Chapter 1- Typical Configuration of Computer System

Chapter-1
TYPICAL CONFIGURATION OF COMPUTER SYSTEM

 Introduction:

 Computer:-“It is an automatic electronic machine that can store, recall and process data. It
 can perform tasks or complex calculation according to a set of instructions or programs.
Terms and definitions in the study of computer system are:
 Hardware: It consists of all the physical devices and their interconnections for the purpose of
storing and executing a program.
 Software: It is a collection of computer programs and their related data which instructs the
computer the tasks to be performed and how it should be performed. 
 Data: Data is the raw information or basic facts that computer can process.
 Information: - The processed data which provide some meaning.
 User(s): People who use the computers are called users.

 Block diagram of a computer:

 A computer is designed using four basic units. They are

 
1. Input Unit
2. Central Processing Unit(CPU)
 Control Unit
 Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU)
 Registers

3. Memory Unit
4. Output Unit
  Input Unit:

 The Input unit basically links the external world or environment to the computer system.

 The input unit may consist of one or more input devices.
 he input unit converts input data into binary form before it is sent for processing.

 Central Processing Unit (CPU):

It’s the central processing unit also known as Microprocessor


 The function of the CPU is to interpret the instructions in the program and execute them one by
one. It consists of three major units.

1. Control Unit: It controls and directs the transfer of program instructions and data between
various units. Its main purpose is to maintain order and coordinate the operation of the
entire system.
2. Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU): It’s the unit where all the execution takes place.
a) It performs all arithmetic operations like( +, - , *, / etc)
b) It performs all logical operations like ( AND,OR ,NOT etc)and
c) Also all relational operations like (>, < , =, # etc).
3. Registers:- The CPU consists of number of temporary storage units which are used to
store instructions and intermediate data.
 Memory Unit:

 The results generated from processing have to be preserved before it is displayed.

 The memory units thus provide space to store input data, intermediate results and the final
output generated.

 Note: The input unit, an output unit, and secondary storage devices are together known as
Peripheral Devices.

 Output Unit:

 The output unit links the computer to the outside world.


 It basically converts the data to human understandable form before it displays the result.

Motherboard:

 The motherboard is a large printed circuit board(PCB)having many chips, ports , expansion
slots ,CPU, and other electronic components mounted on it.
 
 Characteristics of Motherboard:
The motherboard may be characterized by the form factor, chipset and type of processor socket
used.
 Form factor :- It refers to the specifications of the motherboard mainly geometry,
dimensions, arrangements and electrical requirements.
Eg:- ATX
For small computers small form factors board like
9.6 X 9.6 inch for micro ITX
6.7 X 6.7 inch for milli ITX
For large Mother Board
11.2 X 8.2 inch - mini ATX
12.0 X 9.6 inch - Full Size ATX
 
 Chipset: - It’s a group of interdependent ICs that control and coordinates the flow of data and
instructions between CPU and external devices.
 It is the integrated part of the motherboard hence it cannot be removed or upgraded.
 Chipset selection and CPU selection go hand in hand because manufacturers optimize chipsets
to work with specific CPUs.

 Processor socket:- It may be a rectangular connector into which the processor is mounted
vertically or a square shaped connector with many small connectors into which the processor is
directly inserted.



 Types of Motherboard:
There are four different types in motherboard:
 XT - Extended Technology.
 AT - Advanced Technology.
 Baby AT - XT + AT.
 ATX - Advanced Technology Extended

 XT Motherboards:
 XT stands for Extended Technology.
 These are old model motherboards.
 In this we find old model processor socket like LIF (Low Insertion Force) sockets,
 RAM slots: DIMM (Dual Inline Memory Modules)
 ISA(Industry Standards Architecture) slots,
 12 pin power connector.
 They have slot type processors and no ports.
 Ex: Pentium-I, Pentium-MMX, Pentium-II and Pentium-Pro.

 AT Motherboards:
o AT stands for Advanced Technology.
 AT Motherboards have PGA (Pin Grid Array) socket,
 SD RAM slots,
 20 pin power connector
 PCI slots and ISA slots.
 AT has 5-pin large keyboard connector.
 Ex: Pentium-III Processors

 Baby AT Motherboards:
o Baby AT motherboards is the combination of XT and AT.
 It consists of slot type and PGA Processor socket.
 SD RAM and DDR RAM slots.
 PCI and ISA slots.
 12 pin and 20 pin power connector.
 First motherboard with built-in sockets for I/O ports.
 Ex: Pentium-III and Pentium-IV

 ATX Motherboards:
o ATX stands for Advanced Technology Extended.
 Latest Motherboard all are called as ATX motherboard, designed by ATX form factor.
 It consists of MPGA Processor sockets,
 DDRRAM Slots, AGP Slots
 SATA Connectors,
 20 pin and 24 pin ATX power connector and ports
 It is a full size board measuring 12” wide by 9.6” deep.
 Ex: Pentium-IV, Dual Core, Core 2 Duo, Quad Core, i3, i5 and i7.

 General Structure of Motherboard

 The chipset is the glue that connects the CPU to the rest of the motherboard.
 All the components of the system communicate with the CPU through the chipset.

It basically consists of two parts


 North Bridge /North chipset
 South Bridge / South Chipset

 North Bridge or north chipset is responsible for control of high speed components
like CPU, RAM and video card.
 It directly connects to the processor through FSB(front side bus).
 The memory controller is located in the north bridge which gives CPU fast access to the
memory.
 It also connects to AGP (Accelerated graphics port and memory itself.


 South Bridge or south chipset is similar as north chipset but slower than the north bridge.
 The information from the CPU has to go through North Bridge before reaching south bridge.
 Different buses connect south bridge to PCI, USB ports and the IDE or SATA connectors.
 Components of Motherboard:
 The motherboard componeents are:
o Processors (CPU) o Disk Conntrollers
o BIOS o I/O Ports and Interfaces
o CMOS o BUS
o Slots
 Processors (CPU):

 The processors or CPU is the main component on the motherboard annd is called the brain
of the computer.
 CPU consists of 1) ALU 2) CU 3) Registers

 Arithmetic and logic unit performs all the arithmetic and logic operations on data.

 CU is responsible for organizing the processing of data and instructions.

 Registers is a temporary storage areas for holding data and instructions.
Note:
 Clock Speed: A measure of a processor’s operating speed ,i.e the frequency with which the
processor executes instructions and is currently measured in MHz (Megahertz) and GHz
(Gigahertz).

 A CPU’s performance is measured by the number of instructions executed per second i.e.

MIPS & BIPS (Millions of instructions per second).

 Microprocessor: The CPU fabricated as a single Integrated Circuit (IC) which contains
the entire computational engine.
Example: Intel 

 BIOS (Basic Input Output System):

 BIOS is a small chip on the motherboard that holds a set of instructions to load the hardware
settings required to activate various devices like keyboard, monitors or disk drives.

 The BIOS runs when the computer is switched ON.
 t performs a Power On Self Test (POST) that checks if the hardware devices are present and
functioning properly.

 The BIOS invokes the bootstrap loader to load the OS into memory.

 CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor)

 It is a type of memory chip to store date, time and system setup parameters.

 These parameters are loaded every time the computer is started or switched on.

 BIOS & CMOS are kept powered by a small lithium Ion battery located on motherboard.





 Slots:

 Slot: A slot is an long narrow slit or opening space in a computer motherboard where we
can insert a printed circuit board.

 Slots are often called expansion slots as they allow you to expand the capabilities of the
system.

There are several types of slots are:

 ISA (Industry Standard Architecture):
o ISA slot is used to connect modem and input devices.
 PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect):

o PCI slots are used to connect graphics accelerators cards, sound card, internal modems
or SCSI cards.
o They are much faster than ISA cards.

 AGP (Accelerated Graphic Port):

o AGP slot is an advanced port used to provide faster access to graphics accelerated card.
 RAM Slot: It is used to install memory

o Two types of RAM slot
 SIMM (Single Inline Memory Module)

 DIMM ( Dual Inline Memory Module)

 Processor Slot:

o Processor slot is used to insert the processor chip which is the largest chip on the
motherboard.
o It can be identified as a heat sink or fan is located on top of it.

 Disk Controllers:

It is a circuitry that enables CPU to communicate with hard disk, floppy disk and other
kinds of disk drives.
There are two types of disk controllers.
 Hard Disk Controller (HDC)
 Floppy Disk controller(FDC)
 Hard Disk Controller (HDC

o The HDC is the interface that enables the computer to read and write information to the
hard disk drive.
o This connector is used to insert an Integrated Digital Electronics (IDE) cable which
consists of 40 wire ribbon cable.
o IDE cables connect devices such as hard drives, CD drives and DVD drives.
 Floppy Disk Controller (FDC)

 FDC is a interface that directs and controls reading from and writing to computer
floppy disk drive.
 FDC usually performs data transmission in Direct Memory Access (DMA) mode.
  It normally supports 33 wire ribbon cable and can connect up to 4 floppy disks

 I/O Ports and Interfaces:


 Port: A port is a socket on the computer used to connect external device to the computer.

 It is used to connect external device like printer, keyboard or scanner.

 The different types of I-O ports are Serial port, Parallel port, USB port and VGA port.

 Serial Port:

o Serial Port, also known as communication port or RS-232 c ports,
o They are used for connecting communication devices like mouse, modem.
o This port transfers data serially one bit at a time and takes 8 times longer to transfer a
byte.
o It is used in long distance communication. And usually a 9 pin port.
 Parallel Port:[Printer port or LPT port]

o Parallel ports are used to connect external input/output devices like printers or scanners.
o Also known as printer port
o They carry 8 bit (one byte) at a time and used for short distance communication.
o It comes in the form of 25 pin connector.

 USB port :

o USB(Universal Serial BUS) port gives a single, standardized, easy-to-use way to

connect a variety of newer peripherals to a computer.
o USB is a plug-and-play interface between a computer and add-on devices such as
audio players, modem, scanner etc.
o With USB, a new device can be added to your computer without adding a adapter
card or even turning the computer off.
o USB supports a data speed of 12 megabits per second.
o USB supporting up to 127 devices.
 PS-2 (Personal System-2) port:

o PS-2 port was developed by IBM to interface keyboards and pointing devices like
mouse, trackballs and touch pads.
o It is also called as mouse port.
 IDE (Integrated Digital Electronics) port :

o It connects IDE devices like CD-ROM drives or hard disk drives to the motherboard.
 AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) port:

o It is used to connect to graphic card that provides high-speed video performance
typically required in games and other multimedia applications.
 VGA (Visual Graphics Adaptor) port: It connects monitor to a computer’s video card.

 Modem (Modulator demodulator) connects a PC modem to the telephone
network.

  Ethernet port:- It is used to connect wired networks like LAN and high speed
Internet. It connects to network using Ethernet cable.

 MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) port is a system designed to 

transmit information between electronic musical instruments.

 SCSI ( Small computer system interface )Port

o It is by high performance hard disk, high end scanner and CD-ROM Drives.
o It is used for fast Data transfers and I/O operations.
o They are Costlier and need separate dedicated adapters.
BUS


 A bus is a collection of parallel wires that form a pathway to carry address, data and control
Signal.
 The functional features of bus are:
o A bus is a set of wire and each wire can carry one bit of data.
o A bus width is definned by the number of wires in the bus
 A computer bus can be divided into two types

o Internal Bus:

 It connects major computer components like processor, memory & I/O.


 It is also called as system bus.
o External Bus:
 It connects the different external devices peripheral, expansion slots, I/O ports
to the rest of the computer.

 It is also callled the expansion bus and is slower than the system (internal) bus.

 A system bus or expansion bus comprise of three kinds of buses:


 Data Bus:
o It provides a path to transfer data between CPU and memory and different components.
o The Number of wires in the data bus determines the quantity of data it can carry.
o Computer performance can be increased by increasing the number of wires.
o The number of lines is called width and it could vary between 16, 32 etc.
  Address Bus:

o A collection of wires used to identify particular location in main memory is called
Address Bus.
o It provides the physical address of data in the system memory to facilitate data transfer.
o The address bus width determines the maximum number off memory location the
computer can address.
 Control Bus:
• The connections that carry control information between the CPU and other devices within
the system is called Control Bus.
• It is used to control the access and the use of the data and the address lines.
• It is bidirectional.

 Memory:

 A computer memory refers to the electronic storing space for instructions and data.

 Two kinds of memory are commonly used:
o Primary or Main Memory
o Secondary Memory
 Primary Memory:

o Primary memory is the main memory of the computer.
o It stores programs and data which are currently needed by CPU.
Functions of primary memory:
 To contain a copy of the main software program i.e. operating system. This
program is loaded into the primary memory when the computer is turned on.

 Temporarily store a copy of the application program.

 Temporarily store the data input from the keyboard.

 Temporarily store the result which is generated from processing until it is
transferred to output device.
o Primary memory is of two types.
1. RAM (Random Access Memory)
2. ROM (Read Only Memory)

 Random Access Memory (RAM):


 RAM is also called as the main memory of a computer.

 Ram temporarily stores the computer operating system, application program and current data
so that the processor can reach them quickly.

 RAM is faster memory.

 RAM is a volatile in nature i.e. when the power is switched off, the data in this memory is lost.

 Types of RAM

o Static RAM (SRAM)
 Static RAM chip is usually used in cache memory due to its high speed.

 It stores information as long as the power supply is on.

 SRAM is more expensive than DRAM and it takes up more space.
 It does not require constant refreshing circuitry hence its faster than DRAM.
o Dynamic RAM (DRAM)
 It is the most common type of memory chip.

 DRAM is cheaper and they consume less power.

 It must be refreshed periodically (every 2ms)otherwise it may lose its information.


They are further classified as

 SDRAM

 SDRAM stands for Synchronous Dynamic RAM.

 It is synchronized to the system clock.

 Since it is synchronized to the CPU it waits for the clock signal to respond to CPU.
 DDR RAM

 DDR RAM stands for Double Data Rate RAM.

 It works same as SD RAM but the data transfer rate is double when compared to SD
RAM.
 ts done by synchronizing with the rising and falling edges of the clock signals

 Different types of DDR RAM are DDR1, DDR2, and DDR3.

 Read Only Memory (ROM):

 ROM stands for “Read Only memory”.

 ROM is non-volatile memory i.e. the information stored in it is not lost even when the power
supply goes off. 

 It is used for permanent storage of information.
 t also possesses random access property.

Difference Between RAM and ROM

RAM ROM
RAM stands for Random ROM stands for Read-
Access Memory Only Memory

Volatile Memory Non-volatile Memory
RAM requires a flow of ROM will retain data
electrically to retain data. even when the power
is switched off.
Type: DRAM, SRAM Type: PROM, EPROM 
 Secondary Memory:

 The secondary memory is used as auxiliary memory.

 It has much larger capacity than main memory.
 The secondary memory retains the information permanently once stored on it.
 The secondary memory is used for bulk storage or mass storage of programs, data, and other
information.
 The magnetic memory such as Hard Disk , Compact Disk , Pen drive are some of the
commonly used secondary memory.

Difference between Primary Memory and Secondary Memory

Primary Memory Secondary Memory

Semi conductor Memory Magnetic or optical Memory
Volatile Non-Volatile
Expensive Less Expensive
Faster Slower
Main Memory Auxiliary Memory
Example: RAM, ROM Example: HDD, Pen drive etc

 Cache Memory:

 The cache memory is a very high speed memory placed in between RAM and CPU.

 Cache memory stores data that is used more often, temporarily and makes it available to CPU
at fast rate. Hence it is used to increase the speed of processing.
 The CPU first looks in the cache memory for data and instructions and if data is not found only
then it goes for the RAM.
 Cache memory is very expensive and it is smaller in size.
 Cache memory of sizes 256 KB to 2 MB.
 It is categorized as “levels”.

 Level 1 (L1) cache: It is extremely fast but relatively small and is usually present inside the
CPU. The size of L1 cache varies from 32 KB to 512 KB

 Level 2 (L2) cache: It may be located outside the CPU on a separate chip and a high speed
system bus interconnecting the cache to the CPU. The size of L2 cache varies from 1MB to
2MB.

 Level 3 (L3) cache: It is typically specialized memory that works to improve the performance
of L1 and L2. It is slower the L1 or L2 but it is usually double the speed of RAM.
 Switch Mode Power Supply:

 SMPS stands for Switch Mode Power Supply.

 An SMPS converts AC power from an electrical outlet to DC power needed by system
components.

 The SMPS contains the power card plug, a fan for cooling because it generates a lot of heat.

 Sample SMPS will be in the range of 300-500 watts


 UPS:

 UPS stands for “Uninterruptible Power Supply”.

 An UPS is a power supply that includes a battery to maintain power in the event a power
failure.

 An UPS keeps a computer running for several minutes to few hours after a power failure.

 There are two types of UPS

 Online UPS

 Standby UPS/ Offline UPS

 Online UPS:

o An online UPS continuously provides power from its own inverter, even when the
power line is functioning properly.
o Online UPS is more costly than offline UPS.


 Offline UPS:

o Also known as “Stand by UPS”

o Offline UPS monitors the power line and switches to battery power as soon as it
detects a problem.
o The switchover to battery can require several milli-seconds during which the
computer is not receiving any power.