Components of

Computer System
 Components of a Computer System

Peopleware
The personnel who manage the EDP system, who design
applications, who write and encode the programs.

Software
The non-physical components such as computer programs,
computer language and operating system.

Hardware
The computer and all of its physical components such as disk
drives, printer, input terminals.
 THE PEOPLEWARE

The most important component of a computer system.

This component is made up of the people responsible
for maintaining, operating, programming, and
analyzing the output generated by the computer
system.
 THE PEOPLEWARE
 Personnel involved in the design, development,
installation, maintenance and use of computer
•
Users
•
Programmers
•
Systems Analyst
•
System/Network Administrator
•
Technical Support
•
Account Managers and Executives
•
Business Analysts
 THE SOFTWARE

Software means computer instructions or data. Anything that can

be stored electronically is software. It is also known
as computer programs. It is the non-tangible component
of computers.
 Software Advancements

First Generation Software (1951-1958) - Low-level,
symbolic language programming

Second Generation Software (1959-1964) - High-level
programming language

Third Generation Software (1965-1970) - Extensive
use of high-level programming languages. Availability
of operating systems to control I/O and to perform
tasks previously handled by human operators

Fourth Generation Software (1970s-1980s) -
Availability of sophisticated programs for special
applications

Fifth Generation Software (1990s to present) -
Artificial Intelligence and expert systems
 System Software
 Application Software
 Open Source Software
 Proprietary Software
 System Software

System Software includes the Operating System and all the

utilities that enable the computer to function.

System software is a term referring to any computer software

which manages and controls the hardware so that application
software can perform a task.

Example:
Operating Systems, Compiler, Loader, Linker, Interpreter.
Classifications of System Software

 Language Processor
Programs that translate or convert programs written by most
programming languages into a form suitable for execution

 Utilities and Device Drivers

Perform specialized and repeatedly used functions such as sorting,
merging, and transferring data from I/O device to another

 Operating System
A collection of programs designed to permit the computer system to
manage its own operations
 What is Operating System?

 An operating system is a program that manages the

computer hardware.

 It also provides a basis for application programs and acts

as an intermediary between the computer user and
computer hardware.

Examples: Windows, Linux, Unix and Mac OS, etc.,

 User View of OS

 Ease to use (Home PCs)

 Efficient resource utilization

(Work stations)
 System view of OS

 OS is a resource allocator
Manages all resources (CPU time, memory
space, storage space, I/O and so on)
Decides between conflicting requests for
efficient and fair resource use

 OS is a control program
Controls execution of programs to prevent
errors and improper use of the computer
 Functions Performed by OS

• Starting the computer and making sure that its hardware

components are operating properly.
• Controlling and managing peripherals.
• Retrieving, loading, executing, and storing application
programs.
• Storing and retrieving data and files.
• Performing system utility functions.
• Controlling programming tools.
• Acting as an intermediary between the user, application
program and hardware devices.
 Operating System Services

 User interface
 Program execution
 File-system manipulation
 Communication
 Error detection
 Resource allocation
 Accounting
 Protection and security
Examples of Operating Systems

Unix

MacOS
Flavors of
Linux

Microsoft Windows
Family
MS-DOS is a computer operating system by Microsoft Corporation. It stands for
"Microsoft Disk Operating System”. MS-DOS allows the user to navigate, open,
and otherwise manipulate files on their computer from a command line instead of a
GUI like Windows.
A family of operating systems developed and produced by
Microsoft Corp. It provides a software graphical user interface
(GUI) used on IBM and compatible computers.
macOS is a series of graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Apple
Inc. since 2001. It is the primary operating system for Apple's Mac family of
computers. Within the market of desktop, laptop and home computers, and by web
usage, it is the second most widely used desktop OS, after Microsoft Windows.
Linux is a family of free and open-source software operating systems
built around the Linux kernel. Typically, Linux is packaged in a form
known as a Linux distribution for both desktop and server use.
Unix is a family of multitasking, multiuser computer operating systems that
derive from the original AT&T Unix, development starting in the 1970s at
the Bell Labs research center by Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, and
others.
 Application Software

Application Software includes programs that do real work for

user.

Example:

Payroll systems, Inventory Control, Manage student database,

Word Processor, Spreadsheet and Database Management
System etc.,
Examples of Application Packages
 Word Processor
 Electronic Spreadsheet
 Database Management
 Graphics
 Desktop Publishing
 Statistical Analysis
 Games
 Data Communications
 Utilities
 Application Software

Word Processors
Word processing is a tool that helps user in creating, editing, and
printing documents. Word processors will normally have the
following capabilities built into them:

 Spell checking
 Standard layouts for normal documents
 Have some characters appear in bold print, italics, or underlined
 Center lines, make text line up on the left side of the paper, or the
right side of the paper
 Save the document so it can be used again
 Print the document.

Examples: Microsoft Word and LibreOffice Writer.

 Application Software

Spreadsheets
The spreadsheet packages are designed to use numbers and
formulas to do calculations with ease. Examples of
spreadsheets include:
 Budgets

 Payrolls

 Grade Calculations

 Address Lists

The most commonly used spreadsheet programs are Microsoft

Excel and LibreOffice Calc.
 Application Software

Graphic Presentations
The presentation programs can make giving presentations and
using overheads easier. Other uses include:
 Slide Shows

 Repeating Computer Presentations on a computer

monitor
 Using Sound and animation in slide shows

The most recognized graphic presentation programs are

Microsoft PowerPoint and LibreOffice Impress.
 Application Software

Database Management System (DBMS)

A DBMS is a software tool that allows multiple users to store,

access, and process data into useful information.
Database programs are designed for these types of applications:
 Membership lists
 Student lists
 Grade reports
 Instructor schedules

Example: Microsoft Access, MySQL, Oracle

 Open Source Software

Open source software (OSS) is computer software whose

source code is available under a license that permits users to
use, change, and improve the software, and to redistribute it in
modified or unmodified form.

It is often developed in a public, collaborative manner.

Well-known OSS products are Linux, Netscape, Apache, etc.,
 Proprietary Software

Proprietary software (also called non-free software) is

software with restrictions on using, copying and modifying as
enforced by the proprietor. Restrictions on use, modification
and copying is achieved by either legal or technical means and
sometimes both.

Proponents of proprietary software are Microsoft.

 THE HARDWARE

 It refers to the equipment/devices that make the computer

system perform one or more functions.
 It refers to the tangible components of a computer system.
 Computer and all of its other physical components.

Functional Components

 Input Devices
 Output Devices
 Central Processing Unit
 Secondary Storage Unit
 Data Communication Devices
 INPUT DEVICES
 Handle the entering in of programs and data
through the keyboard or other input devices

 Input Devices – perform the two most basic

computing tasks: issuing commands and entering
data.
Data entry is defined as the process of entering
data into the computer memory and
issuing commands that tell
the processor how to work
with the data.
The Keyboard – is the standard input device of most computers. It was
patterned after the typewriter and the keypad of an electronic
calculator.

Used to enter information into the computer and for giving

commands.
Ergonomic Keyboards
Portable keyboards
Mouse – is hand-clicked device for
pointing. It was Douglas
Englebart who came up with the
concept of a mouse. He designed
and built the first model in 1963.
It was made of wood and used
two wheels for movement.

34
An input device operated by rolling its ball across a flat surface. The
mouse is used to control the on-screen pointer by pointing and
clicking, double-clicking, or dragging objects on the screen.
 Wireless
 Wired
 Optical
 Roller
It is like a stationary, upside down mouse.

36
It is commonly used for
computer games.

37
It is a device used to draw, write, or issue commands when it
touches a specially designed screen.

38
It is an input device that
converts a pattern of
printed bars into a
number that a computer
can read. They are often
used by businesses to
quickly input price and
product information.
A touchpad (or trackpad) is a pointing device featuring
a tactile sensor, a specialized surface that can translate
the motion and position of a user's fingers to a relative
position on screen.
It is a device that allows pictures to be placed into a
computer.
It allows the user to record sounds as input to their
computer.
Digital Cameras are peripheral input devices
that allow users to create pictures and/or
movies in a digital format.
 Some require specialized
software to import images
into the computer.
 Some record digital images directly to a disk
that can be read by the computer.
Biometrics consists of methods for uniquely
recognizing humans based upon one or more
intrinsic physical or behavioral traits. In computer
science, in particular, biometrics is used as a form
of identity access management and access control. It is
also used to identify individuals in groups that are
under surveillance.
Finger Print Scanners are security systems
of biometrics. They are now used in police stations,
security industries and most recently, on computers.
A retinal scan is a biometric technique that uses the
unique patterns on a person's retina to identify them. It
is not to be confused with another ocular-based
technology, iris recognition.
A smart card, chip card, or integrated
circuit card (ICC), is any pocket-sized card with
embedded integrated circuits.
 Headsets are a pair of small loudspeakers, or less
commonly a single speaker, held close to a
user's ears and connected to a signal source such
as an audio, CD/MP3 players, etc.
 Can be both I/O device
Modem (Modulator DEModulator)
– some devices are used for both
input and output. The modem is
used to connect one computer to
another via telephone lines.
 OUTPUT DEVICES
After processing the data fed into the computer with the use of
the input devices, the information must now be outputted in a
form understood by human beings.
Various computer-generated output forms:
 Text Output
 Graphic Output
 Sound Output
 Video Output

Translate the result of computer

processing into human readable form
through the monitor or printer
Printer – provides a hard copy output on paper.
There are two major categories:

 Impact printer – produces an output by using a

mechanism that presses against an inked ribbon on paper,
it was patterned after the typewriter. E.g. dot-matrix

 Non-impact printer – uses a photocopier-like process to

transfer ink to a piece of paper. E.g. Laser printer, bubble
jets
It is a type of computer printing which uses a print head that runs
back and forth, or in an up and down motion, on the page and
prints by impact, striking an ink-soaked cloth ribbon against the
paper, much like the print mechanism on a typewriter.
A laser printer is a popular
type of personal computer
printer that uses a non-
impact (keys don't strike
the paper), photocopier
technology. When a
document is sent to the
printer, a laser beam
"draws" the document on
a selenium-coated drum
using electrical charges.
Inkjet printing is a type of computer printing that recreates a
digital image by propelling droplets of ink onto paper, plastic,
or other substrates. Inkjet printers are the most commonly used
type of printer, and range from small inexpensive consumer
models to expensive professional machines.
 Video Monitors – or display is used to provide soft
copy output. They are the most common output devices
used aside from the printer.
 Speakers are used for
audio output such as
beeps, human voice
and music. Most PCs
are equipped with
simple internal
speaker.
The system unit is the part of the computer
which is responsible for accepting and
processing the data brought in by the input
devices.

It is also responsible for passing the resulting

information to the users via the output
devices.

The system unit is composed of integrated

circuitry designed to perform a particular
task in coordination with other ICs.
Motherboard – also know as main circuit board. It is the
central nervous system of the computer.
CPU – Central Processing Unit, Brain of the
computer. It is an integrated circuit chip containing
electronic circuitry that controls the interpretation and
execution of instructions.
 Memory – is the general term used to describe where
the computer holds data and instruction before and
after they are processed. Classified into two: RAM –
Random Access Memory and ROM – Read Only
Memory.
 Random-access memory
(RAM) is a form of computer
data storage
Ports – is a connection from the main circuit board to a
peripheral device such as keyboard, a printer or a video
monitor.
Chassis –
housing of the
system unit.
Bays – the space for your hard drive,
CD-Rom drive and floppy drive.
 Video Cards – a built – in but can be
bought externally for better quality for display.
 Connects the computer to the monitor. It is a circuit
board attached to the motherboard that contains the
memory and other circuitry necessary to send
information to the
monitor for display
on screen.
Sound Cards – a built – in but can be
bought externally for better sound quality.
Network Card- A circuit board that
connects the computer to the rest of the network
usually using special cables.
Fan and Heat Sink – assist the CPU
to cool down. Heat sink is made up of aluminum.
Power Supply – changes ordinary
household appliances to its corresponding
conversion.
 Primary Storage
Primary storage, also known as
main storage or memory, is the
area in a computer in which data
is stored for quick access by the
computer's processor.
Classified into two: RAM –
Random Access Memory and
ROM – Read Only Memory.
Random-Access Memory is a
form of computer data
storage that stores data and
machine code currently being
used. A random-access
memory device allows data
items to be read or written in
almost the same amount of
time irrespective of the
physical location of data
inside the memory.
 The Primary Memory

 Acts as the temporary storage of program statements, input

data and processed data

Storage Areas Input Storage

• Input Storage
Primary Program Storage
• Program Storage
Memory
• Working Storage Working Storage
• Output Storage
Output Storage
 Random Access Memory

 Random Access Memory (RAM) is a volatile memory

and loses all its data when the power is switched off.
 It is the main memory of the computer system that
stores the data temporarily and allows the data to be
accessed in any order.
 RAM can be categorized into two main types, namely,
Static RAM and Dynamic RAM.
 Random Access Memory

 Static RAM: is a type of RAM in which data is stored till the

power of the computer system is switched on. SRAM uses a
number of transistors to store a single bit of digital
information.

 Dynamic RAM: is the RAM in which data is stored in a

storage cell, consisting of a transistor and a capacitor. The
DRAM needs to be continuously refreshed with power supply
because the capacitor has the tendency to get discharged.
DRAM retains the data for a very short span of time, even after
the power supply is switched off.
Read-Only Memory is
a class
of storage medium
used in computers and
other electronic
devices. Data stored in
ROM cannot be
modified.
 Read Only Memory

 ROM is the memory that stores the data permanently.

 The data can be easily read from this type of memory
but cannot be changed.
 ROM is most commonly used in devices such as
calculators, laser printers, etc.
 ROM does not allow the random access of data, and
allows sequential access of data.
 Read Only Memory
ROM is divided into four types:
Programmable ROM: a memory chip on which the write operation of
data can be performed only once. PROM is reliable and stores the data
permanently without making any change in it. It is mostly used in video
games and electronic dictionaries.

Erasable PROM: a type of ROM in which data can be erased or

destroyed using Ultraviolet Light.

Electrically Erasable PROM: a type of ROM in which data can be erased

or destroyed by exposing it to an electric charge.

Flash ROM: a type of EEPROM that stores the information using

floating-gate transistors, which can store electric charge for a longer
period of time as compared to the normal transistors. This memory is
mainly used in the memory cards of mobile phones, digital cameras and
ipods for storing data. Flash ROM has faster speed of reading data, as
compared to any other type of ROM.
Secondary Storage also known as auxiliary storage,
secondary memory or external memory, is a non-
volatile memory (does not lose stored data when the
device is powered down) that is not directly accessible
by the CPU.
Magnetic Tape – Magnetic tape data storage is a system for
storing digital information on magnetic tape using digital
recording. Modern magnetic tape is most commonly
packaged in cartridges and cassettes.
Floppy Disk – it is an inexpensive, removable
storage device used for storing relatively small
amounts of data.
Hard Disk Drive – are absolutely
essential for most business PC application where large
amounts of information are processed.
CD-ROM– runs Compact Disk where holds data
optically.
Flash Drive also known as a thumb drive, pen drive, gig stick,
flash stick, jump drive, disk key, disk on key, flash-drive,
memory stick, USB stick or USB memory, is a data storage
device that includes flash memory with an integrated USB
interface.
 Memory and Storage Systems

 Primary Memory: Stores the data that are being currently

handled by the CPU; generally known as “memory”.

 Secondary Memory: Stores the results and the data for

future use; generally known as “storage”.

 Internal Process Memory: It is placed either inside the

CPU or near the CPU.
 Memory Representation
 The byte is defined as the “smallest addressable unit” of
memory. 1 byte has 8 bits. Most computers use groups of
bytes, usually 2 or 4, known as “words” to represent
information.
 Computer memories are often rated in terms of their capacity
to store information. Typically, capacities are described using
the unit of byte as follows:
1 KB (Kilobyte) = 1,024 bytes
1 MB (Megabyte) = 1,024 KB
1 GB (Gigabyte) = 1,024 MB
1 TB (Terabyte) = 1,024 GB
1 PT (Petabyte) = 1,024 TB
The new 100TB Nimbus Data ExaDrive DC100

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This 100TB capacity also

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 Central Processing Unit (CPU)

 Brain of the computer which handles the entire operation of

the system
 Also known as the central processor

Functional Unit of the CPU

- Control Unit
- Arithmetic/ Logic Unit
 Control Unit

Control Unit


Maintains order and direct the flow
of operations and data within the
computer

It also instructs the input device
when to start and stop transferring
data to the storage unit, and tells
the storage unit when to start and to
stop transferring data into the output
device
 The Arithmetic/Logic Unit

 Performs all computer-based arithmetic calculations and logic

comparisons or “decisions”

Sample Logical Decisions

 if two numbers are equal or
unequal
 if one is greater or less than
another
 if the quantity is positive,
negative or zero

Arithmetic Logic Unit

 Super Computer

The IBM Summit is the

world’s most powerful
supercomputer,
capable of 200
quadrillion operations
per second. If every
person on Earth
completed one
calculations per second,
it would take the world
population 305 days to
do what IBM Summit can
do in 1 second.

1 quadrillion = 1015
World’s population: 7.2 B