DEPARMENT OF

ELECTRICAL ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING

OPEN COURSEWARE SERIES

INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER HARDWARE I

EEC 117

NATIONAL DIPLOMA
Course Title: Introduction Computer Hardware 1

Code: EEC 116

Unit: 2 (Two)

Status: Core Elective

Semester: First Semester

Level: ND 1

Prerequisite: NIL

Goals: Understanding the fundamentals of Computer

Hardware

General Objective: Students should be able to diagnose and repair a

faulty computer system
 MODULE ONE
OVERVIEW OF COMPUTER SYSTEM
Objective
1. Know the evolution of Computer System
2. Understand the operation of a Computer System
3. Understand the sub-units of a Computer- (Mother board, Drives (Hard disk, Floppy,
CDROM, Zip), Ports.
4. Overview of Input and Output Devices
UNIT ONE-Computer System
1.1
The word ‘system’ is not a new term. We are using it in many places. Railway system, respiration
system, political systems, document management system, operating systems and so on. Then,
what then the ‘System’ means?

When we say system, we understand there are many different distinguishable units that work on
its own; there is a link, a relationship or connection among those units; and this link is created for
a particular objective. Let’s look at transportation systems. There are vehicles, the authorities that
create, issue, and monitors licenses, rules, there are passengers, road, and traffic officers etc as
different units. The objective of this system can be to ensure comfortable and safe transportation.

A computer system consists of different units. These units have their own functions. They are
connected with each other via cables or another medium. These units are connected with a
purpose of smooth operation of a computer. The computer system has four major units

1. Input Unit,
2. Processing Unit,
3. Output Unit and .
4. Storage Unit
1.2
EVOLUTION OF COMPUTER (A BRIEF HISTORY)
The computer as we know it today had its beginning with a 19th century English mathematics
professor name Charles Babbage. He designed the Analytical Engine and it was this design that
the basic framework of the computers of today are based on.

Generally speaking, computers can be classified into three generations. Each generation lasted
for a certain period of time,and each gave us either a new and improved computer or an
improvement to the existing computer.

First generation: 1937 – 1946 - In 1937 the first electronic digital computer was built by Dr.
John V. Atanasoff and Clifford Berry. It was called the Atanasoff-Berry Computer (ABC). In
1943 an electronic computer name the Colossus was built for the military. Other developments
continued until in 1946 the first general– purpose digital computer, the Electronic Numerical
Integrator and Computer (ENIAC) was built. It is said that this computer weighed 30 tons, and
had 18,000 vacuum tubes which was used for processing. When this computer was turned on for
the first time lights dim in sections of Philadelphia. Computers of this generation could only
perform single task, and they had no operating system.

Second generation: 1947 – 1962 - This generation of computers used transistors instead of
vacuum tubes which were more reliable. In 1951 the first computer for commercial use was
introduced to the public; the Universal Automatic Computer (UNIVAC 1). In 1953 the
International Business Machine (IBM) 650 and 700 series computers made their mark in the
computer world. During this generation of computers over 100 computer programming
languages were developed, computers had memory and operating systems. Storage media such as
tape and disk were in use also were printers for output.

Third generation: 1963 - present - The invention of integrated circuit brought us the third
generation of computers. With this invention computers became smaller, more powerful more
reliable and they are able to run many different programs at the same time. In1980 Microsoft
Disk Operating System (MS-Dos) was born and in 1981 IBM introduced the personal computer
(PC) for home and office use. Three years later Apple gave us the Macintosh computer with its
icon driven interface and the 90s gave us Windows operating system.

As a result of the various improvements to the development of the computer we have seen the
computer being used in all areas of life. It is a very useful tool that will continue to experience
new development as time passes

1.3
COMPUTER FUNDAMENTALS
A computer is an electronic machine that accepts data, stores and processes data into information.
The computer is able to work because there are instructions in its memory directing it. The parts
of the computer that you can see and touch, such as the keyboard, monitor and the mouse are
called hardware. The instructions that direct the computer are called software or computer
program.

Data which is raw facts that you the user enter into the computer is called input. This includes;
words, numbers, sound and pictures. When the data is entered into the computer, the computer
processes the data to produce information which is output. For example, you enter 2+2 into the
computer as data, the computer processes it and the result is 4 which is information.

1.4
Computers are usually categories into three general categories:

1. Supercomputer – The fastest, largest, most powerful and most expensive computer.

2. Mainframe Computer – This is a little smaller and less powerful than the supercomputer,
but, like the supercomputer it is also expensive.

3. Personal Computer (PC)- This is the computer that most people use in their daily lives.
This computer is much smaller, less powerful and less expensive than the supercomputer
and the mainframe computer. There are two main types of personal computers. Macintosh
(Macs) and the PC compatibles (PC). The main differences between the two are the
operating systems and the processor they use. This category of computer has two
additional types of computers. These are mobile computer and handheld computer. The
most popular type of mobile computer is the notebook or laptop computer, and the
handheld computer is a very small PC that you can hold in your hand.

It is important to note that, any computer; regardless of its size has an input device, output device
and a system unit.

A computer can process data, pictures, sound and graphics. They can solve highly complicated
problems quickly and accurately. A computer as shown in the block diagram performs basically
five major computer operations or functions irrespective of their size and make. These are

1) it accepts data or instructions by way of input,

2) it stores data,
3) it can process data as required by the user,
4) it gives results in the form of output, and
5) it controls all operations inside a computer.

Module 1 Unit 1 Practice Questions

1. List major sub units of a computer
2. Explain briefly the operation of Computer
3. Write short notes on
 a. Data
b. Information
4. Establish the relationship between Computer hardware and Software

Tutor Marked Assignment (TMA) 1

Narrate the evolution of Computer from ENIAC to present technology

UNIT 2-Organization of Computer System

2.1
Hardware Component of Computer System
The physical and tangible parts of a computer are hardware. It includes the devices such as
keyboard, mouse, monitor, printers, motherboard, memory chips, electronic circuitry, expansion
cards, cables, switches and everything you can touch and feel.

There is a very useful analogy to define computer hardware and software. Let’s take an example
of a book. You should be thinking of the cover, the pages and the ink as hardware. At the same
time the words, sentences, paragraphs, and the storyline, i.e. the information held within the book
would represent the software. A computer without software is very much like having a book full
of blank pages, you need the software to make a computer useful – just the same as you need the
words and story to make a book meaningful. Hardware refers to any part of the computer which
is manufactured. It can refer to individual components or a group of components.

Many people love to offer an analogy with human body and soul to clarify the relationship
between hardware and software component of computers. The body is considered as hardware
and the soul that operates human body is equated with the computer software. Without software,
a computer is just a dead body.
Here is some common hardware that you’ll find inside a computer:

• Motherboard
• Central Processing Unit (CPU)
• Random Access Memory (RAM)
• Power Supply
• Video Card
• Hard Drive
• Optical Drive (i.e. BD/DVD/CD drive)
• Sound Card
• Network Interface Card (NIC)
• Analog Modem
• FireWire/USB Expansion Card

Here is some common hardware that you might find connected to the outside of a computer:

• Keyboard
• Mouse
• Printer
• Scanner
• Speakers
• Monitor

The following hardware is referred to as network hardware and various pieces are often part of a
home or business network:

• Router
• Network Switch
 • Access Point
• Repeater
• Bridge
• Print Server
• Firewall

Network hardware isn’t as clearly defined as some other types of computer hardware. For
example, many home routers will often act as a combination of router, switch, and firewall.

Module 1 Unit 2 Practice Questions

1. What are computer hardware?
2. What is a Computer Chasis (Case)?
3. List ten (10) Computer hardware found inside Computer
4. List five (5) Computer hardware that can be found outside Computer Chasis

Tutor Marked Assignment (TMA) 2

Compare Computer System with Human Body and Soul

UNIT THREE -INPUT DEVICES

3.1
A unit of computer system that brings data and instruction into the computer is input unit. It
accepts data or instruction given by user and converts into machine readable code if required.
Keyboard and mouse are the most popular input unit devices. Other devices of this unit are: light
pen, joystick, tracker ball, microphone, scanners, sensors, graphic tablet, touch screen etc.

The term input is used to describe the process of capturing or collecting raw data, at the
beginning of computer based information system, in to a form that is usable by the computer for
processing. Sometimes the data is processed right away(online processing), sometimes hours or
days later or even longer (batch processing), as a result the data is often stored in a computer
usable form, where it can be quickly retrieved at the time of processing with little or no longer
intervention.

3.2 Direct Input Devices And Indirect Input Devices:

Input unit devices can be classified into two groups based on whether the data conversion is
involved or not – direct input devices and indirect input devices:

Direct Input Devices-In this input method, data is already in machine readable form and thus, no
need to convert it. The data is directly feed into computer to process. Some examples of direct
input devices are Point of Sales Terminals (POS), Credit Cards, and Scanners etc. Credit card
contains a magnetic strip that contains data in machine readable form and when you insert the
card into ATM machine, it can directly feed data for processing.

Indirect Input Devices- If the data is in human readable form, it must be converted into machine
readable form so that a computer can process it. This process of data conversion is time
consuming and error prone that causes a major bottleneck in data processing. Some examples of
indirect input devices are: keyboard, mouse and joystick. When you press any key on keyboard,
it converts that character into series of electronic pulses and sends to CPU.
3.3 Keyboard

Keyboard is a standard input device. It is a data entry platform of a computer. A computer key
board is a sophisticated electromechanical component designed to create specialized electronic
codes (scan codes) when a key is pressed. These codes are transmitted along the cables to
computer system unit or terminal, where the incoming code is analyzed and converted in to the
appropriate computer usable code.

Keyboards have five distinct groups of keys:

• Standard type writer keys: resembles a typewriter

• Function keys: The top row keys from F1 to F10 or F12
• Cursor movement keys: Arrow keys, Home, End, PageUp, PageDown
• Numeric keys: a keypad at the right to make it easy to enter numbers
• Special purpose keys: Ctrl, Alt, Shift, Del, Insert

3.5 Mouse
A mouse is a device that controls the movement of the
cursor or pointer on a display screen. A mouse is a
small object you can roll along a hard on flat surface.
Its name is derived from its shape, which looks like a
mouse, its connecting wire that one can imagine to be
the mouse tail; and the fact that one must make it
scurry along a surface. As you move the mouse, the
pointer on the display screen moves in the same
direction. Mice contain at least one button and
sometimes as many as three, which have different
functions depending on what program is running.
Some newer mice also include a scroll wheel for scrolling through long documents.

Mouse was first invented by Douglas Engelbart in 1963.

There are three types of mouse:.

1. Mechanical mouse has a ball on its underside and sensors detect the direction of ball
movement to move the cursor on the screen.
2. Optomechanical mouse are similar to mechanical mouse but they have optical sensors
instead of balls in it.
3. Optical mouse uses laser to detect the mouse movement.
If we look at how a mouse is connected to computer, we can find three types of mouse:

1. Serial mouse connect through RS-232C serial port and it is the simplest of connection.
2. PS/2 mouse connect through PS/2 port and
3. USB Mouse connect through USB port.

There are some wireless mice in use these days.

Cordless mouse (wireless mouse) connects to the computer through infrared or radio
wave to communicate with computer. Though cordless mouse are more expensive, they
can be greatly useful in some situations.

3.5 Scanner

A scanner is a device that captures images from photographic

prints, posters, magazine pages, and similar sources for computer
editing and display. Scanners come in hand-held, feed-in, and
flatbed types and for scanning black-and-white only, or color.
Very high resolution scanners can be used if you need to print
scanned image in high-resolution, but lower resolution scanners
are adequate for capturing images for computer display.
Scanners usually come with software, such as Adobe’s
Photoshop product, that lets you resize and otherwise modify a
captured image.

Drum Scanner, Flatbed Scanner and Hand Scanner are the three different types
of scanners.

When it became possible to scan the images and pre-printed pages, the recognition technology
emerged that can recognize the text and marks present on the scanned image and convert them
into editable form.. Following are different technology on the topic:

OMR Technology: The OMR technology allows user to read the check boxes – that is the sign
affixed in predefined spaces. This technology can be extremely useful to automate the marking of
exam papers of objective exams. Specialized software along with OMR can completely automate
the checking, marking and tabulating the exam papers.

ICR Technology :With ICR technology it is possible to recognize manuscript data in

unconstrained or constrained mode when there is usually space among characters. It can be used
to entry the forms directly into the computer.

BCR Technology :The BCR technology allows the recognition of bar codes printed on retail
products, as well as, decoding their content.
OCR Technology: It’s the recognition technology for printed and typed texts. When you have
any printed page and require it to edit on computer, this technology can be used to input the
document into computer and create editable file.
OCR-A Technology: This technology works on pre-printed OCR-A code lines of postal and
banking documents;

OCR-B Technology: This technology works on pre-printed OCR-B code lines of postal and
banking documents;

MICR-MICR technology can be used to identify the text written by magnetic ink. Magnetic ink is
a special type of ink that contains iron particles dissolved in ink. MICR magnetizes the writing
and scan it accurately. It can be used to verify the signatures in bank checks.

CHR Technology-It allows user to read manuscript data in cursive written (natural writing not in
capital letters): what was only imaginary a few years ago, now it’s real. This feature is essential
for reading forms that haven’t been expressly designed for the automatic acquisition and contain
unconstrained fields, freely written, without any tie.

Module 1 Unit 3 Practice Questions

1. State the primary functions of Computer Input Devices
2. List two examples each of Direct and Indirect input devices
3. List 5 Scanner technologies in use
4. What is a mouse and list its types

Tutor Marked Assignment (TMA) 3

Keyboard and Mouse are the most common input devices. Briefly discuss their operation

UNIT FOUR – OUTPUT DEVICES

4.1
A unit of computer system that sends information out of
the computer or the unit of computer system that
provides the result of processing to the users is output unit. This unit receives information from
CPU and converts into suitable human readable form. Monitor, Plotter, Printer, Projector,
Speaker etc. are the output devices.

An output device is any peripheral device that converts machine-readable information into
peoplereadable form such as a monitor, printer, plotter and voice output device.

4.2 Monitors
A computer monitor is also called display screen or video display terminal (VDT). Text and
Images are displayed on monitors by individual dots called pixels. A pixel is the tiny blinking
material on computer screen that can be turned on and off or made different shades. A pixel is the
smallest unit on the screen. The density of dots determines the clarity of the images – known as
resolution. A screen resolution 1024 x 768 means that it has 1024 dots in one line and 768 lines
in one screen. Another measure of display resolution is a dot pitch.

Computer display can be interlaced or non-interlaced. In case of interlaced technology, it

refreshes all odd lines on screen first then all even lines next. Non-interlaced technology
refreshes all the lines on the screen from top to bottom. So, the non-interlaced method gives more
stable video display and better for eyes but requires twice as much signal information as
interlaced.

There are two types of monitors – cathode-ray tubes (CRT) and flat panel display.

4.2.1
4 Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) Monitors

A cathode ray tube (CRT) is a specialized vacuumtube in

which images are produced when an electron beam strikes
aphosphorescent surface. Most desktop computer displays
make useof CRTs. The CRT in a computer display is similar to
the”picture tube” in a television receiver.

CRT monitors are of two types – monochrome and color.

Monochrome Monitors-Monochrome monitors have only two

colors – one for background and other for the foreground (text). The colors can be white, amber
or green on a dark background. While somewhat plain, the use of a single phosphor to generate
the single color in each pixel makes it possible for the monitor to provide a very clear and crisp
looking display. A monochrome monitor was very common in the early days of computing, from
the 1960s through the 1980s until color monitors became popular. They are still widely used in
applications such as computerized cash register systems.
Color Monitors-A color monitor is a display peripheral that displays more than two colors. Color
monitors implement the RGB color model by using three different phosphors that appear red,
green, and blue when activated. By placing the phosphors directly next to each other, and
activating them with different intensities, color monitors can create an unlimited number of
colors.Color monitors have been developed through following paths:

CGA
CGA stands for Color Graphics Adapter. It is a circuit board introduced by IBM and the first
graphics standard for the IBM PC. With a CGA monitor, it is harder to read than with a
monochrome monitor because the CGA supports much fewer pixels. It supports 4 colors.

EGA:
It stands for Enhanced Graphics Adapter. EGA is a video display standard that has a resolution
of 640 by 350 pixels and supports 16 colors. EGA supports previous display modes and requires
a new monitor.

VGA:
VGA stands for Video Graphics Array. This is a video display standard that provides medium to
high resolution. In a text mode, the resolution of this board is 720 by 400 pixels. It supports 16
colors with a higher resolution of 640 by 480 pixels and 256 colors with 320 x 200 pixels.

Super VGA:
This is a very high resolution standard that displays up to 65,536 colors. Super VGA can support
a 16.8 million colors at 800 by 600 pixels and 256 colors at 1024 by 768 pixels. A high-priced
super VGA allows 1280 by 1024 pixels. Larger monitors (17″ or 21″ and larger) with a high
resolution of 1600 by 1280 pixels are available. VESA (Video Electronics Standards Association)
has set a standard for super VGA.

4.2.2 Flat Panel Displays

Flat panel display LCD Monitor

Portable computers such as a lap top use flat panel displays, because they are more compact and
consume less power than CRTs. Portable computers use several kinds of flat panel screens:

Liquid-Crystal Displays (LCDs)-LCD is a display technology that creates characters by means

of reflected light and is commonly used in digital watches and laptop computers. LCDs replaced
LEDs(light emitting diodes) because LCDs use less power. LCDs are difficult to read in a strong
light, because they do not emit their own light. Portable computers wanted to have brighter and
easier to read displays. Backlit LCDs are used for the purpose now.

Backlit LCDs:-This is a type of LCD display having its own light source provided from the back
of the screen. The backlit makes the background brighter and clear, as a result the texts and
images appear sharper. However, this still is much less clear than CRTs. Thus, better technology
is needed.

Active Matrix LCDs:-This is an LCD display technique in which every dot on the screen has a
transistor to control it more accurately. This uses a transistor for each monochrome or each red,
green and blue dot. It provides better contrast, speeds up screen refresh and reduces motion
smearing.

Electroluminescent (EL) Displays-A flat panel display technology that actively emits light at
each pixel when it is electronic charged. This provides a sharp, clear image and wide viewing
angle. The EL display type of flat panel is better than LCD.

Gas Plasma Displays-This is also called a gas panel or a plasma panel and is another flat screen
technology. A plasma panel contains a grid of electrodes in a flat, gas filled panel. The image can
persist for a long time without refreshing in this panel. The disadvantages of the gas plasma
displays are that they must use AC power and cannot show sharp contrast.

4.3 Printers

A printer is an output device that produces a hard

copy of data on to a paper. The resolution of
printer output is expressed as DPI –

(Dots per inch).

Printers can be classified into different types in
several ways.

There are three types of printers based on the

way they print:

1. Serial printers are also called a character printer.These printers print a single character at a
time. They are usually inexpensive and slow.
2. Line printers can print one line at a time. They are expensive and very fast. Line printers
use a band, a chain, etc.
3. Page printers can print one whole page at a time. Page printers are also called a laser
printer because they usually use a laser to produce page images. The print quality of these
printers is the best though it is a little bit expensive. The price of the personal laser printer
is decreasing gradually.
Similarly, there are two types of printers based on the use of a hammer.

1. Impact printers use a hammer or pin to hit the carbon ribbon. This forms characters or
dots to print images on the paper. Because these printers hit the paper it produces sound
and thus they are noisy. Dot-matrix and daisy-wheel printers are the examples of Impact
Printers.
2. Non-impact printers do not touch paper to produce printout. They do not have the
hammer and do not hit. The examples of non-impact printer are ink-jet, laser printer,
thermal printers and so on.

There are two types of printers based on how they form characters.

1. Bit-Mapped Printers:Images are formed from groups of dots and can be placed anywhere
on the page. They have many printing options and good printing quality. They use
PostScript as a standard language for instructing a microcomputer.

2. Character-based Printers: These printers print characters into the lines and columns of a
page. These printers use predefined set of characters and are restricted in position of
characters.

Microcomputers use five kinds of printers. They are daisy wheel printers, chain printers,
dotmatrix printers, ink-jet printers, and laser printers.
Daisy Wheel Printer-Daisy-Wheel is a printer mechanism that uses any kind of hub (wheel)
having a set of spokes at the margin of the hub. The end of each spoke
is a raised image of a type character. When the wheel is turned and the
required character is aligned to the print hammer, the character is then
struck into a ribbon and onto a paper with the hammer. The wheel can
be removed to use a different character set. Daisy-Wheel Printerprints
typewriter-like very high quality characters. However, they are slower
and less reliable than dot-matrix printers. Microcomputer users seldom
use this printer, because the better dot-matrix printers and inexpensive
laser printers are available today.

Chain Printer A chain printer uses a printing mechanism that uses character typefaces linked
together in a chain. The chain spins horizontally around a set of hammers aligned with each
position. When therequired character is in front of the selected print position, hammer in that
position hits the paper into the ribbon against the character in the chain. This printer is not
commonly found around microcomputers,
because it is a very expensive, high-speed
machine designed originally for mainframes and
minicomputers. Chain printers are very reliable
and can speed up to 3000 lines per minute.
Dot-Matrix Printers are printers that write characters
and form graphic images using one or two columns of
tiny dots on a print head. The dot hammer moving
serially across the paper strikes an inked-ribbon and
creates images on paper.Dot matrix printers are popular
printers used with microcomputers, because the printers
are highly reliable and inexpensive. They are used for
tasks where a high-quality image is not essential. Many
users, however, move from dot printers to laser printers, because the price
of laser printers is falling down. Several kinds of dot matrix printers are
available with print heads that have 7, 9, 18, or 24 pins.

Ink-Jet Printer: is a printer rmechanism that sprays one or more color of

ink at high speed onto the paper and produces high-quality printing.
This printer also produces color printing as well as high-quality image. That
is, ink-jet printers can be used for variety of color printing at a relatively
low cost. Ink-jet printing has two methods: Continuous stream method and
drop-on-demand method.

Laser Printer-A laser printer is a printer that uses the electrophotograpic

method used in a copy machine. The printer uses a laser beam light source to
create images on a photographic drum. Then the images on the drum are treated with a
magnetically charged toner and then are transferred onto a paper. A heat source is usually applied
to make the images adhere.

The laser printer produces high-resolution letters and graphics quality images, so it is adopted in
applications requiring high-quality output. Although a high-priced color laser printer is also
available in the market, a less expensive, desktop gray scale laser printer is widely used.
Recently, the laser printer is gaining its market share dramatically, mainly because the lowered
price and the quality.

Plotters: A plotter is a special-purpose output device that draws images

with ink pens. That is, the plotter is a graphics printer for making
sophisticated graphs, charts, maps, and three-dimensional graphics as well
as high-quality colored documents. It can also produce larger size of
documents. Plotters require data in a vector graphics format that can
produce images with a series of lines. There are two main types of plotters:
Drum Plotter: This is a plotter that has a drum. A paper wraps the drum that rotates to produce
plots. Pens in a drum plotter move across the paper while the drum is turning. A drum plotter is
usually used to produce smaller drawings.

Flatbed Plotter: This is a plotter that has a bed. This is also called a table plotter. The plotter
draws graphics on the paper placed on the bed. There are several size of beds. This plotter is
usually used for producing large drawings.

Module 1 Unit 4 Practice Questions

1. What is a Computer monitor?
2. Compare and Contrast Cathode Ray Tube Monitor and Flat panel display Monitor
3. What are the produt of the following devices Monitor, ATM machine, Printer and
Loudspeaker
4. Mention five kinds of printer use by Microcomputers

Tutor Marked Assignment (TMA) 4

Write on the importance of Output device of a Computer System

MODULE TWO

SYSTEM UNIT DEVICES

Objective
1. Identify and understand Components inside and Outside Computer Chassis (Case)
2. Identify the Motherboard, Memory, ports, CPU etc
3. Identify the protocols and understand the functions of varioustypes port: Parallel, Serial,
USB.
4. Understand Computer Storage System
UNIT 1- System Unit Devices – Motherboard, Processor and
Memory
1.1

System Unit is the main part of a

microcomputer consisting processing unit
and devices. A system unit includes a
motherboard that holds a microprocessor
chip (which is the CPU), memory chips,
and expansion slots. The board contains
printed electronic circuitry which
connects microprocessor with primary
storage and other parts. The system unit is
housed within the system cabinet known
as chassis.

A system unit includes the parts such as

Motherboard, Microprocessor, Memory
Chips, System Clock, Buses, Ports,
Expansion Slots and Cards
1.2 Motherboard

A Motherboard or system board is the

main circuit board of a microcomputer.
It contains the circuitry printed on a flat
board. Motherboard connects
microprocessor to all other parts of
computer and devices attached.
Microprocessors, memory modules,
BIOS chip and other ROM chips, system
clock, display adapters, build-in VGA
and NIC, AGP and PCI expansion slots
and so on are housed on motherboard.
The expansion slots or sockets in
motherboard accept additional expansion
Cards often known as daughterboard. In
a microcomputer, the motherboard
contains the processor, the primary
storage chips (or main memory cards),
the buses, and all the chips used for
controlling the peripheral devices.
1.3 Microprocessor

A microprocessor is the main component of a

microcomputer. It is a processor whose elements are
miniaturized into one or a few integrated circuits
contained in a single silicon microchip. Microprocessor
executes instructions. In a microcomputer, it is a single
microchip to hold the central processing unit (CPU). To
function as a processor, it requires a system clock,
primary storage, and power supply.

Several important lines of PCs use some families of

microprocessor chips. Intel and Motorola are the major
companies that produce important microprocessors for
IBM compatible and Macintosh computers.

1.3.1 Microprocessor Capacity

The capacity of a microprocessor chip is represented in word sizes. A word size is the number of
bits (e.g., 8, 16, or 32 bits) that a computer (CPU) can process at a time. If word has more bits,
the computer (CPU) is more powerful and faster. For example, a 16-bitword computer can access
2 bytes (1 byte = 8 bits) at a time, while a 32-bit-word computer can access 4 bytes at a time.
Therefore, the 32-bit computer is faster than the 16-bit computer.

Based on computer architecture, there are two types of microprocessors – RISC and CISC.

CISC Chips: CISC stands for Complex Instruction Set Computer. It is pronounced “sisk.” CISC
is a computer architecture that has large sets of instructions (micro-codes). CISC machines have
several hundred instructions. Intel’s Pentium-chip uses CISC design.

RISC Chip: RISC stands for Reduced Instruction Set Computer. RISC is a microprocessor that
executes a few number of instructions (micro-codes). This architecture has a small number of
instructions built into the circuits and if those basic instructions are made to execute faster, then
RISC computers increase performance. Although RISC machines are only around 30% faster
than their CISC machines, RISC chips are less expensive to produce. That is, RISC is less
expensive per MIPS.

1.4 Memory Chips

Primary memory is built into chips that can hold programs and data either temporarily or
permanently. Based on whether they can store data temporarily or permanently, there are two
types of memory chips – RAMs and ROMs. RAM Chips
1.4.1 RAM Chip

RAM stands for random-access memory. Random- access

memory holds the data or instructions that the CPU is
presently processing. It is a volatile memory chip
meaning the data stored in RAM are temporary. It is
erased automatically after some time or when the power
supply is cut off. A collection of RAM chips builds
primary storage.

Types of RAM
.
SRAM: Static random access memory can hold data as long as power supply is provided. It uses
multiple transistors, typically four to six, for each memory cell but doesn’t have a capacitor in
each cell. It is used primarily for cache.

DRAM: Dynamic random access memory can hold data only for few milliseconds. So it must be
refreshed periodically. It has memory cells with a paired transistor and capacitor.

FPM DRAM: Fast page mode dynamic random access memory was the original form of
DRAM. It waits through the entire process of locating a bit of data by column and row and then
reading the bit before it starts on the next bit. Maximum transfer rate to L2 cache is
approximately 176 MBps.

EDO DRAM: Extended data-out dynamic random access memory does not wait for all of the
processing of the first bit before continuing to the next one. As soon as the address of the first bit
is located, EDO DRAM begins looking for the next bit. It is about five percent faster than FPM.
Maximum transfer rate to L2 cache is approximately 264 MBps.

SDRAM: Synchronous dynamic random access memory takes advantage of the burst mode
concept to greatly improve performance. It does this by staying on the row containing the
requested bit and moving rapidly through the columns, reading each bit as it goes. The idea is
that most of the time the data needed by the CPU will be in sequence. SDRAM is about five
percent faster than EDO RAM and is the most common form in desktops today. Maximum
transfer rate to L2 cache is approximately 528 MBps.
DDR SDRAM: Double data rate synchronous dynamic
RAM is just like SDRAM except that is has higher
bandwidth, meaning greater speed. Maximum transfer
rate to L2 cache is approximately 1,064 MBps (for DDR
SDRAM 133 MHZ).

RDRAM: Rambus dynamic random access memory is a radical departure from the previous
DRAM architecture. Designed by Rambus, RDRAM uses a Rambus in-line memory module
(RIMM), which is similar in size and pin configuration to a standard DIMM. What makes
RDRAM so different is its use of a special high-speed data bus called the Rambus channel.
RDRAM memory chips work in parallel to achieve a data rate of 800 MHz, or 1,600 MBps.
Since they operate at such high speeds, they generate much more heat than other types of chips.
To help dissipate the excess heat Rambus chips are fitted with a heat spreader, which looks like a
long thin wafer. Just like there are smaller versions of DIMMs, there are also SO-RIMMs,
designed for notebook computers.

Credit Card Memory: Credit card memory is a proprietary self-contained DRAM memory
module that plugs into a special slot for use in notebook computers.

PCMCIA Memory Card: Another self-contained DRAM module for notebooks, cards of this
type are not proprietary and should work with any notebook computer whose system bus
matches the memory card’s configuration.

CMOS RAM: CMOS RAM is a term for the small amount of memory used by your computer
and some other devices to remember things like hard disk settings. This memory uses a small
battery to provide it with the power it needs to maintain the memory contents.

VRAM: VideoRAM, also known as multiport dynamic random access memory(MPDRAM),is

a type of RAM used specifically for video adapters or 3-D accelerators. The “multiport” part
comes from the fact that VRAM normally has two independent access ports instead of one,
allowing the CPU and graphics processor to access the RAM simultaneously. VRAM is located
on the graphics card and comes in a variety of formats, many of which are proprietary. The
amount of VRAM is a determining factor in theresolution and color depth of the display. VRAM
is also used to hold graphics-specific information such as3-D geometry data and texture maps.
True multiport VRAM tends to be expensive, so today, many graphics cards use
SGRAM(synchronous graphics RAM) instead. Performance is nearly the same, but SGRAM is
cheaper.

Memory Modules

Memory modules are the circuit board containing memory chips. The type of board and
connector used for RAM in desktop computers has evolved over the past few years. The first
types of memory modules were proprietary.

SIMM: stands for single in-line memory module. This memory board used a 30-pin connector
and was about 3.5 x .75 inches in size (about 9 x 2 cm). Later SIMM boards, slightly larger at
4.25 x 1 inch (about 11 x 2.5 cm), used a 72-pin connector for increased bandwidth and allowed
for up to 256 MB of RAM.
DIMM: As processors grew in speed and bandwidth capability, dual in-line memory module
(DIMM) evolved. With a whopping 168-pin or 184-pin connector and a size of 5.4 x 1 inch
(about 14 x 2.5 cm), DIMMs range in capacity from 8 MB to 1 GB per module and can be
installed singly instead of in pairs.

RIMM:Another standard, Rambus in-line memory module(RIMM), is comparable in size and pin
configuration to DIMM but uses a special memory bus to greatly increase speed.

SODIMM:Many brands of notebook computers use proprietary memory modules, but several
manufacturers use RAM based on the small outline dual in-line memory module (SODIMM)
configuration. SODIMM cards are small, about 2 x 1 inch (5 x 2.5 cm), and have 144 or 200
pins. Capacity ranges from 16 MB to 1 GB per module. To conserve space, the Apple iMac
desktop computer uses SODIMMs instead of the traditional DIMMs.

Sub-notebook computers use even smaller DIMMs, known as MicroDIMMs, which have either
144 pins or 172 pins.

Most memory available today is highly reliable. Most systems simply have the memory
controller check for errors at start-up and rely on that. Memory chips with built-in error-checking
typically use a method known as parity to check for errors. Parity chips have an extra bit for
every 8 bits of data.

The majority of computers sold today use nonparity memory chips. These chips do not provide
any type of built-in error checking, but instead rely on the memory controller for error detection.

1.5 ROM Chips

ROM stands for read-only memory. A
ROM chip is a memory chip that stores
instructions and data permanently. Its
contents are placed into the ROM chip at
the time of manufacture and cannot be
modified by the user. A CPU can read and
retrieve the instructions and data from the
ROM chip, but it cannot change the
contents in ROM.

ROM chips usually contain special instructions for computer operations such as ROM BIOS.
The variations on the ROM chip are the following:

PROM (Programmable Read-Only Memory):

A permanent storage device that becomes a read-only memory after it is written once by the
customer rather than by the chip manufacturer. For example, a software producer can write
instructions onto the PROM using special equipment.
EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory):
EPROM is a reusable PROM-chip that can be erased by a special ultraviolet light. EPROM holds
its content until erased and new instructions can be written on it.

EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory):

EEPROM-chip can be erased, either within a computer or externally, by electric power. The
process usually requires more voltage than the common +5 volts used in logic circuits.

EAPROM (Electrically Alterable Programmable Read-Only Memory)

EAPROM is another type of PROM stands for electrically alterable programmable read-only
memory. This type of memory can be changed by the computer using special high-current
operations. Programming these devices repeatedly (more than 1,000 times) tends to destroy
them, so they are used to hold data that rarely changes.

1.6 Primary Storage (Memory)

Primary storage (internal storage, main memory or memory) is the computer’s working storage
space that holds data, instructions for processing, and processed data (information) waiting to be
sent to secondary storage. Physically, primary storage is a collection of RAM chips. The
contents are held in primary storage only temporarily. Capacity varies with different computers.
Data or instructions are stored in primary storage locations called addresses.

1.7 Other System Unit Devices

Apart from motherboard, processor and memory, there are some other system unit devices worth
taking a note. I’ve tried to introduce each of those devices below:

1.7.1 System Clock

The clock is a device that generates periodic, accurately spaced signals. These signals are used
for several purposes such as regulation of the operations of a processor or generation of
interrupts.

The clock circuit uses the fixed vibrations generated from a quartz crystal to deliver a steady
stream of pulses to the processor. The system clock controls the speed of all the operations within
a computer.

The clock speed is the internal speed of a computer. The clock speed is expressed in megahertzes
(MHz). 33 MHz means 33 million cycles per second. A computer processor’s speed is faster if it
has higher clock speed. For example, a 100-Mhz processor is four times as fast internally as the
same processor running at 25MHz.
1.7.2 Expansion Slots
Expansion slots are receptacles inside a system unit
that printed circuit boards (expansion boards) are
plugged into. Computer buyers need to look at the
number of expansion slots when they buy a computer,
because the number of expansion slots decides future
expansion. In microcomputers, the expansion slots are
directly connected to the bus.

1.7.3 Expansion Boards

Expansion boards are also called expansion cards,

controller cards, plug-in boards,adapter cards, or
interface cards. Expansion boards are printed circuit
boards that have many electronic components
including chips. They are plugged into expansion
slots.
Expansion boards are connected to peripherals
through ports located on the edge of expansion
boards. Expansion boards include memory expansion
cards (e.g., SIMM), I/O controller cards (e.g., SCSI
Card), video display card, sound cards, communications cards, etc.

Expansion slots and expansion boards can be of two types – open architecture and
closed architecture

Open Architecture: This architecture is a system whose specifications are made public to
encourage third-party vendors to develop add-on products for it. Most microcomputers adopt
open architecture. They allow users to expand their systems using optional expansion boards.

Closed Architecture: This is a system whose technical specifications are not made public. With
a machine that has closed architecture, users cannot easily add new peripherals.

1.7.4 Ports

A port is an external connecting socket on the outer side of the system

unit. This is a pathway into and out of the computer. A port lets users plug
in outside peripherals, such as monitors, scanners and printers.

Serial Ports: Serial ports are external I/O connectors used to attach
modems, scanners or other serial interface devices to the computer. The
typical serial ports use a 9-pin DB-9 or a 25-pin DB-25 connector. Serial
ports transmit bits one after another on a single communications line.
Serial lines frequently are used to link equipment that is not located close
by.
Parallel Ports: Parallel ports are external I/O connectors on a computer used to hook up printers
or other parallel interface devices. The parallel port uses a DB-25connector. This port transmits
several bits simultaneously. Parallel lines move information faster than serial lines do.

1.7.5 Buses

A bus is a data pathway between several hardware components inside or outside a computer. It
not only connects the parts of the CPU to each other, but also links the CPU with other important
hardware. The other important hardware includes memory, a disk control unit, a terminal control
unit, a printer control unit, and a communications control unit. The capacity of a bus is expressed
as bits. A larger capacity bus is faster in data transfer. For example, a 32-bit bus is faster than an
8-bit bus.

There are three main architectures of Bus – ISA, MCA and EISA.

ISA (Industry Standard Architecture): ISA is pronounced i- suh. This is the original PC bus
architecture. It includes the 8-bit (PC, XT) and 16-bit (AT) buses in IBM personal computer
series and compatibles. Now, it refers specially to the 16-bit AT bus.

MCA (Micro Channel Architecture): A 32-bit bus used in IBM P/S 2 series and other IBM
models. This architecture allows multiprocessing that allows several processors to work
simultaneously. Micro channel architecture is not compatible with PC bus architecture.

EISA (Extended Industry Standard Architecture): EISA is pronounced eesa. This is a bus
standard for PCs that extends the AT bus (the ISA bus) architecture to a 32-bit bus. This
architecture also allows more than one CPU to share the bus. The purpose of EISA is to extend
and amend the old ISA standard, so that all existing AT expansion boards can work with an
EISA slot.

Local Buses

The performance of a microcomputer is often restrained by the relatively slow video cards and
other peripherals, which cannot keep up with today’s fast CPUs. A local bus reduces the
performance gap between the high-speed microprocessors and slower hard disks, video boards
and other peripherals.

Module 2 Unit 1 Practice Questions

1. What is Computer Motherboard? List Components on it
2. Explain the function of Processor as it relates to Computer System
3. Compare and Contrast Random Access memory (RAM) and Read Only Memory (ROM)
4. Write short notes on Computer Buses and Ports

Tutor Marked Assignment (TMA) 4

Comprehensively discuss Computer Chassis (Case) with references to Components inside and
outside
UNIT 6- Storage Devices – Magnetic and Optical Disk
2.1

Computers have two different types of storage – primary

(temporary) storage and secondary (permanent) storage.
Secondary storage means external storage. There are
many different types of secondary storage available on
the markets today. This storage device includes a
magnetic disk, optical disk, magnetic tape and others.

2.2 Track and Sector

Data is stored in disk in Tracks and Sectors:

Track: The disk surface is divided into several concentric

circles called tracks. The thinner the tracks, the more
storage capacity of the disk. Data are recorded as tiny spots
on these tracks. These tracks are closed concentric circles,
not a single spiral. Each track has the same number of bits
although the outer tracks are longer than the inner ones.

Sector: The circular tracks are further divided into wedge-

shaped sections known as sectors. The fields of data within
a particular record are organized according to tracks and sectors on a disk.

There are two kinds of sectors for a disk –hard sectored disk & soft sectored. The hard sectored
disk identifies sectors with some physical marks on the disk, whereas the soft sectored disk
identifies sectors with sector identification contained in the recording tracks.

A format program places the sector identification on the disk. When a user buys a disk
manufactured without tracks and sectors in place (this kind of disk does not have “Formatted”
label on it), he or she must put the tracks and sectors using a format program.
2.3 Floppy Disks

Floppy disks are removable, direct access storage media.

Floppy disks are inserted into floppy disk drive to read and
write. Floppy disks are flat, circular pieces of Mylar plastic
that rotate within a jacket (protective cover).These are also
calledflexibledisks,floppies,Diskettesorsimplydisks. Data
and instructions are stored as forms of bits and bytes using
theASCIIorEBCDICdatacoding schemes. They are stored as
electromagnetic charges on a disk surface. The first
floppies were of 8” in diameter.However, the two most
common disks are 5 1/4-inch (5.25″) and 3 1/2-inch (3.5″). More efficient size, high storage
capacity and sturdier design of a 3.5″ make it popular storage medium for microcomputers till
the CDs and pen drive were available.

Floppy Drives

A floppy drive is a device used to read data from floppy disks and store data inside it. Floppy
drive grabs a disk at its center and spins it inside its plastic jacket. The drive is made up of a box
with a slot into which a user inserts a disk. The slot has a drive gate. This drive rotates the disk
with a motor inside the drive. Electronic read/write heads “read” data from the disk and “write”
data to it while the disk rotates.

A microcomputer usually has internal floppy drives inside the computer cabinet, but it
sometimes has external floppy drive, a separate component outside the cabinet.

2.4 Hard Disks (Hard Drives)

A hard disk is a magnetic disk made of metal plates and covered with a magnetic recording
surface. Hard disks come in removable and fixed varieties that hold from several hundreds of
megabytes to several gigabytes. They are tightly sealed to prevent any foreign matter (dust,
moist) from getting inside which causes head crash.

Interface Type

A hard disk can be installed in a computer using IDE or SCSI.

IDE(Integrated Drive Electronics): An IDE interface has a disk drive that contains its own
controller electronics. The IDE interface is also called an AT and XT interface. IDE-ready
motherboards have a 40-pin socket that connects directly to an IDE drive eliminating the use of
an expansion slot.

SCSI (Small Computer System Interface): SCSI is an 8-bit-bus peripheral interface for up to
seven peripherals. The SCSI bus allows any two devices to communicate at one time (host to
peripheral, peripheral to peripheral). SCSI provides high-speed (4MB/sec.), parallel data transfer
and multiple peripheral connections while taking only one expansion slot.

Access time:

This is an average time taken to complete the transfer of data after the request instruction has
been enacted. Today’s fast hard drives have access times under 10 milliseconds (ms). Access
time is made up of the following four times.

Seek Time: This is the time taken to move an access arm to a certain track on a disk after the
computer requests data. Seek time is one of the slowest action that make up most of the access
time.

Head Switching Time: The time taken for changing from one read/write head to another to read
from or write on another part on a disk.

Search Time: It is also called rotational delay timeor latency time. This is a time required for
the read/write head to locate particular position on a track.

Data Transfer Time: This is the time for data to be transferred from the disk to primary storage
or vice versa.

Different Forms of Hard Disks

Internal Hard Disk: Internal hard disk is made up of several metallic platters, a motor, an
access arm and read-write heads sealed inside a container.

An internal hard disk is looked like a part of a system unit inside a computer cabinet. There are
two sizes of drives (5.25″ and 3.5″ in a diameter). 3.5″ hard disks are faster because the access
arm travels shorter distances across the diameter of the disk. Internal hard disks have advantages
over flexible disks. They are high capacity and speed. The disadvantage of internal hard disks
orhardcards is that they have only a fixed amount of storage and cannot be easily removed.

External Hard-Disk Drives: This is a drive that is not built into the system cabinet of
microcomputers. External hard disk drives are treated as peripherals. Using external hard disk
drives, we can expand the hard disk capacity when all available drive bays are occupied.

Hard Disk Cartridges: A cartridge is a removable storage module, so a hard disk cartridge
contains disks in the module. They can be removed from a dock easily and can give fast access
to large data. An internal or external dock is available.

In internal hard disks and external hard disk drives, the storage capacity is fixed, but in the hard
disk cartridge, the capacity limitation of storage does not exist. That is, a user may add more
cartridges any time.

Removable Drives with Cartridges: Today’s advanced technology allows a new form of
removable storage. The technology combines the function of the hard disk drive and the
convenience of the hard disk cartridge. This form consists of a removable drive and several
cartridges.

The removable drive looks like an external floppy disk drive. And the cartridge resembles a
floppy disk and allows users to add 100 MB or 1 GB at a time. It allows an SCSI connection as
well as a parallel port connection. Its low cost is a big advantage.

2.5 Optical Disks

More advanced technology created a new disk storage
forms. Optical disk is a disk written and read by laser
beam. This optical disk has a great impact on today’s
storage technology. Optical disk does not spin, does not
need to move access arms and read/write heads, because a
laser beam can be moved electronically. The capacity of
the storage is considerably greater than their magnetic
disk counterparts, and optical disk storage may eventually
replace all magnetic tape and disk storage.

Then how do they work? To write data, a laser beam

burns tiny cavities into the surface of a disk to mark bits
for data. To read the data, a laser beam scans these areas.
There are three forms of optical disks available:

CD-ROM: CD-ROM (compact disk read only memory) is

an optical disk storage that contains text, graphics and hi-
fi stereo sound. CD-ROM is a 4.75-inch optical disk
storage that can store around 650 MB of data. CD-ROM
disk is almost the same as the music CD, but uses
different forms of track for data. A CD- ROM drive can read music CD, but a CD player cannot
read CDROM. CD-ROM is a read-only disk that cannot be written on or erased by the user. In
CD-ROM standard, data (text or pictures) cannot be viewed with audio play simultaneously. CD-
ROM XA standard can do.

WORM: A WORM (write once, read many) disk is an optical disk that written on just once by
the user’s environment and then cannot be overwritten. A WORM disk is ideal for use as archive
because it can be read many times, but the data cannot be erased. The storage capacity of
WORM disk ranges from 400 MB to 6.4 GB.

Erasable Optical Disks: This is an optical disk that can be erased and written on repeatedly. An
erasable optical disk has a great deal of data capacity. It can store up to 4.6 GB. An erasable
optical disk functions like a magnetic disk and has huge capacity, so it will replace the magnetic
disk in the future.
2.6 Magnetic Tape

A magnetic tape is a tape coated with a magnetic material on

which data can be stored. This is a sequential storage device that
is usually used for a backup purpose. A magnetic tape is slower
than direct access storage such as disk, because it is sequential
access storage. The biggest advantage of magnetic tape is the
cost. It is much less expensive than magnetic disk and optical
disk. An advanced tape backup technology (DAT) is available
these days.

2.7 Cache (Cache memory): A cache is a specially designed buffer storage used to improve
computer performance by reducing access time. It holds instructions and data that are likely to
be needed for next operation by the processor. The cache copies frequently accessed data and
instructions from primary storage (main memory) or secondary storage (disks).

2.8 Disk Cache: A disk cache is in a reserved segment of primary memory or in an extra
memory on the disk controller card. It contains a large block of frequently accessed data copied
from a disk. The data in a disk cache can be used to fulfill the following data requests from a
processor in a high speed. The disk cache lets the processor avoid a slow disk access.

2.9 Memory Cache: A memory cache is high-speed memory storage between memory and the
CPU. It is smaller and much faster than main memory (primary storage). The memory cache
copies blocks of instructions and data from the main memory so that execution and data
updating are performed in the higher-speed memory bank.

Module 2 Unit 1 Practice Questions

1. Give an overview of Computer Storage System
2. Mention and Discuss the two HDD interface types
3. Compare and Contrast Random Access memory (RAM) and Read Only Memory (ROM)
4. What is the function of Cache Memory of a Computer System?

Tutor Marked Assignment (TMA) 4

In a tabular form Compare and contrast Hard Disk, Floppy Disk, Flash Drive, CD/DVD and
magnetic tape using Speed, Size, Operation etc as criteria
UNIT 7-SUMMARY

• A computer system is an integration of different units which comprises of various hardware

components and software, firmware as well as humanware.
• The tangible parts or the physical components of a computer are known as computer
hardware.
• The input output devices that are not built into Chassis (CPU box or Main Machine Box) but
installed in the periphery of CPU and connected through wires or wireless technology are
known as peripheral devices. Keyboard, Mouse, Printers, Scanners and so on are some
examples of peripheral devices.
• The storage devices such as floppy disks, hard disks, microfilm or microfiche, CD, DVD and
Blu-ray disks are called computer media.
• Computer collects the data for processing through various input devices.
• Computer keyword is the main input device used to input data and instruction into the
computer. Based on how the keys are placed, you can find QWERTY, Dvorak and many
other keyboard layouts.
• Based on the technology and the number of keys in it, there are XT keyboards (83 keys),
AT keyboards(84 keys), Enhanced keyboards (101 or more keys) and Windows
keyboards (with Start and popup key). Multimedia keyboard is a term popularly used to
mean a keyboard that has Play, Pause, Forward, Backward keys to play music directly from
keyboard. Please read
• Computer Mouse is a small palm sized pointing device that controls the movement of a
cursor on the screen. A mouse can be used to select, move and issue different commands in
GUI interface.
• A mouse can be with one button, two button and three or more button. The mouse with
wheel is convenient for scrolling pages.
• Trackball is a stationary pointing device that contains a movable ball rotated with a finger or
palm. It looks similar to a mouse but we don’t move trackball like a mouse rather, move the
ball in it.
• Joystick is a popular input device for playing computer games and it is also used in computer
aided designing (CAD). It looks like a car gear leaver and controls the movement in screen.
• Touch pad is a device for pointing on a computer display with finger. These are popular
alternative to mouse in Laptop and portable computers like personal digital assistants
(PDAs).
• The first touch pad was invented by George E. Gerpheide in 1988.
• Digitizer is a device that can be used to trace or copy a drawing or photograph. A special
stylus connected to computer is used to trace the item placed on flat digitizing tablet.
• Light pen is a light sensitive penlike device used to point to displayed object and to draw
images on the screen.
• Digital Camera is an electronic device that can be used to capture and store photographs
digitally instead of using photographic film like conventional camera. The images can be
read by a computer for further editing and modifications.
• Webcam is a digital camera capable of downloading images to a computer for transmission
over the internet or other network. Webcams typically capture the images as JPEG or
MPEG files.
• BCR (Bar Code Reader) is a photoelectric scanner that reads the bar codes, or vertical zebra-
striped marks printed on product containers. The data is coded into the lines with different
thickness and spaces to form bar codes. Bar codes are extensively used supermarkets for
inventory control (stock or store management).
• Image Scanner is a light-sensing device that transmit images and other printed information
into digital form to the computer so that they can be stored or further processed.
• There are 4 types of image scanners – flat-bed scanner, sheet-feed scanner, drum scanner and
hand held scanner
• Smart Card Reader is an electronic device that reads smart cards. Smart card is a pocket
sized card with an integrated circuit (IC) in it. These cards are used as ID cards, payment
cards, public transit card, insurance card, SIM cards etc.
• Microphone is an input device that capture the voice and sound and sends to the computer to
store or further processing.
• Computer generated information is presented to the users through various output
devices.
• Depending upon the nature of output computer produces, it can be hard copy output or soft
copy output. The temporary output such as sound played on speaker or image displayed on
monitor are soft-copy output. The printout from printer or plotter are hard copy output.
• Monitor is an example of VDU (visual display unit). It is a television like device that
displays the information generated by computer.
• Three basic types of monitors in use these days are – CRT (cathode ray tube) and LCD
(liquid crystal display) and LED (Light Emitting Diode)
• In CRT monitor, the images are formed when a beam of electrons hits the screen to light up
certain pixels to form the image on the monitor.
• In LCD monitor the images are formed when liquid crystal particles rearrange and light up
to form an image on the monitor.
• In LED monitor A cluster of red, green, and blue diodes is driven together to form a
fullcolor pixel, usually square in shape. These pixels are spaced evenly apart and are
measured from center to center for absolute pixel resolution.
• Digital Projector (digital projection display system) is a specialized computer display that
projects an enlarged image on a movie screen.
• Speakers and Headphones are the voice output devices. They produce the sound received
from computer. A sound card in system unit is used to capture as well as play back the
recorded sounds.
• A Printer is a hard copy output device that produces output in a permanent readable form.
Depending upon how a printer works, it may be impact printer or non-impact printer. In case
of Impact Printers, the printing mechanism touches the paper to produce characters or images
such as in daisy wheel printer, dot matrix printer. In case of non-impact printers, the printing
is done without physically touching the paper. These printers uses thermal, chemical,
electrostatic, laser or inkjet technology to produce printouts. So non-impact printers are less
noisy compared to the impact printer.
• Drum printer is an impact printer that consists of a solid cylindrical drum. The surface of
drum has raised characters in the form of bands. For each bands there is a hammer which
strikes the paper along with the inked ribbon to produce printout.
• Dot matrix printers uses a movable print head consisting of pins which hits the inked ribbon
against paper to produce a dot on paper. The more pins in printing head the better resolution
it can offer. The speed of dot matrix is measured in cps (character per second)
• Impact printers are better choice when you need to produce carbon copies of a printout.
• Inkjet printer is a high quality non impact printer that forms characters by spraying small
drops of ink onto the paper. Inkjets are usually inexpensive, quite in operation ad produce
high quality output.
• A laser printer uses non impact photocopier technology. When a document is sent to the
printer a laser beam draws the document on a selenium coated drum using electrical charges.
 Then it is rolled in toner (dry ink power). The toner adheres the charged image on the drum
which is transferred to the paper and fused with heat and pressure.

• A plotter is a specialized output device that produces high quality drawings, maps, charts and
other form of graphics. Unlike printers, a plotter can draw continuous point to point lines
directly from vector graphics files or commands.
• There are different types of plotters available – drum plotter, flat bed plotter, electrostatic
plotter. Plotters are used for CAE (computer aided engineering), CAD (computer aided
design) and CAM (computer aided manufacturing).
• Secondary memory supplements primary memory which is long term, non-volatile and
facilitates the storage of large volume of data. This memory is also called backing memory
or auxiliary memory or storage. Magnetic tapes, magnetic disks, optical disks, flash memory
etc. are some examples of secondary memory.
• Magnetic tapes are the cheapest computer media that have slow data access and supports
only sequential data storage and retrieval. Magnetic tapes are best suited for sequential data
and for large backup purpose.
• Magnetic disks are the most popular computer media that stores data in a circular disks.
Floppies, hard disks, zip disks, super disks are the examples of magnetic disks. Floppy
diskettes contain a plastic disk coated with metal oxide whereas in hard disk drive, there are
metal disks. Magnetic disks can support both sequential and direct access. They have
relatively faster data access than magnetic tapes.
• The storage capacity of floppy disks is measured in megabytes (MB), hard disks in
gigabytes (GB).
• A typical 3.5″ floppy disk holds 1.44 MB of data.
• Floppies can be single sided or double sided. Similarly there are low density floppies or
high densityfloppy disks. The disk code DD or 2D is used to mean double sided double
density. HD or 2HD is used to mean double sided high density.
• A zip drive is a type of removal disk storage that is capable of storing 100MB to 250 MB
data. The first zip drive system was introduced by Lomega.
• Super disks is a storage technology developed by Imation corporation which very
highdensity diskettes.
• In magnetic disks the surface is magnetized to store data whereas in optical disks the surface
is burned so that it can be read using light reflection.
• CDs, DVDs, Blu-Ray are some examples of optical disks.
• Optical disks have longer media life than magnetic disks and are free from the corruption due
to the magnetic or powerful electric fields.
• Compact disk (CD) is a small portable round medium made of molded polymer for
electronical recording, storing and playing back audio, video, text and other information in
digital form. A CD ROM drive uses a low power laser beam to read digitized data that have
been encoded onto an optical disk in the form of tiny pits.
• A standard CD ROM can hold 700 MB data.
• DVD (Digital Versatile Disk) is a high density optical disk. It was invented by Philips, Sony,
Toshiba and Time Warner in 1995.
• A DVD ROM supports disks with capacities of 4.7 GB to 17 GB and access rates of 600
KBps to 1.3 MBps.
• Pen Drive is a portable USB flash memory device that can be used to quickly transfer audio,
video and data files from one computer to another. A pen drive consists of a small printed
circuit board encased in a plastic or metal casing. Pen drives are also called flash drive or
thumb drive.
• Memory stick is an electronic flash memory data storage device used for storing digital
information. It was launched by Sony in 1998.
• A system unit is also called chasis.
• Motherboard is a large flat circuit board covered with sockets and other electronic parts,
including a variety of chips. It acts as a data path allowing the various components to
communicate with one another. External devices such as keyboard, mouse and monitor
cannot communicate with teh system unit without the mother board. Mother board is also
called system board.
• Microprocessor is the complex integrated circuit, containing millions of miniaturized
electronic components. A microprocessor consists of several different sections: ALU
performs calculations and makes logical decisions; the registers stores
temporaryinformation; control unit directs and co-ordinates the activities of the entire
computers; buses carry digital information throughout the chip and the computer; local
memory supports on-chip computation.
• More complex microprocessors often contain cache memory to speed up access to external
data storage device.
• An expansion port is any connector that passes data in and out of a computer or peripheral
device. They are sometimes called Jacks or Connectors.
• Serial port, parallel port, accelerated graphics port (AGP), USB port, FireWire port are some
of the popularly used ports in a computer.
• Serial ports are used to connect mouse, keyboard, modem and many other devices.
• Parallel port are mostly used to connect printers.
• AGP ports are used to connect monitors. They are able to support high speed graphics and
other video input compared to VGA port.
• USB ports can be used to connect up to 127 different devices with a single connector.
• FireWire ports are used to connect high speed printers and even video cameras to the
system unit.
• An expansion slot is a long, narrow socket on the motherboard into which you can plug an
expansion card.
• An expansion card is a small circuit board that provides a computer with the ability to
control a storage device, an I/O device. Expansion cards are also called expansion board,
controller cards, adapters or daughter board.
• Graphics card is an expansion card to generate output images to display. Monitor is
connected with graphics card through VGA port.
• MODEM card is an expansion card that lets you connect telephone line with computer.
• Sound card is an expansion card that enables a computer to manipulate and output sound
• Network card is an expansion card which enables computer to physically connect to a local
network.
• Power supply box is inside system unit which is designed to convert AC 110 V or 230 V
power from main to different low voltage DC power outputs for the internal component of
computer.
• Exhaust fan is a component of system unit responsible for producing a cooling effect inside
the power supply.
• System clock is a chip that synchronizes the activities of all the parts of a computer. It uses
the quartz crystal. Higher the clock speed, the faster the computer. Clock speeds are
expressed in MHz or GHz.
• System Bus is a set of wires that facilitate communication between different components of
motherboard.
Suggested Readings/References:
Akinyokun, O.C, (1999). Principles and Practice of Computing Technology. International
Publishers Limited, Ibadan.

Balogun, V.F., Daramola, O.A., Obe, O.O., Ojokoh, B.A., and Oluwadare S.A., (2006).
Introduction to Computing: A Practical Approach. Tom-Ray Publications, Akure.

Richard H. Austing and Lillian Cassel (1986). Computers in Focus. Books/Cole Publication
Company. Monterey, California

Tunji and Dokun (1993). Data Processing, Principles and Concepts. Informatics Books, Lagos.

French, C. S. (1998). Data Processing and Information Technology. Gosport, Hants: Ashford
Colour Press

French, C. S. (2000). Computer Science (5 ed.). Gosport, Hants:

Ayo, C. K. (2001). Information Technology: Trends and Applications in Science and Business.
Concept Publications.