAM) computers
are used to
control the output
of machine tools
and like motors
(inset) in the
manufacturing
process. Inset: A motor
Sub Topic 3. Storage Devices
1.Differentiating Primary and
Secondary Storage
2.Categorizing secondary storage
devices, listing various examples per
category.

Differentiating Primary and
Secondary Storage
(i) PRIMARY MEMORY such as random access memory
(RAM) provides a small amount of temporary storage
area for the data and instructions required by the CPU
during processing.
(ii) SECONDARY Storage is used by Computer systems to
store larger amounts of data, and information more
permanently than allowed with primary memory.
• When a user issues a command to start an
application program, the operating system locates the
program in secondary storage, and loads it into
primary memory.
• In this sub topic, we shall focus on secondary storage.
Categories of Secondary Storage
Media
• There is a wide variety of storage devices in
the following categories.
• (A) Magnetic media,
• (B) Optical media
• (C) Solid-state media and
Other Types of Storage Media such as
– Photographic film
– Microfilm and Microfiche

(A) Magnetic media
• Magnetic storage media represent data as
magnetic spots on the tape or disk, with a
magnetized spot representing a 1 bit and the
absence of such a spot representing a 0 bit.
• Common examples of magnetic media include:
i. Magnetic tape
ii. Floppy disk,
iii. Hard disks

(i) Magnetic tape
• Magnetic tape is a magnetically coated ribbon of
plastic capable of storing large amounts of data and
information at a low cost.
• Tape storage requires sequential access, i.e. data
must be accessed in the order in which it is stored.

(ii) Floppy disk (diskette)
• A floppy disk, or diskette, is a portable, inexpensive
storage medium that consists of a thin circular,
flexible plastic disk with a magnetic costing
enclosed in a square-shaped plastic shell.
• A standard floppy disk is 3.5-inches wide and has
storage capacities up to 1.44 MB.

(iii) Hard disks
• A hard disk, also
called hard drive,
usually consists of
several inflexible,
circular metal
platters coated
with magnetic
oxide that can be
magnetized to
represent data.
(iii) Hard disks
• A read/write head is the mechanism that reads
items and writes items in the drive as it barely
touches the disk's recording surface.
• When a read/write head does accidentally touch
the platter surface, it is called a head crash and all
data is destroyed. Thus, it is crucial that you back up
your hard disk regularly.
• A backup is a duplicate of a file, program, or disk
placed on a separate storage medium that you can
use in case the original is lost, damaged, or
destroyed.
Hard disk interfaces
• The hard disk • External hard disk interfaces
interface include:
defines the – USB
– FireWire
physical means
by which the • Internal hard disk interfaces
hard disk Include:
– SATA, (Serial Advanced Technology
connects to the Attachment)
rest of the – EIDE, (Enhanced Integrated Drive
computer. Electronics)
– SCSI, (Small Computer System Interface)
• There are many and
disk interfaces: – SAS (Serial-attached SCSI)
• FireWire
Interface

• SATA
Interface

• EIDE Interface

• SCSI
Interface

Types of Hard disks
• An Internal hard disk is fixed in the system unit and
usually stores the operating system required for the
computer to work.
• An external hard disk is a separate free-standing
hard disk that connects with a cable to a USB port
or FireWire port.
• A removable hard disk is a hard disk that you insert
and remove from either a dock or a drive.
• An Internet hard drive, also called online storage, is
a service on the Web that provides storage to
computer users, usually for a minimal monthly fee.
(B) Optical Media
• An optical disc is a flat, round, portable
storage medium made of metal, plastic, and
lacquer that is written and read by a beam of
laser light.
• The reflected light is converted into a series of
bits that the computer can process.
• Optical discs used in personal computers are
4.75 inches in diameter. Smaller computers
and devices use mini discs that have a
diameter of 3 inches or less.
Care for Optical Disks
• Care for Optical Disks

Categories of Optical Disks
• Two general categories are CDs and DVDs, with
DVDs having a much greater storage capacity than
CDs.
• Examples of Optical Disks include:
• CD-ROM (compact disc read-only memory): These
are written by the manufacturer and can not be
modified. A typical CD-ROM can hold from 650 MB
to 1GB of data, but most hold 700MB.
• CD-R (compact disc-recordable) is a technology that
allows you to write on a compact disc using your
own computer’s CD-R drive.
Categories of Optical Disks
• A CD-RW (compact disc-rewritable) is an erasable
multisession disc that you can write on multiple
times.
• DVD-ROM (digital video disc-ROM). A DVD-ROM is
an extremely high capacity compact disc capable of
storing from 4.7 GB to 17GB.
• DVDs are also available in a variety of recordable
and rewritable versions and formats such as DVD-R
and DVD+R DVD+RW, DVD+RE, and DVD+RAM.
• A Blu-ray Dics-ROM (BD-ROM) has storage
capacities of up to 100 GB.
(C) Solid-state media
• Solid-state media consist entirely of electronic
components and contain no moving parts.
• Solid state is a non-volatile storage that
employs integrated circuits rather than
mechanical, magnetic or optical technology.
Examples include:
• Flash Memory Cards
• USB Flash Disks

Flash memory cards
• Common types of flash
memory cards include
Memory Stick, CompactFlash
(CF), SmartMedia, miscroSD,
miniSD, xD, Picture Card, etc.
• They are commonly used in
electronic devices such as
digital cameras and mobile
phones. They are tiny, re-
recordable, and able to retain
data without power.
USB flash drive
• A USB flash drive is a small and lightweight
removable storage device that plugs in a USB port
on a computer.
• USB flash drives have become the mobile user's
primary portable storage device, making the floppy
disks outdated.

Other Types of Storage Media
• Photographic film is a sheet of plastic such as
polyester coated with a light sensitive emulsion,
that is used to record and store photographs.
• Chemical processes can then be applied to the film
to create a visible image, in a process called film
developing.

Other Types of Storage Media
• Microfilm and Microfiche are media used to store
microscopic images of documents on roll or sheet
film. They have the longest life of any storage
medium. Libraries use these media to store back
issues of newspapers, magazines, and genealogy
records.

Sub Topic 4. Processor Components

1.Describing the types of processors in
computers and other electronic
devices.
2.Appreciating the parts of the Central
Processing Unit (CPU) and their
functions.
Types of processors
• Microprocessors are VLSI  80286,  Celeron,
devices. Very-Large-Scale  80386,  Xeon,
 Pentium I,  Opteron,
Integration (VLSI) is the  Pentium  Athlon,
process of creating II,  Itanium
integrated circuits by  Pentium  Core 2
III, Quad,
combining thousands of  Pentium  Intel
transistors into a single chip. IV, CORE i3
Pentium  Intel
• The most common types of Duo core, CORE i5
processors are:-  Intel
CORE i7
etc
Processor Components
• Processing devices are the computer electronic
components and chips housed in the system unit.
• The system unit is a box-like case that houses the
motherboard, the disks and drive bays, the power
supply and cooling systems.
• The components in the system unit are connected
to the motherboard.
• Two major components on the motherboard are the
CPU and internal memory.
• A drive bay is a rectangular opening inside the
system unit that typically holds disk drives.
Processor Components

The Motherboard
• The motherboard is a single circuit board, that
provides the path through which the
processor communicates with internal and
peripheral devices.
• The motherboard is also called the system
board
• The components attached to the
motherboard include the processor chip,
memory chips, support electronic circuitry,
buses, and Expansion Slots for Adapter Cards.
The Motherboard

Commonly used adapter cards and their functions

The Motherboard
• Adapter cards are used for many supplemental
capabilities, such as more memory, higher-quality
sound devices, a modem, extra ports, or graphics
capabilities.
• Some
motherboards
include all
necessary
capabilities
and do not
require cards.
Buses
• The bus is a common electrical path, that enables
data flow between the various system components.
• A bus, allows the various devices inside and
attached to the system unit to communicate with
each other.

Peripheral Device Interfaces (Ports)
• A port is the point at which a peripheral attaches
the system unit. Common interfaces include Video
Graphics Array (VGA) interface, Parallel, Serial ,
Personal system 2(PS/2) , Infrared and Bluetooth
and power interface, etc.

• Parallel Interfaces transmit information simultaneously
using a set of many conductors (wires), commonly used to
connect printers.
• Serial Interfaces also known as COM or RS232 ports,
support transmission of data one bit at a time, hence it is
slower than the parallel ports but more reliable because
they can support data transmission to devices connected
15m away. Serial cables are generally used to connect
devices such as the mouse.
• Universal serial bus is a new standard serial interface that
provides high-speed and quality data transmission and is
replacing the conventional parallel and serial cables and
ports.
• Personal system 2 (PS/2) interface is a small 6-pin mini-DIN interface
common on desktop computers in pairs, one for mouse and the other
for the keyboard.
• Video graphics array (VGA) is used to connect a monitor or a data

projector. It is shaped like a letter D with 15 pins.
• Audio interface is used to connect speakers and microphone.
• Fire wire or IEEE 1394 has the same features as the USB but
transmits data faster than USB. It is mostly used for streaming video
from a digital video camera.
• Infrared, also referred to as infrared Data Association (IrDA) is a
wireless interface that uses infrared to connect to infrared-enabled
devices.
• Bluetooth is also wireless interface that uses short range radio
broadcast to connect to any Bluetooth- enabled device.
• Table showing
summary of
standard symbols
used to denote
common
interfaces.

Power Supply and Cooling Technology
• The power supply is the
component of the system unit
that converts the wall outlet AC
power of 110 to 240 volts into
DC power of 0.5 to 12 volts
• A heat sink is a small ceramic or
metal component with fins on
its surface that absorbs and
disperses heat produced by
electrical components such as a
processor.
The CPU
• The central processing unit (CPU), is a chip that
interprets, carries out the basic instructions and
manages most of a computer's operations.
• It is at times referred to as the ‘brain’ of the
computer.
• It has two basic sections: the control unit (CU) and
the arithmetic/logic unit (ALU), which work
together to perform the processing operations.
• Other CPU components are the Registers and the
System Clock.

Components of a CPU

The control unit (CU)
• The control unit is the component of the
processor that directs and coordinates most of
the operations in the computer.
• It interprets each instruction issued by
program and then initiates the appropriate
action to carry out the instruction.
• For every instruction, the control unit repeats
a set of four basic steps called the machine
cycle steps:
The control unit (CU)
• Step 1: Fetching the instruction. The
instruction to be executed is obtained from
memory.
• Step 2: Decoding the instruction. The
instruction is translated into commands the
computer understand and sent to the ALU.
• Step 3: Executing the instruction. The
commands are carried out.
• Step 4: Storing results. The results are stored
in registers or memory.
An example of a machine cycle

Arithmetic/logic unit (ALU)
• The ALU performs the arithmetic, comparison, and
logical operations in a computer.
• It performs the execution step of a machine cycle.
• Arithmetic operations include addition, subtraction,
multiplication, and division.
• Logical operations work with conditions and logical
operators such as AND, OR, and NOT.
• For example, if you wanted to search a student
database for Candidates of Computer students, you
would search for any students classified as
‘Computer students AND listed under Candidates.
Registers
• Registers are high-speed working storage areas that
temporarily hold instructions and data within the
CPU.
• Registers work under the direction of the control
unit to accept, hold, and transfer instruction or data
and comparisons at high speed.
• Registers hold data immediately related to the
operation being executed. Memory is used to store
data that will be used in the near future. Secondary
storage holds data that may be needed later (in
future).
The system clock
• The system clock is a small chip that is used by the
CPU to synchronize the timing of all computer
operations.
• The system clock generates electronic pulse or ticks
at a fixed rate, which set the operating pace of
components in the system unit.
• Each tick is called a clock cycle, which affects
machine cycle time.
• The faster the clock, the more instructions the CPU
can execute per second.
• Clock speed is measured in hertz.
Internal Memory
• A computer's memory in the system unit
consists of one or more chips physically close
to the CPU to decrease access time.
• The system unit contains two types of
memory: volatile and nonvolatile.
• Examples of volatile memory include RAM
and Cache.
• Examples of nonvolatile memory include ROM
and CMOS.
Random Access Memory (RAM)
• When the computer is powered
on, certain operating system
files are loaded from a storage
device such as a hard disk into
RAM.
• These files remain in RAM as
long as the computer is
running. As additional programs
and data are requested, they
are read from storage into RAM.
The processor acts upon the
data while it is in RAM.
Read-only memory (ROM)
• Read-only memory (ROM) refers to
memory chips storing permanent data
and instructions.
• The data, or firmware stored on ROM
chips is often recorded when the chip is
manufactured.
• ROM is usually nonvolatile, and its
contents are not lost if the power is
switched off.
Differences Between
RAM and ROM
RAM ROM
1. Volatile, temporally 1.Non Volatile, permanent
2. Contents lost when 2. Contents remain when
power goes off power goes off
3. Read and Write 3. Read Only
4. Can be increased 4. Cant be Increased
5. Data Not recorded at 5. Firmware Recorded at
Factory Factory
Memory cache
• A cache is a small block
of very fast memory
that is faster than
conventional RAM,
speeding up processing
time by storing
frequently used
instructions and data.
• The processor first
checks cache, then
RAM for needed data
and instructions.
Memory cache
• There are three types of cache memory
namely:
• Level 1 (L1)-Primary cache; located inside
microprocessor
• Level 2(L2)-External cache; that may be
inside microprocessor or mounted on the
motherboard;
• Level 3(L3)-cache; works with L2 to optimize
system performance.
Buffers
• Buffers are special memories that are found
in input/output devices. Input data is held /
accumulated in input buffer while processed
output is held in output buffer.
• For example, computer printers have buffers
where they can store massive documents
sent by the CPU for printing hence freeing
the CPU to perform other urgent tasks as the
printer continues to print in the background.
CMOS
• Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor
(CMOS) technology provides high speeds and
consumes little power.
• CMOS technology uses battery power to retain
information even when the power to the computer
is off.
• Battery-backed CMOS memory chips, for example,
can keep the calendar, date, and time current even
when the computer is off.

Units of Measuring Computer
Memory
• The smallest unit of measuring Computer Memory is a
Bit (BInary digit)
• Binary digits are the numbers 1 and 0 which can be
represented in a computer by switching voltage on and
off.
• Eight little bits make one BYTE.
• The storage capacity of computers (RAM and ROM) and
that of secondary storage devices like disks are
generally given in bytes.
• One BYTE stores approximately one character.
• Other units include Kilobyte, Megabyte, Gigabyte,
Terabyte approximately equal to 103, 106, 109, 1012 etc.
UACE Sub - ICT
End of Topic 5:
Computer Hardware
Next Topic 6: Computer Software

S5 Sub ICT Notes-Mukalele Rogers Computer Hardware 2019

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

S5 Sub ICT Notes-Mukalele Rogers Computer Hardware 2019

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

S5 Sub ICT Notes-Mukalele Rogers Computer Hardware 2019

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

UACE Sub - ICT

Topic 5: Computer Hardware

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 1/125

2.Distinguishing between input

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 5/125

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 6/125

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 8/125

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 9/125

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 10/125

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 12/125

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 14/125

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 15/125

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 16/125

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 18/125

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 19/125

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 20/125

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 21/125

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 22/125

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 25/125

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 26/125

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 27/125

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 28/125

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 30/125

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 31/125

UACE SUB-ICT OPEN

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 33/125

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 34/125

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 36/125

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 38/125

• Microphones are connected to

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 40/125

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 41/125

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 43/125

gas plasma technology

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 50/125

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 51/125

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 53/125

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 55/125

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 56/125

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 57/125

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 58/125

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 59/125

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 61/125

• Commonly used nonimpact printers are ink-

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 62/125

• The print head

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 63/125

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 64/125

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 65/125

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 69/125

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 71/125

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 73/125

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 74/125

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 75/125

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 76/125

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 80/125

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 81/125

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 82/125

UACE SUB-ICT Topic Five: Computer Hardware Slide 83/125