Camputer Overview

Acomputer is an electronic data processing device. which acceots and stores data input, processes the data input
and generates the output ina required format under the control of a stored program.

Acomputer is a device that accepts information (in the form of digitalized data) and manipulates it for some result
based ona program, software, or sequence of instructions on how the data is to be processed.

Functionalities of a Computer

Any digital computer carries out the following five functions -

Step 1- Takes data as input.

Step 2- Stores the data/instructions in its memory and uses them as required.

Step 3 - Processes the data and converts it into useful information.

Step 4- Generates the output.

Step 5- Controls all the above four steps by means ofa stored program.

CHARCATERISTICS OF COMPUTER

of millions of instructions per second. Some

" High Speed: The computer can process data very fast, at the rate
a few seconds
calculations that would have taken hours and days to complete otherwise, can be completed in
thousands of employees of an
using the computer. For example, calculation and generation of salary slips of
temperature, pressure
organization, weather forecasting that requires analysis of a large amount of data related to
and humidity of various places, etc.

" Accuracy: Computer provides a high degree of accuracy. For example, the
computer can accurately give the
10 decimal places.
result of division of any two numbers up to
fatigued. It can perform
.Diligence: When used fora longer period of time, the computer does not get tired or
accuracy from the start tillthe end
long and complex calculations with the same speed and
and also retrieved
Huge Storage Capability: Large volumes of data and intormaton can be stored in the computer
memory. Secondary
whenever required. A limited amount of data can be stored, temnporarily, in the primary
permanentv.
storane devices like floppy disk and compact disk can storea lage amount of data
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 of tasks with the same ease. At one
" Versatility: Computer is versatile in nature. It can perform different types
in the next moment you may play musIC or
moment you can use the computer to prepare a letter document and
been
print a document. Computers have several limitations
too. Computer can only perform tasks that it has
programmed to do.

monotony, tiredness, and lack of concentration. It can

Diligence: Unlike human beings, a computer is free from
perform repeated tasks with the same speed and
work continuously without any error and boredom. It can
accuracy.
task
Automation is the ability to perform a given
Automation: Computer is an automatic machine
computer
prOgram ie.. the program is stored in the
automatically. Once the computer recejves a
interaction
control the program execution without human
memorY, then the program and instruction can

judgment based on feeling, taste,

feelings or emotions. It cannot make
No Feeling: Computers have no
experience, and knowledge unlike humans.

Evolution of computer/History of Computers

Early Computing Devices

improved with time
sticks, stones and bones as counting tools. As human mind and technology
Primitive age used
devices starting with the first to recent
more computing devices were
developed. Some of the popular computing
ones are described below;

1. Abacus
said that
computer begins with the birth of abacus which is believed to be the first computer. It is
The history of
years ago.
Chinese invented Abacus around 4,000
moved by the abacus
a wooden rack which has metal rods with beads mounted on them. The beads were
It was
some countries like
arithmetic calculations. Abacus is still used in
operator according to some rules to perform
this tool is shown below;
China, Russia and Japan. An image of

2. Napier's Bones

invented by John Napier (1550-161 7) of Merchiston. In

It was a manually-operated calculating device which was the
bones marked with numbers to multiply and divide. So,
this calculating tool, he used 9 different ivory strips or
decimal noint
It was also the first machine to use the
tool became known as "Napier's Bones.

3. Pascaline

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 between 1642 and 1644 by a
Pascaline is also known as Arithmetic Machine or Adding Machine It was invented
the first mechanical and automatic
French mathematician-philosopher Biaise Pascal. It is helieved that it was
calculator.

It could only perform addition and subtraction.

Pascal invented this machine to help his father. a tay accountant
rotates the
wheels When a wheel is rotated one revolution, it
It was a wooden box with a series of gears and
neighboring wheel.

4. Stepped Reckoner or Leibnitz wheel

mathematician-philosopher Gottfried Wilhelm Leibnitz in 1673. He improved

It was developed by a German stepped
dieital mnechanical calculator which was called the
Pascal's invention to develop this machine. It was a
reckoner as instead of gears it was made of fluted drums.

5. Difference Engine
Computer". It was a
early 1820s, it was designed by Charles Babbage who is known as "Father of Modern
In the machine
calculations. It was a steam driven calculating
mechanical computer which could perform simple
designed to solve tables of numbers like logarithm tables.

6. Analytical Engine
that used
Charles Babbage in 1830. It was a mechanical computer
This calculating machine was also developed by
information as a
any mathematical problem and storing
punch-cards as input. It was capable of solving
permanent memory.

7. Tabulating Machine
on
American statistician. It was a mechanical tabulator based
It was invented in 1890, by Herman Hollerith, an
used in the
sort data or information. This machine was
punch cards. It could tabulate statistics and record or
Tabulating Machine Company which later became
1890 U.S. Census. Hollerith also started the Hollerith?s
International Business Machine (|BM) in 1924.

8. Differential Analyzer
It was an analog device invented by
It was the first electronic computer introduced in the United States in 1930.
perform calculations. It could do 25
Vannevar Bush. This machine has vacuum tubes to switch electrical signals to
calculations in few minutes.

9. MarkI

planned to develon a
The next major changes in the history of computer began in 1937 when Howard Aiken
machine that could perform calculations involving large numbers. In 1944, Mark I computer was built as a
partnership between IBM and Harvard. It was the first programmable digital computer.
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Generations of Computers

Ageneration of technology with time. In 1946,

computers refers to the specific improvements in computer gears and other
replaced the
electronic pathways called circuits were developed to perform the counting. It
mechanical parts used for counting in previous computing machines.
The
previous generation circuits.
In each new generation, the circuits became smaller and more advancedthan the
miniaturization helped increase the speed, memory and power of computers.

Five generation of computers are identified in the history of computers, they are.
circuitry and
that used vacuum tubes for
1. First generation computers (1940 to 1956) were room-sized machines and a binary
used punched cards for data input
magnetic drums for limited internal storage. These machines
include the ABC
(Atanasoff Berry Computer),
machine code (language). Examples of first generation computers
Colossus, IBM 650 and the EDVAC (Electronic Discrete Variable Computer).
transistors, used magneTc
generation computers (1956 to 1963) renlaced vacuum tubes with isolated
2. Second continued to use punched
storage capacity, used BAL (basic assembler language) and
tape stOrage Tor Increased second
vacuum tubes. Examples of
inpu. Transistors drew less power and generated less heat than
Cards or UNIVAC (Universal Automatic
computers include the IBM 7090. IBM 7094. IBM 1400. and the
generation
Computer).
several transistors and MOS
1971) used ICs (integrated circuits) with
3. Third generation computers (1964 to computers
cheaper and faster than their predecessors, these
(metal oxide semiconductor) memory. Smaller,
output, and employed programming languages such
used keyboards for input, monitors for
Business Oriented Language) and C-Language. Examples of
as FORTRAN (Formula Translation), COBOL (Common
IBM 360 and IBM 370 series.
third generation computers include the
microprocessors with VLSI (very Jarge
Fourth generation computers (1972 to 2010) used integrated circuits and
scale integration), RAM (random access memorv), ROM (read-only memory), and high-level programming
languages including C and C+t. The creation and expansion of the World Wide Web (Www) and cloud
computing (the ability to deliver hosted services using the Internet) significantly enhanced computing capabilities
during this period. Examples of fourth generation computers include Apple's Macintosh and IBM's pC

Efth generation computers 2010 and beyond) are based on Al (artificial intelligence), use large scale integratod
hles and more than one CPU (processor Ecompters respond to natural language input. solve
through logcal (human-like)
highly comples probilems, make decisions reasoning and use quantum computing and
Nanotechnology(molecular manufacturing Fith generation computers and programs allow multiple
(and computers) to work on the same
probie the same time in
paralll programs
internet, robotics, ae soe of se chater of he 5G computaes multiprogramming Networking.
Simple structure of CPU
all types of
of the computer that performs
CPU stands for Central Processing Unit, it is as the brain
considered
operations. It stores data, intermediate results and instructions.

CPU itself has following three components.

Memory or Storage Unit

Control Unit
ALU(Arithmetic Logic Unit)

CPU

Control Unit

Input Unit
Output Unit

Arithmetic
& Logic Unít

Memory Unit

Memory or Storage Unit

other units of the
intermediate results. This unit supplies information to
instructions, data, and
This unit can store power, and capability of a
comes in various sizes which determines the speed,
computer when needed. It memory or the primary storage
or Random Access
storage unit or the main
computer. It is also known as internal
Memory (RAM).

computer
Types of memory in
Memnory (RAM), RAM is a
memory: example is Read Only Memory (ROM) and Random Access
Primary permanent.
fixed content that remains
temporary memory while ROM has a
hard disk, flash disk, CDs etc
Secondary memory examples are

Functions of the memory unit

instructions required for processing.
It stores all the data and the
results of processing.
It stores intermediate device.
berore these results are released to an output
It stores the final results of processing
transmitted through the main memorv.
All inputs and outputs are

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The Control Unit

This unit controls the

operations of all parts of the Computer but does not carry out any actual data processing
operations

Functions of Control Unit

It is responsible for controlling the transfer of data and instructions among other units of a computer.
It manages and coordinates all the units of the
computer.
It obtains the and directs the operation of the computer.
instructions from the memory, interprets them,
It communicates with Input/Output devices for transfer of data or results from storage.
It does not process or store data.

ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit)

This unit consists of two subsections - the Arithmetic Section and the Logic Section

Arithmetic Section: performs arithmetic operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. All
complex operations are done by making repetitive use of the above operations.

Logic Section: performs logic operations such as comparing, selecting, matching, and merging of data.