Introduction to computer and its components Computer hardware Computer software System unit and memory

Computer:

A set of tools that helps you perform information processing tasks.

An electronic device that inputs, stores, processes data and generates the useful information.

Two major components of computer:

Hardware:

- Consists of the physical devices that make up your computer system.

- An equipment that processes data to create information includes input, output, storage and processing device.
Software (also called as a program) :

- Set of instructions that your computer hardware executes to process information for you. - Step by step instruction that tell the computer how to do the work .

Hardware includes all of those devices that you can touch monitor, keyboard, a floppy disk and etc. 6 categories of computer hardware: 1. Input devices for capturing information. 2. Output devices for presenting information. 3. CPU and RAM for creating new information. 4. Storage devices for storing information. 5. Telecommunication devices for communicating information. 6. Connecting devices for moving information to and from your various hardware.

1.

Input devices
Captures information and translates it into a form that

can be processed and used by other parts of your computer.

Eg: use scanner to capture images, video camera to capture your likeness in the form of a video, keyboard to key in data, mouse to click the operation button, and

etc.

2.

Output devices
Takes information within your computer and present it in a form that you can understand. Complement to input devices while input devices help you enter information into a computer system, output devices help you see, hear or otherwise receive information stored within your computer system. Eg: use a set of speakers to hear music.
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3. CPU and RAM

The most important components of hardware together make up the real brains of computer. The central processing unit (CPU or processor) is the chip that carries out instructions it receives from software. RAM (Random Access Memory) is temporary memory

that holds software instructions and information for the CPU. It is rather like your short-term memory when you turn off your computer, all information in RAM is gone.

4. Storage devices
Temporary information storage in RAM is not enough

need a means to more permanently store information so you can recall and use it at a later time.

A storage device stores information so you can recall and use that information at a later time. Eg: disk drive, hard drive, DVD-RW drive, CD-ROM drive.
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5.

Telecommunication devices
Telecommunication devices help

6.

Connecting devices

communicate information to people in other location. Eg: cell phones, email, digital pagers, modem, network card and etc.

Computer contains a variety of connecting

devices so that information can move around all your hardware. For example: you need some sort of connection between your computer and a printer.

Input devices for capturing information Output devices for presenting information System unit for creating new information and data processing Storage for storing information Telecommunication devices for communicating information Connecting devices for moving information to and from various hardware

Keyboard, Mouse, Microphone, Scanner, Digital Camera and Web Cam

H A R D W A R E

Monitor, Speaker and Portable Media Player

Memory ,Central Processing Unit (CPU), Motherboard, Power Supply

Hard Disk, Compact Disc, USB Flash Drive, Memory Card

Modem and Network Card Cables, Telephone Lines, Satellite

S O F T W A R E

System Software

1. Uses to run computer. 2. To control and maintain the operation of computer and its devices. 3. Serve as the interface between computer hardware, user and application software. 4. Example: Operating System (Windows, Linux,Unix) and Utility Program (Antivirus).
1. Program designed to make user more productive. 2. Assist user to with personal task and perform specific information processing task such as writing term paper, and creating presentation slide, and writing and program. 3. Example: Microsoft Office 2007, Microsoft PowerPoint 2007,spreadsheets,games, inventory program.

Application Software

All computer system have a system unit. System unit contains most of the computers electronic components.

The basic components in the system unit, including the system board, microprocessor, memory, system clock, expansion slots and cards, bus lines, ports, cables and power supply units.
System board connects all system components to one

another.

Microprocessor controls operations and performs arithmetic and logical operations. Memory holds data, instructions, and information. System clock emits a beats or pulse that sets the operating pace for all of the components in the system unit. Expansion slots provide connections for expansion cards to the system board.
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 Expansion card allow external devices to connect to

and expand a computers capability.

Bus lines provide data pathways that connect various system components. Ports socket for external devices to connect to the system unit.

Cables connect exterior devices to the system unit via the ports.
Power supply unit converts AC (alternating current) to DC (direct current), providing power to the system unit.

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1.

Desktop system units

Typically contain the systems electronic components and selected secondary storage devices.
Input and output devices, such as mouse, keyboard and monitor are located outside the system unit.

2.

Notebook system units

Portable and much smaller. These system units contain the electronic components, selected secondary storage devices, and input devices (keyboard and pointing device). Located outside the

system unit, the monitor is attached by hinges.

Often called laptops.

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3.

4.

Table PC system units Similar to notebook system units. Highly portable device that supports the use of a stylus or pen to input commands and data. Handheld computer system units The smallest and are designed to fit into the palm of one hand. Also known as palm computer, this system contains an entire computer system, including the electronic components, secondary storage, and input/output devices. Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) are the most widely used handheld computers.

While the actual size may vary, each type of SU has the same basic system components including system board, microprocessor, and memory. However HOW DO WE AS HUMAN BEINGS COMMUNICATE WITH AND CONTROL ALL THIS ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY ???
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and I can. People follow instructions and process data using letters, numbers and special characters. For example: if we wanted someone to add the numbers 3 to 5 together and record the answer, we might say please add 3 and 5. However the system unit, is electronic circuitry and CANNOT directly process such a request because it CANNOT UNDERSTAND. Therefore Before any process can occur within the system unit, a conversion must occur from what we understand to what the system unit can ELECTRONICALLY process.

Computers cannot recognize information the same way you

What is the most fundamental statement you can make about ELECTRICITY ???
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It is simply this:
It can be either on or off. Indeed, there are many forms of technology that can make use of this two-state on/off, yes/no, present/absent arrangement.
For instance, a light switch may be on or off, or an electric circuit open or closed.

This is the reason, then, that a two-state or binary system is used to represent data and instructions.

What is the BINARY SYSTEM ???

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The decimal system that were all familiar with has 10 digits (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9). The binary system, however consists of only two digits (0 and 1). Each 0 or 1 is called a bit (short for binary digit). In the system unit, the 0 can be represented by electricity being off, and the 1 by electricity being on. In order to represent numbers, letters, and special characters, bits are combined into groups of eight called bytes. Each byte typically represents one character.

Now, let us consider an important question HOW ARE CHARACTERS REPRESENTED AS 0s AND 1s (off and on electrical states) IN THE COMPUTER ???

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The answer is by using of Binary Coding Scheme

Code ASCII (pronounced as-key) Uses stands for American Standard Code for Information Interchange. most widely used for Microcomputers

The most popular, use 8 bits (1 byte)

EBCDIC stands for Extended Binary (pronounced eb-seeoded Decimal Ia nterchange When you press key on C the keyboard, character is dick) Code. automatically converted into a series of electronic pulses developed by IBM and is used that the system can recognize. primarily for large computers Unicode a 16-bit code originally designed to support International languages like Chinese and Japanase.
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The system board is also known as the main board or motherboard. It is the communications medium for the entire computer system. Every components of the system unit connects to the system board. It acts as a data path allowing the various components to communicate with one another. For example, external devices such as the keyboard, mouse and monitor could not communicate with the system unit without the system board. It is a large flat circuit board covered with a variety of different electronic components including sockets, slots and bus lines.

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In a microcomputer system, the central processing unit (CPU) or processor is contained on a single chip called microprocessor. The microprocessor is brains of the computer system. It has two basic components:
1. Control unit :
Tells the rest of computer system how to carry out a programs instructions. It directs the movement of electronic signals between memory, which temporarily holds data, instructions, and processed information, and the arithmetic logic unit. It also directs these control signals between the CPU and input/output devices. Usually called ALU, performs two types of operations: arithmetic and logical. Arithmetic operations as you might expect, are the fundamental math operation (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division).

2. Arithmetic logic unit :

Logical operations consist of comparison of two pieces of data (=, <, >)

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Chip capacities are often expressed in word sizes. A word is the number of bits (such as 16, 32, or 64) that can be accessed at one time by the CPU. The more bits in a word, the more powerful and faster the computer is. Eight bits group together to form a byte. So, a 32-bit-word computer can access 4 bytes at a time. Then, a 64-bit-word computer can access 8 bytes at a time. (Therefore, the computer designed to process 64-bit-word is faster). The two most significant recent developments in microprocessors are: 1. 64-bit processor

powerful and faster microcomputer.

2. Dual-core chip
provides two separate and independent CPUs allows a single computer to run two programs at the same time parallel processing
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Memory is a holding area for data, instructions, and information.

Like microprocessors, memory is contained on chips connected to the system board.

There are three well-known types of memory chips:
1. Random-access memory (RAM)
Hold the program (sequence of instructions) and data that the CPU is presently processing. Called as temporary or volatile storage everything in most types of RAM is lost as soon as the microcomputer is turned off (also lost if there is a power failure or other disruption of the electric).

Cache memory or RAM cache improves processing by acting as a temporary high-speed holding area between the memory and the CPU computer detects which information in RAM is most frequently used. It copies that information into the cache. When needed, the CPU can quickly access the information from the cache.
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2. Read-only memory (ROM)

ROM chips have programs built into them at the factory. Unlike RAM chip, ROM chips are not volatile and cannot be changed by the user. Read only means that the CPU can read, or retrieve data and programs written on the ROM chip. However, the computer cannot write (encode or change) the information or instructions. Typically contain special instructions for detailed computer operations. For example: instructions to start a computer.
3. Complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS)

CMOS chip provides flexibility and expandability for a computer system. It contains essential information that is required every time the computer system is turned on - current date and time, amount of RAM, type of keyboard, mouse, monitor and disk drive. Unlike RAM, it is powered by a battery and does not lose its contents when the power is turned off. Unlike ROM, its contents can be changed to reflect changes in the computer system such as increased RAM and new hardware devices.
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The system clock is located on a small specialized chip that produces precisely timed electrical beats or impulses. The system clock emits a beat or pulse that sets the operating pace for all of the components in the system unit. A computers system clock has a fixed speed that cannot be varied. For that reason, a computer systems clock speed is an important measurement indicating the speed of processing or power of a computer system. The clock speed or clock rate for powerful microcomputers is measured in gigahertz (GHz) or billions of beats per second the faster the clock speed, the faster the computer can process instructions.

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Most microcomputers have open architecture allow users to expand their systems by providing expansion slots on the system board. Users can insert optional devices known as expansion cards into these slots. There are a wide range of different types of expansion cards. Some of the most commonly used expansion cards are:
1. Video cards: also known as graphics cards. These cards connect

the system board to the computers monitor. The cards convert the internal electronic signals to video signals so they can be displayed on the monitor. into a form that can be processed by the computer. These cards convert internal electronic signals to audio signals so they can be heard from external speakers.

2. Sound cards: accept audio input from a microphone and convert it

3. Modem cards: also known as internal modem. These cards allow

distant computer to communicate with one another by converting electronic signals from within the system unit into electronic signals that can travel over telephone lines and other types of connection.
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3.

4.

Network interface cards (NIC): also known as network adapter cards, are used to connect a computer to one or more other computers users can share data, programs and hardware. NIC typically connects the system unit to a cable that connects to the network. TV tuner cards: can watch television, capture video, and surf the internet at the same time.

Expansion cards fit into slots on the system board

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Figure 8: Bus

A bus line also known simply as a bus connects the parts of the CPU to each other. Buses also link the CPU to various other components on the system board. A bus is a pathway for bits representing data and instructions. The number of bits that can be travel simultaneously down a bus is known as the bus width. A bus is similar to a multilane highway that moves bit rather than cars from one location to another. The number of traffic lanes determines the bus width. A highway (bus line) with more traffic lanes (bus width) can move traffic (data and instructions) faster is an important factor relating to the speed and power for a particular computer. For example, a 64-bit bus is twice as fast as a 32-bit bus. Every computer system has two basic categories of buses: 1. System buses: connect the CPU to the memory on the system board. 2. Expansion buses: connect the CPU to other components on the system board.
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A port is socket for external devices to connect to the system unit. Some ports connect directly to the system board while other connect to cards that are inserted into slots on the system board. Many ports, like the mouse, keyboard, and video ports, are for specific devices. Others, like those listed below, can be used for a variety of different devices. 1. Serial ports: are used for a wide of purposes. They are often used to connect a mouse, keyboard, modem, and many other devices to the system unit. Send data one bit at a time and very good for sending information over a long distance. 2. Parallel ports: are used to connect external devices that need to send or receive a lot of data over a short distance. Typically send eight bits of data simultaneously across eight parallel wires. Mostly used to connect printers to the system unit.
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3.

Universal serial bus (USB) ports:

gradually replacing serial and parallel ports.
Faster, and one USB port can be used to connect several devices to the system unit.

4.

FireWire ports:
also known as high-performance serial bus (HPSB) ports. As fast as USB 2.0 ports and provide connections to specialized FireWire devices such as camcorders.

Ports 29

A computer (or computer system) is a set of tools that helps you perform information-processing tasks. Your computer tools are either hardware or software. Software

System software: for technology-specific and essential tasks. Application software: for specific tasks such as writing a paper or managing inventory.

Hardware

Input devices: such as a mouse for capturing information. Output devices: such as a printer for presenting information. CPU and RAM: your computers brain, for creating new information. Storage devices: such as a disk for storing information. Telecommunication devices: such as a modem for communicating information to other people. Connecting devices: such as a port for moving information around all your hardware.
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System unit contains electronic components. Four basic types are: desktop, notebook, tablet PC, and handheld.

Data and instructions can be represented electronically with a twostate or binary system of numbers (0 and 1). Each 0 or 1 is called a bit. A byte consists of eight bits and represents one character.
Binary coding schemes convert binary data into characters. Three such schemes are:

ASCII the most widely used for microcomputers.

EBCDIC developed by IBM; used primarily by larger computers. Unicode 16-bit code; originally designed to support international languages like Chinese and Japanese.

To be a competent end user, you need to understand how data and programs are represented electronically.
Additionally, you need to understand the functionality of the basic components in the system unit: system board, microprocessor, memory, system clock, expansion slot and cards, bus lines and ports.
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