Chapter 2

Looking Inside the Computer

System

Essential Computer Hardware

Computers use the same basic hardware
Hardware categorized into four types

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Parts of the Computer System

Computer systems have four parts
Hardware
Software
Data
User

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Parts of the Computer System

Hardware
Mechanical devices in the computer
Anything that can be touched
Software
Tell the computer what to do
Also called a program
Thousands of programs exist

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Parts of the Computer System

Data
Pieces of information
Computer organize and present data
Users
People operating the computer
Most important part
Tell the computer what to do

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Information Processing Cycle

Steps followed to process data
Input

Processing
Output
Storage

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How Computers Process Data

The CPU
Central Processing Unit
Brain of the computer
Control unit

Controls resources in computer

Instruction set

Arithmetic logic unit

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Simple math operations

Registers

Control Unit

All the computers resources are managed from the

control unit.
The logical hub of the computer
The CPUs instructions for carrying out commands

are built into the Control Unit.

The Arithmetic Logic Unit

All computer data is stored as numbers
Much of the processing involves comparing
numbers or carrying out mathematical operations.
Two types of operations: Arithmetic operations and

logical operations
Arithmetic operation include addition, subtraction,
multiplication and division
Logical operations include comparisons
--- one number is equal to, greater than, or less than
another number.

Mother board

(Random Access Memory) RAM

-- The CPU contains the basic instructions needed to
operate the computer
-- CPU cannot store the entire programs or large sets of
data Stores open programs and data
-- CPU needs millions or even trillions of of bytes space,
where it can quickly read or write programs
-- Area is called Memory
-- Small chips on the motherboard
-- More memory makes a computer faster

Nonvolatile memory (ROM)

-- Holds data when power is off
-- Contains the instructions that power the
devices
-- when a computer is on, it must know how to
start. ROM contains a set of start-up
instructions called Basic Input Output
System (BIOS)
-- BIOS ensure that whether the system is
functioning proplerly or not by doing a
routine check-up called Power On Self Test
(POST)

Computer Peripherals
Generic name given to all input, output, and
secondary storage devices that are part of a computer
system, but are not part of the CPU.
Three types of peripherals
Input peripherals
Out peripherals
Storage peripherals

Essential Computer Hardware

Input and output devices
Allows the user to interact

Input devices accept data

Keyboard, mouse

Output devices deliver data

Monitor, printer, speaker

Some devices are input and output

Touch screens

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Essential Computer Hardware

Storage devices
Hold data and programs permanently
Different from RAM
Magnetic storage

Floppy and hard drive

Uses a magnet to access data

Optical storage

CD and DVD drives

Uses a laser to access data

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Input peripherals
Keyboard

Pointing Devices
Pen-Based Computing
Speech Recognition Systems
Optical Scanning

Input peripherals
Electronic Mouse Moving mouse on pad moves cursor
on screen. Pressing buttons on mouse activates
activities represented by selected icons.
Trackball Stationary device with a roller ball on top
used to move cursor on screen.
Pointing Stick Small button-like device which moves
cursor in direction of pressure placed on stick.

Input peripherals
Touchpad Small rectangular touch-sensitive surface which

moves the cursor in the direction of finger moves on the pad.

Touch Screen Video display screen that emits a grid of

infrared beams, sound waves, or a slight electric current that

is broken when the screen is touched.

Input peripherals

Pen-based Computing
Pressure-sensitive layer under slate-like liquid crystal

display screen and software that digitizes handwriting,

hand printing, and hand drawing

Input peripherals

Optical Character Recognition

(OCR)
The machine identification of printed characters

through the use of light-sensitive devices.

Devices that read text or graphics and convert

them into digital input for your computer

Input peripherals

Magnetic Stripe

A magnetic stripe card is a type of card capable of storing

data by modifying the magnetism of tiny iron-based magnetic
particles on a band of magnetic material on the card.
Devices that read data stored in the magnetic stripe on the back of

cards.

Smart Cards
A smart card, chip card, or
integrated circuit card (ICC) is any
pocket-sized card with embedded
integrated circuits.
Smart cards can provide
identification, authentication , data
storage and application processing.
Smart cards provides strong
security authentication .
Devices that read a microprocessor
chip embedded in a card.

Output Technologies
Video Output
Printed Output

Voice Response

Monitor
The most common output device for a computer
system. The monitor is the piece of computer hardware
that displays the video and graphics information
generated by the computer through the video card.

Printed Output
Inkjet Printers

An inkjet printer is a computer output peripheral that

produces hard copy by spraying ink onto paper. A typical
inkjet printer can produce copy with a resolution of at least

300 dots per inch ( dpi ).

Laser Printers Laser printing is an electrostatic digital

printing process that rapidly produces high quality text and
graphics by passing a laser beam over a charged drum to define a

differentially charged image. The drum then selectively collects

charged toner and transfers the image to paper, which is then
heated to permanently fix the image. laser printer use an

electrostatic process similar to a photocopying machine

Storage Devices

A storage device is any computing

hardware that is used for storing, porting and

extracting data files and objects. It can hold and

store information both temporarily and

permanently, and can be internal or external to

a computer, server or any similar computing

device.

Direct vs. Sequential Access

Direct (or Random) Access Each storage position has a unique

address. Each storage position can be individually accessed

without having to search through other storage positions.
A direct-access storage device is any storage device in which "each

physical record has a discrete location and a unique address

Sequential Access Data are recorded one after another in a

predetermined sequence. Locating an individual item of data

requires searching the recorded data until the desired item is
located.
Sequential access is the only one way of accessing the data

Direct vs. Sequential Access

Magnetic Disks
Characteristics:
Fast
Large
Reasonably Priced
Used for Secondary
Storage

Types of Magnetic Disks

Floppy Disks single disk inside a protective jacket
Hard Disk Drives several disks, access arms and

read/write heads in a sealed module

Hard Disk Drives

Hard Disk Drives

Peripheral control interface (PCI)

A peripheral controller interface (PCI) is a type

of microcontroller component that is used in the

development of electronics, computers, robotics
and similar devices.
The PCI was designed to improve the

performance of I/O operations from a

computer's peripheral devices.
Connects audio, video and sound cards
Found in most modern computers

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Affecting Processing Speed

Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP)
The Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) is a
high-speed point-to-point channel for
attaching a video card to a computer
motherboard, primarily to assist in the

acceleration of 3d computer graphics.

Connects video card to motherboard
Extremely fast bus
Found in all modern computers

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Affecting Processing Speed

Universal Serial Bus (USB)
Universal Serial Bus (USB) is an industry standard
developed in the mid-1990s that defines the cables,
connectors and communications protocols used in a bus
for connection, communication, and power supply

between computers and electronic devices.

Most popular external bus

Connects external devices
Supports up to 127 devices
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Extending the Processors Power

Plug and play
In Computing a plug and play device is one with a
specification that facilitates the discovery of a hardware
component in a system without the need for physical
device configuration in resolving resource conflicts.
New hardware detected automatically
Prompts to install drivers
Non-technical users can install devices

 Millisecond Thousandth of a second

Microsecond Millionth of a second
Nanosecond Billionth of a second
Pico second Trillionth of a second
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 MIPS million instructions per second

Megahertz (MHz) millions of cycles per
second
Gigahertz (GHz) billions of cycles per
second

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