Computer Fundamental

Lecturer: Prof. Satishkumar Mulgi

E-mail: [email protected]

Jul 28, 2024

 What is Computer?
 A computer is a programmable electronic device that accepts raw data as input and
processes it with a set of instructions (a program) to produce the result as output.
 It renders output just after performing mathematical and logical operations and can
save the output for future use. It can process numerical as well as non-numerical
calculations.
 The term "computer" is derived from the Latin word "computare" which means to
calculate.
 A computer is designed to execute applications and provides a variety of solutions
through integrated hardware and software components.
 It works with the help of programs and represents the decimal numbers through a
string of binary digits. It also has a memory that stores the data, programs, and
result of processing.
 The components of a computer such as machinery that includes wires, transistors,
circuits, hard disk are called hardware. Whereas, the programs and data are called
software.

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Block Diagram of Computer

3
 Functionalities of a Computer
 Step 1 − Takes data as input.
 Step 2 − Stores the data/instructions in its memory and uses them as required.
 Step 3 − Processes the data and converts it into useful information.
 Step 4 − Generates the output.
 Step 5 − Controls all the above four steps.

4
 Advantages of Computers
 High Speed
 Computer is a very fast device.
 It is capable of performing calculation of very

large amount of data.

 The computer has units of speed in microsecond,

nanosecond, and even the picosecond.

 It can perform millions of calculations in a few

seconds as compared to man who will spend

many months to perform the same task.
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 Advantages of Computers
 High Speed
 Computer is a very fast device.
 It is capable of performing calculation of very

large amount of data.

 The computer has units of speed in microsecond,

nanosecond, and even the picosecond.

 It can perform millions of calculations in a few

seconds as compared to man who will spend

many months to perform the same task.
6
 Advantages of Computers
 Accuracy
 In addition to being very fast, computers are
very accurate.
 The calculations are 100% error free.

 Computers perform all jobs with 100%

accuracy provided that the input is correct.

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 Advantages of Computers
 Storage Capability
 Memory is a very important characteristic of
computers.
 A computer has much more storage capacity

than human beings.

 It can store large amount of data.

 It can store any type of data such as images,

videos, text, audio, etc.

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 Advantages of Computers
 Diligence
 Unlike human beings, a computer is free
from monotony, tiredness, and lack of
concentration.
 It can work continuously without any error

and boredom.
 It can perform repeated tasks with the same

speed and accuracy.

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 Advantages of Computers
 Versatility
 A computer is a very versatile machine.
 A computer is very flexible in performing

the jobs to be done.

 This machine can be used to solve the

problems related to various fields.

 At one instance, it may be solving a

complex scientific problem and the very

next moment it may be playing a card game.
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 Advantages of Computers
 Reliability
 A computer is a reliable machine.
 Modern electronic components have long

lives.
 Computers are designed to make
maintenance easy.

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 Advantages of Computers
 Automation
 Computer is an automatic machine.
 Automation is the ability to perform a given

task automatically. Once the computer

receives a program i.e., the program is
stored in the computer memory, then the
program and instruction can control the
program execution without human
interaction.
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 Advantages of Computers
 Reduction in Paper Work and Cost
 The use of computers for data processing in an
organization leads to reduction in paper work
and results in speeding up the process.
 As data in electronic files can be retrieved as

and when required, the problem of maintenance

of large number of paper files gets reduced.
 Though the initial investment for installing a

computer is high, it substantially reduces the

cost of each of its transaction. 13
 Disadvantages of Computers
 No I.Q.
 A computer is a machine that has no
intelligence to perform any task.
 Each instruction has to be given to the

computer.
 A computer cannot take any decision on its

own.

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 Advantages of Computers
 Dependency
 It functions as per the user’s instruction, thus
it is fully dependent on humans.

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 Advantages of Computers
 No Feeling
 Computers have no feelings or emotions.
 It cannot make judgment based on feeling,

taste, experience, and knowledge unlike

humans.

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 Computer - Applications
 Business
 A computer has high speed of calculation,
diligence, accuracy, reliability, or versatility
which has made it an integrated part in all
business organizations.
 Computer is used in business organizations for −

 Payroll calculations
 Budgeting

 Sales analysis

 Financial forecasting

 Managing employee database

 Maintenance of stocks, etc.

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 Computer - Applications
 Banking
 Today, banking is almost totally dependent on
computers.
 Banks provide the following facilities −

 Online accounting facility, which includes

checking current balance, making deposits and
overdrafts, checking interest charges, shares,
and trustee records.
 ATM machines which are completely
automated are making it even easier for
customers to deal with banks.
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 Computer - Applications
 Insurance
 Insurance companies are keeping all records up-to-date
with the help of computers. Insurance companies, finance
houses, and stock broking firms are widely using
computers for their concerns.
 Insurance companies are maintaining a database of all
clients with information showing −
 Procedure to continue with policies
 Starting date of the policies
 Next due installment of a policy
 Maturity date
 Interests due
 Survival benefits
 Bonus
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 Computer - Applications
 Education
 The computer helps in providing a lot of facilities in the
education system.
 The computer provides a tool in the education system
known as CBE (Computer Based Education).
 CBE involves control, delivery, and evaluation of
learning.
 Computer education is rapidly increasing the graph of
number of computer students.
 There are a number of methods in which educational
institutions can use a computer to educate the students.
 It is used to prepare a database about performance of a
student and analysis is carried out on this basis.
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 Advantages of Computers
 Marketing
 In marketing, uses of the computer are following
−
 Advertising − With computers, advertising
professionals create art and graphics, write and
revise copy, and print and disseminate ads with the
goal of selling more products.
 Home Shopping − Home shopping has been made

possible through the use of computerized

catalogues that provide access to product
information and permit direct entry of orders to be
filled by the customers. 21
 Advantages of Computers
 Healthcare
 Computers have become an important part in hospitals, labs, and
dispensaries. They are being used in hospitals to keep the record of
patients and medicines. It is also used in scanning and diagnosing
different diseases. ECG, EEG, ultrasounds and CT scans, etc. are also
done by computerized machines.
 Following are some major fields of health care in which computers
are used.
 Diagnostic System − Computers are used to collect data and identify
the cause of illness.
 Lab-diagnostic System − All tests can be done and the reports are
prepared by computer.
 Patient Monitoring System − These are used to check the patient's
signs for abnormality such as in Cardiac Arrest, ECG, etc.
 Pharma Information System − Computer is used to check drug labels,
expiry dates, harmful side effects, etc.
 Surgery − Nowadays, computers are also used in performing surgery.

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 Advantages of Computers
 Engineering Design
 Computers are widely used for Engineering purpose.
 One of the major areas is CAD (Computer Aided Design)
that provides creation and modification of images. Some
of the fields are −
 Structural Engineering − Requires stress and strain analysis
for design of ships, buildings, budgets, airplanes, etc.
 Industrial Engineering − Computers deal with design,
implementation, and improvement of integrated systems of
people, materials, and equipment.
 Architectural Engineering − Computers help in planning
towns, designing buildings, determining a range of buildings
on a site using both 2D and 3D drawings.

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 Advantages of Computers
 Military
 Computers are largely used in defence.
Modern tanks, missiles, weapons, etc.
Military also employs computerized control
systems. Some military areas where a
computer has been used are −
 Missile Control

 Military Communication

 Military Operation and Planning

 Smart Weapons 24
 Advantages of Computers
 Communication
 Communication is a way to convey a message,
an idea, a picture, or speech that is received and
understood clearly and correctly by the person
for whom it is meant. Some main areas in this
category are −
 E-mail
 Chatting

 Usenet

 FTP

 Telnet
 Video-conferencing
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 Advantages of Computers
 Government
 Computers play an important role in government
services. Some major fields in this category are
−
 Budgets
 Sales tax department

 Income tax department

 Computation of male/female ratio

 Computerization of voters lists

 Computerization of PAN card

 Weather forecasting 26
 Computer - Generations
 Generation in computer terminology is a
change in technology a computer is/was
being used. Initially, the generation term was
used to distinguish between varying
hardware technologies. Nowadays,
generation includes both hardware and
software, which together make up an entire
computer system.
 There are five computer generations known

till date.
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 Computer - Generations
 First GenerationThe period of first generation:
1946-1959. Vacuum tube based.
 Second GenerationThe period of second
generation: 1959-1965. Transistor based.
 Third GenerationThe period of third generation:
1965-1971. Integrated Circuit based.
 Fourth GenerationThe period of fourth
generation: 1971-1980. VLSI microprocessor
based.
 Fifth GenerationThe period of fifth generation:
1980-onwards. ULSI microprocessor based. 28
 Computer - Types
 PC (Personal Computer) :
 It is a single user computer system having moderately powerful
microprocessor
 Workstation :
 It is also a single user computer system, similar to personal computer
however has a more powerful microprocessor.
 Mini Computer:
 It is a multi-user computer system, capable of supporting hundreds of
users simultaneously.
 Main Frame:
 It is a multi-user computer system, capable of supporting hundreds of
users simultaneously. Software technology is different from
minicomputer.
 Supercomputer:
 It is an extremely fast computer, which can execute hundreds of
millions of instructions per second.
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 PC (Personal Computer)
 A PC can be defined as a small, relatively inexpensive
computer designed for an individual user. PCs are based on
the microprocessor technology that enables manufacturers
to put an entire CPU on one chip. Businesses use personal
computers for word processing, accounting, desktop
publishing, and for running spreadsheet and database
management applications. At home, the most popular use
for personal computers is playing games and surfing the
Internet.
 Although personal computers are designed as single-user
systems, these systems are normally linked together to form
a network. In terms of power, now-a-days high-end models
of the Macintosh and PC offer the same computing power
and graphics capability as low-end workstations by Sun
Microsystems, Hewlett-Packard, and Dell.
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PC (Personal Computer)

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 Workstation
 Workstation is a computer used for engineering applications
(CAD/CAM), desktop publishing, software development, and other
such types of applications which require a moderate amount of
computing power and relatively high quality graphics capabilities.
 Workstations generally come with a large, high-resolution graphics
screen, large amount of RAM, inbuilt network support, and a
graphical user interface. Most workstations also have mass storage
device such as a disk drive, but a special type of workstation, called
diskless workstation, comes without a disk drive.
 Common operating systems for workstations are UNIX and
Windows NT. Like PC, workstations are also single-user computers
like PC but are typically linked together to form a local-area
network, although they can also be used as stand-alone systems.

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Workstation

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 Minicomputer
 It is a midsize multi-processing system
capable of supporting up to 250 users
simultaneously.

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 Mainframe
 Mainframe is very large in size and is an
expensive computer capable of supporting
hundreds or even thousands of users
simultaneously. Mainframe executes
many programs concurrently and supports
many simultaneous execution of
programs.

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Mainframe

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 Supercomputer
 Supercomputers are one of the fastest
computers currently available.
Supercomputers are very expensive and
are employed for specialized applications
that require immense amount of
mathematical calculations (number
crunching).

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SuperComputer

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Computer - Components

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 Input Unit
 This unit contains devices with the help
of which we enter data into the computer.
This unit creates a link between the user
and the computer. The input devices
translate the information into a form
understandable by the computer.

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 CPU (Central Processing Unit)
 CPU is considered as the brain of the
computer. CPU performs all types of data
processing operations. It stores data,
intermediate results, and instructions
(program). It controls the operation of all
parts of the computer.
 CPU itself has the following three
components −
 ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit)
 Memory Unit

 Control Unit

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 Output Unit
 The output unit consists of devices with
the help of which we get the information
from the computer. This unit is a link
between the computer and the users.
Output devices translate the computer's
output into a form understandable by the
users.

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 Computer - CPU(Central Processing Unit)
 Central Processing Unit (CPU) consists of
the following features −
 CPU is considered as the brain of the
computer.
 CPU performs all types of data processing

operations.
 It stores data, intermediate results, and

instructions (program).
 It controls the operation of all parts of the

computer. 43
CPU(Central Processing Unit)

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 Memory or Storage Unit
 This unit can store instructions, data, and intermediate
results. This unit supplies information to other units of the
computer when needed. It is also known as internal storage
unit or the main memory or the primary storage or Random
Access Memory (RAM).
 Its size affects speed, power, and capability. Primary
memory and secondary memory are two types of memories
in the computer. Functions of the memory unit are −
 It stores all the data and the instructions required for
processing.
 It stores intermediate results of processing.
 It stores the final results of processing before these results
are released to an output device.
 All inputs and outputs are transmitted through the main
memory. 45
 Control Unit
 This unit controls the operations of all parts of the
computer but does not carry out any actual data
processing operations.
 Functions of this unit are −
 It is responsible for controlling the transfer of data and
instructions among other units of a computer.
 It manages and coordinates all the units of the
computer.
 It obtains the instructions from the memory, interprets
them, and directs the operation of the computer.
 It communicates with Input/Output devices for
transfer of data or results from storage.
 It does not process or store data. 46
 ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit)
 Arithmetic Section
 Function of arithmetic section is to perform
arithmetic operations like addition,
subtraction, multiplication, and division. All
complex operations are done by making
repetitive use of the above operations.
 Logic Section
 Function of logic section is to perform logic
operations such as comparing, selecting,
matching, and merging of data. 47
 Computer - Input Devices
 Keyboard
 Mouse
 Joy Stick
 Light pen
 Track Ball
 Scanner
 Graphic Tablet
 Microphone
 Magnetic Ink Card Reader(MICR)
 Optical Character Reader(OCR)
 Bar Code Reader
 Optical Mark Reader(OMR) 48
49
50
 Computer - Output Devices
 Monitors
 Graphic Plotter
 Printer

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52
 What is Computer Hardware?
 Hardware, which is abbreviated as HW, refers to all
physical components of a computer system, including the
devices connected to it. You cannot create a computer or
use software without using hardware. The screen on
which you are reading this information is also a hardware.
 Some of the commonly used hardware in your computer
are described below:
 Motherboard
 Monitor
 Keyboard
 Mouse

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 Motherboard:
 The motherboard is generally a thin circuit board that holds
together almost all parts of a computer except input and output
devices. All crucial hardware like CPU, memory, hard drive,
and ports for input and output devices are located on the
motherboard. It is the biggest circuit board in a computer
chassis.
 It allocates power to all hardware located on it and enables
them to communicate with each other. It is meant to hold the
computer's microprocessor chip and let other components
connect to it. Each component that runs the computer or
improves its performance is a part of the motherboard or
connected to it through a slot or port.
 There can be different types of motherboards based on the type
and size of the computers. So, a specific motherboard can work
only with specific types of processors and memory. 54
 Components of a Motherboard:
 CPU Slot: It is provided to install the CPU. It is a link between a
microprocessor and a motherboard. It facilitates the use of CPU and
prevents the damage when it is installed or removed. Furthermore, it
is provided with a lock to prevent CPU movement and a heat sink to
dissipate the extra heat.
 RAM Slot: It is a memory slot or socket provided in the
motherboard to insert or install the RAM (Random Access Memory).
There can be two or more memory slots in a computer.
 Expansion Slot: It is also called the bus slot or expansion port. It is
a connection or port on the motherboard, which provides an
installation point to connect a hardware expansion card, for example,
you can purchase a video expansion card and install it into the
expansion slot and then can install a new video card in the computer.
Some of the common expansion slots in a computer are AGP, AMR,
CNR, PCI, etc.
 Capacitor: It is made of two conductive plates, and a thin insulator
sandwiched between them. These parts are wrapped in a plastic
container. 55
 Components of a Motherboard:
 Inductor (Coil): It is an electromagnetic coil made of a conducting wire wrapped
around an iron core. It acts as an inductor or electromagnet to store magnetic
energy.
 Northbridge: It is an integrated circuit that allows communications between the
CPU interface, AGP, and memory. Furthermore, it also allows the southbridge chip
to communicate with the RAM, CPU, and graphics controller.
 USB Port: It allows you to connect hardware devices like mouse, keyboard to your
computer.
 PCI Slot: It stands for Peripheral Component Interconnect slot. It allows you to
connect the PCI devices like modems, network hardware, sound, and video cards.
 AGP Slot: It stands for Accelerated Graphics Port. It provides the slot to connect
graphics cards.
 Heat Sink: It absorbs and disperses the heat generated in the computer processor.
 Power Connector: It is designed to supply power to the motherboard.
 CMOS battery: It stands for complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor. It is a
memory that stores the BIOS settings such as time, date, and hardware settings.
56
 Monitor
 A monitor is the display unit of a computer on which the processed data, such as
text, images, etc., is displayed. It comprises a screen circuity and the case which
encloses this circuity. The monitor is also known as a visual display unit (VDU).
 Types of Monitors:
 CRT Monitor: It has cathode ray tubes which produce images in the form of video
signals. Its main components are electron gun assembly, deflection plate assembly,
glass envelope, fluorescent screen, and base.
 LCD Monitor: It is a flat panel screen. It uses liquid crystal display technology to
produce images on the screen. Advanced LEDs have thin-film transistors with
capacitors and use active-matrix technology, which allows pixels to retain their
charge.
 LED Monitor: It is an advanced version of an LCD monitor. Unlike an LCD
monitor, which uses cold cathode fluorescent light to backlight the display, it has
LED panels, each of which has lots of LEDs to display the backlight.
 Plasma Monitor: It uses plasma display technology that allows it to produce high
resolutions of up to 1920 X 1080, wide viewing angle, a high refresh rate,
outstanding contrast ration, and more. 57
 Software
 Software, which is abbreviated as SW or S/W, is a set of programs
that enables the hardware to perform a specific task. All the programs
that run the computer are software. The software can be of three
types: system software, application software, and programming
software.
 System Software
 Operating System:

58
 Software
 BIOS: It stands for basic input output system. It is a type of system software, which
is stored in Read Only Memory (ROM) located on the motherboard. However, in
advanced computer systems, it is stored in flash memory. BIOS is the first software
that gets activated when you turn on your computer system. It loads the drivers of
the hard disk into memory as well as assists the operating system to load itself into
the memory.
 Boot Program: Boot refers to starting up a computer. When you switch on the
computer, the commands in the ROM are executed automatically to load the boot
program into memory and execute its instructions. The BIOS program has a basic
set of commands that enables the computer to perform the basic input/output
instructions to start the computer.
 An assembler: It plays the role of a converter as it receives basic computer
instructions and converts them into a pattern of bits. The processor uses these bits to
perform basic operations.
 A device driver: This system software controls hardware devices connected to a
computer. It enables the computer to use the hardware by providing an appropriate
interface. The kernel of a Computer's CPU communicates with different hardware
through this software. Operating systems generally come with most of the device
drivers. If the operating system does not have a device driver for hardware, you
have to install the device driver before using that hardware device.
59
 Application Software:
 Application software is a set of programs designed to
perform a specific task. It does not control the working of a
computer as it is designed for end-users. A computer can
run without application software. Application software can
be easily installed or uninstalled as required. It can be a
single program or a collection of small programs.
Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Photoshop, and any other
software like payroll software or income tax software are
application software. As we know, they are designed to
perform specific tasks. Accordingly, they can be of
different types such as:
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 Application Software:
 Word Processing Software: This software allows users to create, edit,
format, and manipulate the text and more. It offers lots of options for writing
documents, creating images, and more. For example, MS Word, WordPad,
Notepad, etc.
 Spreadsheet Software: It is designed to perform calculations, store data,
create charts, etc. It has rows and columns, and the data is entered in the cell,
which is an intersection of a row and column, e.g., Microsoft Excel.
 Multimedia Software: These software are developed to perform editing of
video, audio, and text. It allows you to combine texts, videos, audio, and
images. Thus, you can improve a text document by adding photos,
animations, graphics, and charts through multimedia software. For example,
VLC player, Window Media Player, etc.
 Enterprise Software: These software are developed for business
operational functions. It is used in large organizations where the quantum of
business is too large. It can be used for accounting, billing, order processing
and more. For example, CRM (Customer Relationship Management), BI
(Business Intelligence), ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), SCM (Supply
Chain Management), customer support system, and more.
61
 Programming Software:
 It is a set or collection of tools that help developers in writing
other software or programs. It assists them in creating,
debugging, and maintaining software or programs or
applications. We can say that these are facilitator software that
helps translate programming language such as Java, C+
+, Python, etc., into machine language code. So, it is not used by
end-users. For example, compilers, linkers, debuggers,
interpreters, text editors, etc. This software is also called a
programming tool or software development tool.
 Some examples of programming software include:
 Eclipse: It is a java language editor.
 Coda: It is a programming language editor for Mac.
 Notepad++: It is an open-source editor for windows.
 Sublime text: It is a cross-platform code editor for Linux, Mac,
and Windows.
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 Computer - Memory
 A memory is just like a human brain. It is used to store data
and instructions. Computer memory is the storage space in
the computer, where data is to be processed and instructions
required for processing are stored. The memory is divided
into large number of small parts called cells. Each location
or cell has a unique address, which varies from zero to
memory size minus one. For example, if the computer has
64k words, then this memory unit has 64 * 1024 = 65536
memory locations. The address of these locations varies
from 0 to 65535.
 Memory is primarily of three types −
 Cache Memory
 Primary Memory/Main Memory
 Secondary Memory
63
 Cache Memory
 Cache memory is a very high speed
semiconductor memory which can speed up
the CPU. It acts as a buffer between the CPU
and the main memory. It is used to hold those
parts of data and program which are most
frequently used by the CPU. The parts of data
and programs are transferred from the disk to
cache memory by the operating system, from
where the CPU can access them.
64
Cache Memory

Cache Memory

65
 Cache Memory
 Advantages
 The advantages of cache memory are as follows −
 Cache memory is faster than main memory.
 It consumes less access time as compared to main
memory.
 It stores the program that can be executed within a
short period of time.
 It stores data for temporary use.
 Disadvantages
 The disadvantages of cache memory are as follows −
 Cache memory has limited capacity.
 It is very expensive. 66
 Primary Memory (Main Memory)
 Primary memory holds only those data and
instructions on which the computer is
currently working. It has a limited capacity
and data is lost when power is switched off. It
is generally made up of semiconductor device.
These memories are not as fast as registers.
The data and instruction required to be
processed resides in the main memory. It is
divided into two subcategories RAM and
ROM. 67
68
 Primary Memory (Main Memory)
 These are semiconductor memories.
 It is known as the main memory.
 Usually volatile memory.
 Data is lost in case power is switched off.
 It is the working memory of the computer.
 Faster than secondary memories.
 A computer cannot run without the primary
memory
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 Computer - Input Devices
 Keyboard
 Mouse
 Joy Stick
 Light pen
 Track Ball
 Scanner
 Graphic Tablet
 Microphone
 Magnetic Ink Card Reader(MICR)
 Optical Character Reader(OCR)
 Bar Code Reader
 Optical Mark Reader(OMR) 70
 Computer - Input Devices
 Keyboard
 Mouse
 Joy Stick
 Light pen
 Track Ball
 Scanner
 Graphic Tablet
 Microphone
 Magnetic Ink Card Reader(MICR)
 Optical Character Reader(OCR)
 Bar Code Reader
 Optical Mark Reader(OMR) 71
 Computer - Input Devices
 Keyboard
 Mouse
 Joy Stick
 Light pen
 Track Ball
 Scanner
 Graphic Tablet
 Microphone
 Magnetic Ink Card Reader(MICR)
 Optical Character Reader(OCR)
 Bar Code Reader
 Optical Mark Reader(OMR) 72
 Computer - Input Devices
 Keyboard
 Mouse
 Joy Stick
 Light pen
 Track Ball
 Scanner
 Graphic Tablet
 Microphone
 Magnetic Ink Card Reader(MICR)
 Optical Character Reader(OCR)
 Bar Code Reader
 Optical Mark Reader(OMR) 73
Thank you!