Introduction to Computer

(ICT)
Imtiaz Hussain
PhD Computer Science (Scholar)
Lecturer
KUST, UMT Sialkot
Computer Buses
Computer Bus

• A bus is a communication pathway connecting two or more devices.

• A set of physical connections between different hardware of computer system
in order to communicate with each other.
• Multiple devices connect to the bus, and a signal transmitted by any one
device is available for reception by all other devices attached to the bus.
• A bus consists of multiple communication pathways, or lines. Each line is
capable of transmitting signals representing binary 1 and binary 0.
 Characteristics of a Computer Bus

• Bus Width: Refers to the number of bits that can be transferred at once. A
wider bus can transfer more data, improving overall system performance.
• Bus Speed: The rate at which data is transferred along the bus, typically
measured in MHz or Gbps. A higher speed results in faster data transfer.
• Bus Arbitration: The process of controlling access to the bus, especially
when multiple devices need to use it at the same time. Arbitration schemes
ensure that data collisions are avoided.
Computer Buses

• System Bus
Data Bus
Address Bus
Control Bus
System Bus
• A bus that connects major computer components like processor, memory, and
I/O devices is called a system bus.
• A system bus consists, typically, of from about fifty to hundreds of separate
lines.
• Each line is assigned a particular meaning or function.
• System bus usually is separated into three functional groups .
Data Bus
Address Bus
Control Bus
Data Bus

• A collection of wires through which data is transmitted from one part of a

computer to another.
• DataBus can be thought of as a highway on which data travels within a
computer.
• Connects all the computer components to the CPU and main memory.
• The data bus may consist of 32, 64, 128, or even more separate lines.
• The number of lines being referred to as the width of the data bus.
• Because each line can carry only 1 bit at a time, the number of lines
determines how many bits can be transferred at a time
Address Bus

• A collection of wires used to identify particular location in main memory is

called Address Bus
• It transfer memory address to processor in which CPU want to access.
• The width of the address bus determines the maximum possible memory
capacity of the system.
• It is an unidirectional bus.
• The CPU sends address to a particular memory locations and I/O ports.
• The address bus consists of 16 , 20 , 24 or more parallel signal lines.
Control Bus
• The control lines regulates the activity on the bus.
• Control signals transmit both command and timing information among system
modules.
• The control bus carries signals that report the status of various devices.
• Read/Write signals: Indicate whether the CPU is reading from or writing to
memory or I/O devices.
• Interrupt signals: Notify the CPU about the need for attention from peripheral
devices.
Control Bus Signals

• Memory write: Causes data on the bus to be written into the addressed
location
• Memory read: Causes data from the addressed location to be placed on the
bus
• I/O write: Causes data on the bus to be output to the addressed I/O port
• I/O read: Causes data from the addressed I/O port to be placed on the bus
• Transfer ACK: Indicates that data have been accepted from or placed on the
bus
Control Bus Signals

• Bus request: Indicates that a module needs to gain control of the bus
• Bus grant: Indicates that a requesting module has been granted control of the
bus
• Interrupt request: Indicates that an interrupt is pending
• Interrupt ACK: Acknowledges that the pending interrupt has been
recognized
• Clock: Is used to synchronize operations
• Reset: Initializes all modules
Additional Buses
 Expansion Bus

• Description: The expansion bus allows for the addition of extra components
or peripherals (such as sound cards, graphics cards, network cards) to the
computer. It connects the CPU to external devices via slots on the
motherboard.
• Common Types:
• PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect): Used for high-speed connections to
devices like graphics cards and network cards.
• PCI Express (PCIe): The successor to PCI, offering faster data transfer rates.
• AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port): Primarily used for graphics cards, providing faster
data transfer speeds than PCI.
 Serial Buses

• Description: A serial bus transmits data one bit at a time over a single wire
or channel. It is slower than parallel buses (which send multiple bits
simultaneously) but more efficient for long-distance transmission.
• Examples:
• USB (Universal Serial Bus): Commonly used to connect external devices like Mouse,
keyboards, and storage devices.
• Serial ATA (SATA): Used for connecting storage devices like hard drives and SSDs.
• Thunderbolt: A high-speed serial interface that supports both data transfer and power
delivery, often used for connecting external displays and storage devices.
 Parallel Buses

• Description: A parallel bus sends multiple bits of data simultaneously over

multiple wires or channels. While faster in short-distance applications, it
suffers from signal degradation and interference over longer distances.
• Examples:
• Parallel ATA (PATA): An older interface used for connecting storage devices, now
largely replaced by SATA.
• IEEE 1284: A parallel bus standard used for printers and other devices.
 I/O Buses

• Description: An I/O bus facilitates communication between the CPU and

peripheral devices such as keyboards, mice, printers, and other external
hardware.
• Examples:
• USB: Used for connecting a wide variety of peripherals.
• FireWire (IEEE 1394): Used primarily for connecting digital cameras and external
drives.
• SCSI (Small Computer System Interface): A bus interface standard used to connect
peripheral devices such as hard drives, scanners, and printers
Computer Ports & Connectors
 Computer Ports

• Parallel Ports
• Serial Ports
• USB Ports
• PS2 Ports
Computer Ports

• Computer ports are connection points or point of attachment with other

peripheral devices.
• A specific place in system unit or interfaces for being physically connected to
other devices.
• Computer ports are essential part of a computing device available for
connection to peripherals such as input and output devices.
Parallel Port
• Parallel port is used for data transfer between a computer and a peripheral
device through a 25 or 36 pin connector.
• Printers are connected through parallel ports
• In parallel communication multiple bits are transferred at a time.
• By using the IEEE 1284 standard the parallel port becomes a bidirectional
data gateway i.e. can be used for transferring and receiving data packages
• The parallel port speed can range from 50 KBps to 150 KBps and can go up
to 2 MBps.
Serial Port
• Serial port is a electronic communication gateway used for transferring data
one bit at a time
• serial
port has been used as dedicated ports used for data transfer and
communication between a computer and other.
• Used for sensors.
• Configuration and management of networking equipment such as routers and
switches .
PS2 Port (Personal System)

• The PS2 port is used for connecting keyboards and mouse.

• Today PS2 port are replaced by USB port, which is more easy to implement
on a PC even though PS2 offers more capability and a greater speed.
• Modern PS2 ports are colored different event thought the pinout
configuration is the same.
• PS2 connector color scheme Purple for Keyboard and Green for Mouse.
 VGA (Video Graphics Array) Port

• Used for connecting Monitor or computer video output

• Its color is dark blue with 15 pins
 Audio Ports

• Small round ports used for speakers, headset and microphone

• Three audio ports has three different colors
• Green for speakers
• Pink for microphone
• Blue for stereo system
 USB (Universal Serial Bus) Port

• USB port ( Universal Serial Bus ) is the most used connection point for data transfer in the
world.
• It was created in the mid-1990s with the intention of replacing all other PC ports like serial
port , parallel port , PS/2 port.
• In 1996 USB 1 was released. It had a speed range between 1.5 Mb/s and 12 Mb/s.
• Four years later USB 2.0 port was released and had a maximum speed of 480 Mb/s. The USB
2.0 brought with it new devices like USB flash drive and USB hard drive
• Recent development in storage devices increase the need for higher transfer speeds and in
2008 USB 3.0 was release.
 Ethernet Port (RJ45)

• Ethernet port is a network hardware interface used for data transfer and control
between at least two devices that can support the IP protocol.
• RJ45 connector is used for Ethernet cable
• It was introduced in 1980 and, at first, coaxial cable was used.
• In 1985 the Ethernet port was standardized and twisted pair cable replaced the
coaxial cable.
• Twisted pair cable is used only on short distances, like the connection between a
computer modem port or network port and a Ethernet switch or router.
 Ethernet Port (RJ45)

• On long distances fiber optic links are used as Ethernet cable.

• The maximum Ethernet cable length between switches computers and routers is 100
meters or 328ft. After this the signal starts losing in amplitude and you could
experience connection loss.
• If you want to use internet cables on longer distances it is better to use signal
boosters for every 100 meters.
• A more efficient way is to use fiber optic cable who with special equipment can go
up to 20 km without any signal booster.
 HDMI Ports

• HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface)

• A video and audio output port commonly used to connect computers to
monitors, TVs, and projectors.
• Can support high-definition video and multi-channel audio.
 TOSLink

• TOSLINK (Optical Audio Port)

• A digital audio connection used for transmitting high-quality sound via
optical cables.
• Commonly used for home theater systems or high-end audio equipment.
 Power Port (Barrel Jack or USB-C)

• Power Port (Barrel Jack or USB-C)

• Used for connecting a power adapter to a laptop or device.
• USB-C power delivery is becoming the standard for charging modern
devices.
 PCI Express Slots

• Found inside the computer case, these slots allow for the installation of
internal expansion cards (graphics cards, network cards, sound cards, etc.).
• Provide high data transfer rates between the CPU and peripherals.