INTRODUCTIO

ENGR. ANNALYN D.
SORIA
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTERS

Digital computers – it is a machine that will

accept data and information presented in its
required form, carry out arithmetic logical
operations, and then generate the required
results in an acceptable form.
Main characteristics of a computer:
1. Automatic 3. Electronic
2. Programmable 4. Digital
Brief History of computers

 Generation 0 (1940-1950) – this was the

experimental period when most of the
pioneering work was under taken in
universities in the US and UK.
1. ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and
Caculator) – built in 1943 by John Maulchy and J.
Presper Echert of Moore School of Engineering at
the University of Pennsylvania.
– It is a general purpose device programmable by
means of pluggable interconnections.
– Performs 5000 arithmetic operation per second.
– Used 19000 vacuum tubes and consumed 200
KW of electricity
2. EDVAC – built by John Von Neuman
- It uses the stored program computer concept
where a sequence of instructions are stored in a
memory and executed one by one by a central
processor.
3. IAS (Institute of Advance Studies) –built by John Von
Neuman in Princeton.
- it was a parallel machine and processed data in
words. It was the first parallel stored program
computer.
4. BINAC – made by Echert and Maulchy when they
founded their Echert Maucchy Corp.
- Other experimental machines during this period
were EDSAC and FERANT 1, Mark 1 from UK and
the Whirlwind 1 from MIT which was designed for air
traffic control and similar applications.
 Generation 1 (1950-1958) – the first
machines for commercial use were
developed and sold during this period.
These computers utilizes vacuum tube
technology.
1. UNIVAC – made by Echert and Mauchy after
BINAC was unsuccessful.
- The first to use magnetic tape storage and was
initially used for census applications in US.
2. IBM 701 – a machine designed for defense
and aerospace applications.
3. IBM 702 – a machine designed for business
applications.
4. IBM 704 – first successful designed first
generation computer
 Generation 2 (1958-1964) – the transistor
was invented and started the new era of
solid state computers and the emergence of
the supercomputer.
1. IBM 1401 – first transistorized computer
2. STRETCH – the next machine after 1401 was
proven successful.
3. LARC – a modification of UNIVAC and it was
also successful
4. DEC (Digital Equipment Corporation) –
introduced the first minicomputer, the PDP/1
and PDP/5, made possible by the integrated
circuit.
- new players entered the market such as
Honeywell Control Data, Philco Ford,
General Elecrric, NCR and RCA
 Generation 3 (1964-early 70’s) – the
integrated circuit was invented and this
increased the capacity and power of
computers and gave rose to the
minicomputer.
1. DECs, PDP/11, VAX 11/780 (one of the most
successful minicomputers)
2. IBMs 8/360 & 5/370
3. CDC 6600 – designed by Seymour Cray
under Cray research.
- it is a super computer and was under
control data.
4. CRAY 1 – designed by Seymour Cray.
- one of the most powerful computer in the
world during this generation.
 Generation 4 (80’s to present) – the
microprocessor was invented and desktop
computers emerged, distributed computing became
popular.
1. ALTAIR 8800 – first computer that utilizes
microprocessors
2. APPLE II – owned by apple computer
- One of the first commercially successful company.
- Joined by Commodore, Cormemco, Vector Graphics,
Osborne and North Star.
3. IBM PC – first desktop to hit the commercial
market
- more popular than apple macintosh
- a family of high performance desktop
computer called workstations also emerged.
These are power scientific applications using
RISK architectures.
Three Basic Elements of a
Microcomputer

1. CPU (central processing unit) – performs arithmetic

and logical operations.
- it also controls the system operation like data
transfer.
ALU (arithmetic logic Unit) – generally controls the
other elements of the microcomputer by means of
control signals and timing signals
2. Input/Output Devices – provide the communication
means between the microcomputer and the user.
3. Memory – for storing instructions, results of
operations and data
 - directly connected to the CPU
- it is where the programs reside before being
executed.
2 types of memory:
a. RAM (random access memory) – a volatile
memory
- must have continuous electrical power
- user’s memory
- types: SRAM (static RAM) and DRAM
(dynamic RAM)
b. ROM (read only memory) – non-volatile
memory
- contains first program to boot up
- automatically present: system boot up,
bootsrap program and system memory
- types:
a1. MROM (mask read only memory) – type of ROM
that is programmed by the manufacturer during
production. It cannot be reprogrammed.
a2. MPROM(mask programmable read only
memory) – type of ROM that is programmed by the
user and uses fusible links that are burned out during
programming stage. It cannot be reprogrammed.
a3. EPROM (Erasable programmable read only
memory)- a type of ROM that can be programmed
and reprogrammed by the user with application of
UV rays into a window type opening on the chips
design.
a4. EEPROM (Electrically erasable programmable
read only memory) – a type of ROM that can be
programmed and reprogrammed by the user with the
application of electric charges across the pins of the
IC chip.
2 types of programs

1. Transient program – stored in the RAM execution.

- changed due to the loading of different
applications and is temporary.
2. Resident program – found in the ROM
- executed automatically at boot up, used to run
other programs and is permanent.
SPC (Stored program computer) – programs/
instructions should be stored in the main memory
before it can be executed
Computer Codes

1. ASCII (american standard code for

information interchange) – 7 bit code
– Usually with an additional bit called “parity bit” and
the parity bit is located at the MSB.
2. EBCDIC (extended binary coded decimal
interchange code) – 8 bit code
- Designed primarily for the IBM computers
Three bus architecture

 The microcomputer uses three buses to

transfer data to and from one unit to another
thereby facilitating the proper execution of
program.
1. Address bus – unidirectional
- carries the memory address that must be
read or written
2. Control bus – unidirectional
- carries the signal that specifies the type of
operation to be performed.
3. Data bus – bidirectional
- carries the data that needs to be decoded
by the computer.