Basic computer training

1. Computer functions
Definition and functions of computer

A computer can be defined as an electronic machine that

▪ Receive data from input devices

▪ Carries out arithmetic and logical processing according to a previously compiled set of
instructions (computer program)
▪ Stores the processed data
▪ Sends the processed data to an out devices
o For further processing OR
o To pint processed data for example business documents, schedule and
management control reports.

Fig.1 A Computer

Note: A Computer is a programmable electronic device.

Classification of Computers

Computers are classified by their CPU sizes, number of on line terminals, maximum disk storage
capacity and all other available I/O devises.

A computer that is used in a home differs in size and shape from the computer being used in a hospital.
The following are different classifications of computers.

Super computer

▪ The biggest in size

▪ The most expensive in price than any other computer.
▪ It can process trillions of instructions in seconds.
▪ Has on line disk storage.
▪ Use high speed Telecommunication facilities such as Satellites.
▪ This computer is not used as a PC in a home neither in office.

In most of the Hollywood’s movies it is used for animation purposes also helpful for forecasting weather reports worldwide and
supports national air-defense network.

Mainframes

▪ Is a giant computer after the super computer

▪ Is less expensive in price than Super computer.
▪ Process millions of instruction per second and capable of accessing billions of data.
▪ CPU is at the center of most processing activities.
▪ Secondary storage of the system support online processing.
▪ Is commonly used in big hospitals, airline reservations companies,
And many other huge companies prefer mainframe because of its capability of retrieving data on a
huge basis.

Minicomputer

▪ Is less than mainframe in work and performance

▪ Are the computers, which are mostly preferred by the small type of business personals, colleges, etc.
▪ Designed to provide selected user activities.
▪ Did not need a vast array of secondary storage & large CPU.

Micro computers

▪ Usually called PC (Personal Computer).

▪ Are small & least expensive.
▪ Most commonly we use them in our home & in the offices.
Examples: a. Desktop Computers

b. Laptop Computers.
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Characteristics of Computers

Computers have got their importance due to the following characteristics.

Speed

Computers perform calculations & any other activities at very fast rate (Up to trillions of instructions in
seconds).

Storage

Computer can store large amount of data within it.

Accuracy

Computers have consistently high accuracy.

Versatility

▪ Computers are capable of performing almost any task, provided the task can be reduced to a series of logical steps.
▪ Computers have the ability to communicate with other systems.

Automation

▪ A Computer is automatic in a sense that once the process has begun, it would continue without
the need for human intervention until completion.
Diligence

▪ Being a machine, a Computer does not suffer from the human traits of tiredness & lack of
concentration.

2. Basic parts of a computer and various hardware components

1. What is Hardware?

▪ It is a physical device of computers that makeup a computer system such as the Mouse,
keyboard, System Unit, Monitor and printer etc.
▪ Is the equipment you use, the parts you can touch, assemble or disassemble.

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Note: - Hardware components of a computer are divided into 4 categories. These are;

i. Input Devices, Processors, Output Devices, Secondary Storage Devices

A. Input Devices
▪ Used to feed data to the computer.
It includes:

a. Key board, Mouse, Disk Drives; Scanner, Microphone

B. Processor
▪ Is found at the center of computer (inside the system unit).
CPU has 3 major components. These are:

a. Control Unit (CU)

b. Arithmetic & Logical Unit (ALU)
c. Register
C. Output Devices
▪ Used to translate data into a form that is readable by the user.
It includes:

a. Monitor (VDU),Printers,
b. Plotters (Used for blue prints of Building)
D. Secondary Storage Devices: Used to store Program instructions & Data for later use.
There are two types of storage devices.

a. Magnetic Storage
• Hard Disk, Floppy Disk
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 b. Optical Storage
• CD (Compact Disk)

2. The System Unit is the main component of the PC to which other components are connected.

2.1. Front of System Unit

• Power on/off Reset Button

• Lights
• Hard disc and CD –ROM drives

2.2. Basic of the system unit

• Power IN and OUT sockets

• Serial ports
• Video /Monitor ports
• Parallel ports
• Key board port
• Fan Housing
• Compartment for expansion cards

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2.3. Inside your system unit

• Mother board
• Central Processing Unit (CPU)
• RAM Chips
• Empty RAM Chips slots
• Hard disk drive
• Power supply box
• Display/Monitor Adapter
• Expansion slot
• ROM Chips
• Speaker

2.4. Connecting your system unit with peripherals

• Power cord
• Monitor cable
• Keyboard cable
• printer cable

3. System Board (Mother Board)

The mother board holds the Processor, Memory chips (RAM&ROM), Expansion slots, Power
connectors…etc.

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Basic computer training
 Basic computer training
4. Processor (CPU)
• Is the brain of PC
• Processors are commonly called CPU (Central Processing Unit).
• The CPU is responsible for storing and retrieving information on disks and other storage
media.
• CPU is the most important determinant of computer speed.
• Carries commands to Hardware to perform actions.

Fig.6: Processors

Note: Most Common Manufacturer of CPU is Intel Company.

5. MEMORY
• Memory is used to store both data and programs.
There are two distinct types of Memory. These are:

a. RAM (Random Access Memory)

▪ RAM is volatile i.e. if you turn off the computer the programs and information is lost.
▪ It temporary stores the programs and data currently being used so that the computer can
quickly access the information.
Note: Compare RAM with a Blackboard that can be erased and written any number of times.

Memory Packaging

• Memory Package is their physical forms.

• Memory packages can be SIMM (Single in-line Memory Module), DIMM (Dual in-line
Memory Module) etc.
There are two types of SIMMs.

i. A 30-pin configuration.

ii. A 72-pin configuration.

Note: DIMM Memory package has 168-pin configuration.

 b. ROM (Read Only Memory)

▪ Is static, not volatile.

▪ It can be read by the computer, but it can't be changed by the user.
▪ It is used to store hardware instructions such as BIOS that the computer

frequently needs.

Note:-Compare ROM with a Book (Encyclopedia) that can be read any number of times, but can’t
be changed.

6. Disk Drives

Disk Drives are:-

• Hard drives, Floppy disk drives, CD ROM drives, Tape backups &Zip drives.
• Are secondary storage devices.

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Basic computer training
Hard Disk…..is used to store the operating system files, application programs

files, System software files such as drivers and user data.

Hard Disk Interfaces Standards are: - IDE/ATA, SATA etc.

IDE……….Integrated Drive Electronics

ATA………Advanced Technology Attachment

SATA……..Super Advanced Technology Attachment.

Note:-

• Magnetic Disks (HD or FD) must first be formatted before any information can
be stored on them.
• Formatting allows the drives to store and find data in an orderly manner.
• Formatting divide the surfaces of the disk into sectors (pie slices) and tracks
(concentric circles).
• The number of sectors and tracks that fit on a disk determines the Disk capacity.
• SATA cables are much narrower than EIDE
• EIDE connectors also called ATA connectors
7. Optical Disk

Optical disks use laser technology .There is two types of optical CD (compact Disk) and
DVD (Digital Versatile Disk)

There three types of CDs: CD-ROM, CD-RAND and CD-RW

➢ CD-ROM disk (compact disk read only memory)

➢ CD-ROM is a type of multimedia because text, image, and sound are stored
➢ CD-R disk (Compact Disk-Recordable)
➢ CD-RW disk (compact disk Rewrite able): The date a on this disk can be deleted
or changed
➢ DVD (Digital Versatile Disk)

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8. Printer

The printer is the most popular peripheral that produces paper copies of the information
(these are called hard copy)

Printers can be divided into

• Impact printers
Impact printers produce characters by means of a mechanism that strikes the paper
physically (in a manner similar to that of a typewriter)

• Non-impact printers
Non-impact printer s produce image on the paper without striking the paper
9. Power Supply

• The power supply is the black or silver box in the back of the PC .
• Converts the 220-volt AC into DC that the computer can use, specifically +5 v,
-5 v, +12 v, -12v, and sometimes 3.3 v.

Note:-i. Disk drive motor uses the +12 v signal.

ii. Motherboard & other circuit boards use the +5 v signal.

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 iii. -ve voltages are used for older models of PC.

Schematic Representation of a Computer

CPU
Main Memory:
RAM+ROM

OutPut
Control Arithmeti
c&
Unit (CU) Logical
Input
Device
External Secondary
Memory (Storage)

In the above schematic diagram, the functions of the five basic units of a computer are
summarized in the following table.

Unit Function
Input Devices Reads the necessary data (information) and feeds to the computer.
▪ Store data as well as instructions.
▪ Control sequence of operations as per the stored instructions
CPU ▪ Issue commands to all parts of computer systems.
▪ Carry out data processing & send results to output devices.

▪ Carries out arithmetic operations like +,-. X and /

ALU ▪ Performs certain logical actions based on AND&OR functions.

▪ Interprets program instructions & initiates control operations.

CU
Out Put Devices ▪ Decodes information & presents it to the user.

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 ▪ Stores Program instructions & Data.
Secondary Storage

Bits and Bytes

We use terms such as megabytes (MB) to describe the capacity of Hard Disk & RAM. Both bit
&byte are units of Data. The following table explains the terms.

Bit • Bit is an abbreviation for Binary Digit.

• 1 bit equals the value 0 or 1.
Byte • 1 byte equals eight bits
• 1 byte contains any binary number b/n 00000000&11111111
Kilo Byte • 1 kilo byte equals 210 bytes and 210 bytes=1024 bytes.

Mega Byte • 1 Megabyte equals 210 Kilo bytes and 210 Kilo bytes=1,048,576
bytes.
Giga Byte • 1 Giga byte equals 210Megabytes.

3. Peripheral devices
Peripherals include all devices attached to CPU

Hardware includes any device that is connected to your computer and is controlled by your computer's
microprocessor. This includes equipment that was connected to your computer when it was
manufactured, as well as peripheral equipment that you added later. The following are examples of
devices:

▪ Universal Serial bus (USB)

▪ Modems
▪ Disk drives
▪ CD-ROM drives
▪ Digital video disc (DVD) drives
▪ Printers
▪ Network adapters
▪ Keyboards
▪ Video adapter cards
▪ Monitors

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 ▪ Game controllers

Plug and Play

A set of specifications developed by Intel that allows a computer to automatically detect and
configure a device and install the appropriate device drivers

Non-Plug and Play

A device, such as a printer, modem, or game controller, that requires manual configuration of
hardware settings before it can be used. Non-Plug and Play devices are becoming increasingly
rare as manufacturers stop producing them in favor of Plug and Play devices. Non-Plug and Play
typically applies to older pieces of equipment.

Device Manager: An administrative tool that you can use to manage the devices on your
computer.

Using Device Manager, you can view and change device properties, update device drivers,
configure device settings, and uninstall devices.

Device driver: A program that allows a specific device, such as a modem, network adapter, or
printer, to communicate with the operating system. Although a device might be installed on your
system, Windows cannot use the device until you have installed and configured the appropriate
driver. If a device is listed in the Hardware Compatibility List (HCL), a driver is usually included
with Windows. Device drivers load automatically (for all enabled devices) when a computer is
started, and thereafter run invisibly.

Expansion slot: A socket in a computer, designed to hold expansion boards and connect them to
the system bus.

The standard peripherals consists of the screen and keyboard, the mouse, diskette, hard disk
and CD-ROM drives and the printer .One communication with the computer by means of the
mouse, keyboard or other input devices.

❖ Keyboard
The keyboard is the input peripheral through which one normally communicates with the
computer

The computer keyboard can be divided into four sections

• Typewriter keyboard
• Function keys
• Direction keys and numeric keypad
• Modifier keys
• Windows keys: These keys are used to display Start menu and Short menu In
WINDOWS program

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 • Others keys
❖ Mouse is a device the controls the movement of the cursor
❖ Joystick: The joystick is used in games to control the movement of the cursor on the
screen
❖ Scanner
This is a device that reads text, images or graphics, for example bar codes on paper and
converts them into machine-readable characters. The text or graphic is copied directly
from the paper onto the screen.
❖ Web camera
A web camera is a small digital movie camera that can be used to send live video over the
internet or other networks. Two-way text, sound and video communication can be
transmitted. It is often used for video conferencing

❖ Screen (monitor)/display unit

The monitor connected to desktop computers is normally Cathode ray tube monitors (CRTs0
technically the CRT –monitors a TV screen except that text is normally displayed instead of
pictures.

A graphic card is necessary to images.

In order to connect a monitor to a computer you must have a graphic adapter board also
called a video card or adaptor

Each type of monitor requires a different type of board monitor can. For example SVGA
(Super Video Graphic adapter) the most sophisticated color screen which displays 256 or
more colors. Monitors are available in many sizes.

❖ Plotter
It can be considered a computer –coordinated drawing machine. Plotters produce graphic output
such as charts and architectural drawings. Directed by signals from the computer, the plotter
moves a pen across a piece of paper to produce graphic output .plotters equipped with more than
one pen can produce multi-colored graphic output

4. Verifying Storage devices and basic categories

Storage devices and basic categories can be classified as

• Primary memory
• Auxiliary memory or secondary memory

Auxiliary memory or secondary memory

Auxiliary memory is also known as secondary memory or external memory or back up storage.

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The auxiliary storage devices hold the mass of information .These information are either
retrieved whenever required for processing or kept as recorded as compared to primary or main
storage .it has much larger capacity, but is not as fast.

Storage media includes Hard disk, Zip disk, CD-ROM, CD-RW, DVD, Flash disk are used as
an external memory (secondary memory) for storing data.

Hard disk
The hard disk is your PC’s built –in filing cabinet .Data is stored permanently on magnetic media
that doesn’t require power so, unlike data stored in RAM, data stored on the hard disk doesn’t
disappear when you shut off your computer.

Hard drives come in rectangular metal cases like the one in figure 1-8 they’re about the size of a
very small paperback novel and are fastened to the inside of your PC’s case you’ll see two cables
attached to the drive, an EIDE cable connecting to the motherboard and a power cable running to
the power supply.

5. OHS Standards
Include physical safety consideration such as general electrical safety and cabling, power
supply and leads as they apply to the computer and peripherals installations

Important tips

• Do not expose the computer to direct sun light

• Do not place the computer near source of heat, such as radiator
• Do not expose the computer to temperatures below 00 C (320 F) or above 400 C(1040F)
• Do not subject the commuter to rain or moisture
• Do not subject them to magnetic fields
• Do not spill water on the computer
• Do not subject the computer to heavy shock or vibration
• Do not expose the computer to dust or dirt
• Never place the system on uneven surface
• Do not step on the power cord & place heavy objects on top of it .carefully route the
power cord and any cables away from foot traffic
• When unplugging the power cord, do not pull on the cord itself instead pull on the plug
the total ampere rating of the equipment plugged in should not exceed the ampere rating
of the cord if you are using an extension cord. Also the total current rating of all
equipment plugged in to single wall out let should not exceed the fuse rating
• Check the documentation that came with your software programs to see if you can select
other combination of resolution and color these adjustment could make viewing the
screen more comfortable

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• Before working inside your computer :
Before touching anything inside your computer ground yourself by touching an
unpainted metal surface , such as the metal at the back of the computer while you work
,periodically touch an unpainted metal surface to dissipate any static electricity that
should harm internal components
• Handle components and cards with care. Do not touch the components or contacts on a
card
• Hold a card by its edges or by its metal mounting brackets Hold a components such as a
processor by its edge, not by its pane

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