Introduction to

Computing
DR. Nadia Mustaqim Ansari
LECTURE 7: DATA REPRESENTATION AND PROCESSING
Recap
 Data projectors

 Sound systems

 Sound card

 Headphones

 Printers

 Types of printers

 Dot matrix printers

 Inkjet printers

 Laser printers

 Evaluating printers


Difference between Data
& Information
 The data consist of the raw numbers that computers
organize to produce information.
 A computer can group meaningless data into useful
information, such as spreadsheets, charts, and reports.

Data

Processin
g

Informati
on
Do computers understand
human data?
 NO!

 Computers recognize two distinct physical states

produced by electricity, magnetic polarity, or
reflected light.

 The CPU, which acts like the “ brain" of the

computer, consists of several million tiny electronic
switches, called transistors.

 In the world of computing, data is the term used to

describe the information represented by groups of
on/off switches.
Data Representation

 Data Representation refers to the form in which

the data is stored, processed, and transmitted.

 To a computer, everything is a number.

 Numbers are numbers

 Letters and punctuation marks are numbers

 Sounds and pictures are numbers

 Even the computer’s own instructions are numbers

Data Representation
(cont.)

Word
 This word may look like a string of alphabetic
characters to you, but to a computer it looks like
the string of ones and zeros.

w = 0111 0111

o = 0110 1111

r = 0111 0010

d = 0110 0100
Number Systems
 A number system is simply a manner of counting.

 From a very early age, we are introduced to the

concept of numbers and counting.

 We use the decimal number system.

 Also known as Base 10.

 When you need to represent a number greater than

9, you use two symbols together. (9 + 1 = 10).

 Each symbol in a number is called a “digit,” so 10 is a

two-digit number

 When all the 90 numbers are finished, then??

 As the numbers start to become longer the concept

Number Systems (cont.)

 In a computer, all data is represented by the state

of electronic switches.

 A switch has only two possible states, on and off,

so it can represent only two numeric values.
 OFF = 0

 ON = 1

 Because there are only two values, computers are

said to function in base 2, which is also known as
the binary number system.
 Bi means 2 in Latin.
Bits and Bytes

 A bit is the smallest possible unit of data a

computer can recognize or use.

 To represent anything meaningful (in other words,

to convey information), the computer uses bits in
groups.

 A group of eight bits is called a byte.

 A group of four bits is called a nibble.

 With one byte, the computer can represent one of

256 different symbols or characters because the
eight 1s and 0s in a byte can be combined in 256
Bits and Bytes (cont.)

 The byte is an extremely important unit because

there are enough different eight-bit combinations

to represent all the characters on the keyboard,

including all the letters (uppercase and

lowercase), numbers, punctuation marks, and

other symbols.

 Each letter is presented by one byte of data.

Text Codes

 The four most popular text code systems invented

are the following:

1) EBCDIC (Extended Binary Coded Decimal

Interchange Code)

2) ASCII (American Standard Code for

Information Interchange)

3) Extended ASCII

4) Unicode
Data Processing

 Data processing is the manipulation of data by

the computer.
 It includes the conversion of raw data to machine-
readable form, flow of data through the CPU and
memory to output devices, and formatting or
transformation of output.

 How computers process the data?

 Two components handle processing in a computer:

1. CPU

2. Memory
CPU

 The CPU is the brain of the computer where

the data is manipulated.

 The entire CPU is a single unit and is also

called a microprocessor.

 Every CPU has at least two basic parts:

1. Control Unit

2. Arithmetic and Logic Unit

CPU (cont.)

1. Control Unit (CU)

 All the computer’s resources are managed from

the control unit.

 Think of the control unit as a traffic signal

directing the flow of data through the CPU, as

well as to and from other devices.

 The control unit is the logical hub of the

CPU (cont.)

2. Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU)

 The computer can perform two types of operations:

arithmetic operations and logical operations.

 Arithmetic operations include addition, subtraction,

multiplication, and division.

 Logical operations include comparisons, such as

determining whether one number is equal to,

greater than, or less than another number.

CPU (cont.)

 Mostly the instructions of CU involve

moving data from one place to another.

 When CU receives an instruction involving

arithmetic or logical calculation, it sends
the instruction to the ALU.
 The ALU includes a group of registers which are
high-speed memory locations built directly into
the CPU that are used to hold the data currently
being processed.
CPU (cont.)

 Although the process is complex, the computer

can accomplish it at an incredible speed,

translating millions of instructions every second.

 CPU performance is often measured in Millions of

Instructions Per Second (MIPS).

Machine Cycle

 Each time the CPU executes an instruction, it

takes a series of steps.
 The complete series of steps is called a machine
cycle.

 A machine cycle is further broken down into:

1) Instruction Cycle
 Fetching

 Decoding

2) Execution Cycle
 Executing
Machine Cycle (cont.)

 Fetching: Before the CPU can execute an instruction,

the control unit must retrieve (or fetch) a command or
data from the computer's memory.

 Decoding: Before a command can be executed, the

control unit must break down (or decode) the command
into instructions that correspond to those in the CPU’s
instruction set.

 Executing: When the command is executed, the CPU

carries out the instructions in order by converting them
into microcode.

 Storing: The CPU may be required to store the results

Memory

 The CPU contains the basic instructions needed to

operate the computer, but it cannot store entire
programs or large sets of data permanently.

 The CPU needs to have millions of bytes of space

where it can quickly read or write programs and
data while they are being used.
 This area is called memory, and it consists of chips
either on the motherboard or on a small circuit board
attached to the motherboard.
Memory (cont.)

 There are two types of built-in memory: permanent

and nonpermanent.

 Some memory chips retain the data they hold, even

when the computer is turned off.

 This type of permanent memory is called nonvolatile.

 Other types of the memory in a computer lose their

contents when the computer’s power is shut off.

 This type of nonpermanent memory is called volatile.

Nonvolatile Memory

 Nonvolatile chips hold data even when the computer

is unplugged. In fact, putting data permanently into
this kind of memory is called “ burning in the data,”
and it is usually done at the factory. During normal
use, the data in these chips is only read and used—not
changed—so the memory is called Read-Only Memory
(ROM). Specifically, chips that cannot be changed are
called Programmable Read Only Memory (PROM).
PROM chips are often found on hard drives and
printers. They contain the instructions that power the
devices. These instructions, once set, never need to
be changed. When a computer is turned on, it must
know how to start. ROM contains a set of start-up
instructions called the Basic Input Output System
(BIOS) for a computer. In addition to booting the
machine, BIOS contains another set of routines, which
ensure that the system is functioning properly, and all
expected hardware devices are present. This routine is
called the Power On Self Test (POST).
Volatile Memory

 Volatile memory requires power to store data. The

volatile memory in a computer is called Random
Access Memory (RAM). When people talk about
computer memory in connection with
microcomputers, they usually mean the RAM.
RAM's job is to hold programs and data while they
are in use. Physically, RAM consists of chips on a
small circuit board. Single In-line Memory Modules
(SIMMs) and Dual In-line Memory Module (DIMM)
chips are found in desktop computers, while the
smaller, Small Outline DIMM (SO-DIMM) chips are
found in laptop computers. RAM is designed to be
instantly accessible by the CPU or programs. The
“random” in RAM implies that any portion of RAM
can be accessed at any time. This helps make
RAM very fast. Without the random abilities of
RAM, the computer would be very slow.
Class Activity 4 & 5
1) Define:
a) Number system
b) Base 10 number system
c) Base 2 number system
d) Volatile memory
e) Nonvolatile memory
2) Convert your roll number into 8-bit binary.
3) Convert 10001101 into decimal.
4) What is a machine cycle? Explain all the
steps of a machine cycle.
5) A CPU consists of how many parts? Name
them and explain their purpose.
6) What is a bit?
7) What is the difference between data and
information?
Homework

1. What is the importance of printing in our daily

life?
2. What is the importance of monitors in our daily
life?