Introduction to Computers

Computer Hardware
Week # 02

Zohaib NoorAli Momin

INTRODUCTION
Definition Of Computer Electronic device that converts and process data It is controlled by hardwares and softwares

Hardware all the physical parts of the computer

Softwares All the parts of the computer that you cant touch Data, information and knowledge

Input and Output (I/O)

Input Devices
Keyboard Mouse Scanner

Dual-Function
Fax Machine Modems Network Cards

Output Devices
Printer Monitor

Processing: (CPU)
Performs the majority of processing Usually Intel or AMD Chips
Celeron, Athlon, Pentium, Xeon are brand names for these companies

fan on top of processor

Processing: CPU Clock Speed

Also called Frequency How fast the CPU can process data. Measured in GHz (gigahertz) 1.7 ~ 3.7+ GHz Billions of cycles per second

CPU TERMS
Cache: Internal memory in the CPU, housing frequently accessed data and instructions for superfast turnaround on memory requests. Clock speed: The speed at which a CPU executes its instructions, usually measured in gigahertz (billions of cycles per second); also known as the chip's "frequency. Code name: A company's nomenclature for a new series of chips; may refer to a processor lineup ("Gulftown" or "Deneb"), a microarchitecture (Intel's "Nehalem"), or a platform (AMD's "Dragon"). Core: The part of the processor that reads and executes program instructions

Multi-core systems
Multi-Core systems (ie Intel Core Duo) connect two CPUs together to the same die on the motherboard. A dual-core processor with two cores at 2GHz may perform very nearly as fast as a single core of 4GHz Intel core i7 Six cores

Processing: CPU Cache

A temporary storage area for frequently/recently accessed data Fewer requests to RAM and Hard Drive, speeds up the processing Measured in megabytes (MB) or kilobytes (KB), such as 512 KB

Processing: RAM Random Access

Volatile Temporary storage for all data and processes (programs) currently running Measured in type, size, speed,
Size: 1.0 GB + Speed: 600 MHz +

Processing: RAM Types

SDRAM
SDRAM stands for Synchronous RAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory). Standard in PC industry for memory (double data rate synchronous dynamic RAM) takes all the features of ordinary SDRAM and increases the frequency bandwidth to improve system performance and speed. (double-data-rate two synchronous dynamic random access memory) Its primary benefit is the ability to operate the external data bus twice as fast as DDR SDRAM.

DDR SDRAM

DDR2 SDRAM

Cache Ram:

Small block of expensive, high speed memory located between on the CPU or between the CPU and main memory

DIMMS and SIMMS

Single in line Memory Modules
Same electrical contact on both sides of the module 32 bit data path

Double in line Memory Modules

DIMMs have separate electrical contacts on each side of the module 64 bit data path 2 SIMMS = 1 DIMM

RAM Speeds
RAM speed is measured in ns (nano seconds). The fewer ns, the faster is the RAM. Years ago, RAM came in 120, 100 and 80 ns. Today, we are talking about 60 ns and faster

NIC Network Interface Cards

Network Adapter: provides the connection between computers on a network Networking hardware is the same for all desktop and laptop computers regardless of O/S NICs are rated by their speed in Mbps, or megabits per second. Common speeds are 10 Mbps, 100 Mbps, and 1,000 Mbps, or 1 Gbps. Faster is better and is more expensive.

Processing: Video Cards or GPUs

Generates and outputs images to a display Old Standard = 32 Megabytes New = 128 256 MB+
Needed to run DirectX 9 graphics built into Vista

Dedicated Graphics card most powerful Integrated graphics solution uses portions of RAM for graphics

Ports (cont)

Modem

Power

Firewire
Parallel (printer)

PS/2 (keyboard and mouse)

Ports (cont)

Video

Cat-5 (network)

USB Serial

Storage Devices Long term

Hard disks - Magnetic USB media Optical storage media
CD CDR CDRW DVD

Tapes? Zip disks? Floppy disks?

RAM vs Hard Drive

vs.
Electronic Very fast Expensive Small capacity Temp storage Magnetic Very slow Cheap Large capacity Long term storage

CPU, RAM, and the Hard Drive

Computer Longevity
Always buy as much CPU and RAM as you can afford Longevity will depend on usage Everyday business tasks require less processing power Graphics, multimedia, require large amts of CPU and RAM

Upgrading Computer Hardware

Add RAM Additional Hard Drive Capacity

Faster Video Card

Faster CPU

Classification of Computers
The most powerful and expensive computers are called supercomputers. They are used for special purposes, such as worldwide weather forecasting or weapons research, stock analysis, movie effects. Large computers called mainframes are used by large businesses such as banks, airlines, and large manufacturers to process very large amounts of data quickly. They are designed for multiple users.

Classification of Computers
Minicomputers are the next step down from mainframes in terms of power and capacity but are being squeezed between mainframes and powerful personal computers. Desktop computers are called personal computers (PCs), microcomputers, or sometimes home computers.

Classification of Computers
Workstations combine the compactness of a desktop computer with power that almost equals that of a mainframe. Notebook computers are small portable computers; somewhat larger, heavier versions are called laptop computers. Today notebook computers are competing with PCs.

Classification of Computers
Personal digital assistants (PDAs), also called penbased computers, are handheld computers that accept handwritten input directly on a screen. A network computer (NC), sometimes called simply a net computer or net box, operates in concert with a television set to access the Internet and send and receive e-mail.

Information Processing Cycle

Data is processed by CPU, sent to RAM, via BUS. Cache, GPUs, Expansion Cards

Take in data from keyboard, mouse, scanner, microphone, camera etc

Input

Processing

Store for later use on a storage medium: hard disk, floppy, USB, CD, DVD, etc

Storage

Output

Send processed data to monitor, printer, speakers, network

Basic Concepts of Hardware

Computer

Primary Memory

Input Units

CPU (Central Processing Unit)

Output Units

This model of the typical digital computer is often called the von Neumann computer. Programs and data are stored in the same memory: primary memory. The computer can only perform one instruction at a time.
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Basic Concepts of Computer Hardware

Input/Output (I/O): Refers to the process of getting information into and out of the computer.
Input: Those parts of the computer receiving information to programs. Output: Those parts of the computer that provide results of computation to the person using the computer.

Sources of Data for the Computer

Two types of data stored within a computer:
Original data or information: Data being introduced to a computing system for the first time.
Computers can deal directly with printed text, pictures, sound, and other common types of information.

Previously stored data or information: Data that has already been processed by a computer and is being stored for later use.
These are forms of binary data useful only to the computer. Examples: Floppy disks, DVD disks, and music CDs.

Input Devices
Input hardware: Those that deal with original data.
Keyboard Mouse Voice recognition hardware Scanner Digital camera

Digitizing: The process of taking a visual image, or audio recording and converting it to a binary form for the computer.
Used as data for programs to display, play or manipulate the digitized data.

Input Devices
Connecting Hardware to the computer: Hardware needs software on the computer that can service the device.
Device driver: Software addition to the operating system that will allow the computer to communicate with a particular device.

Input Devices
Common Basic Technologies for Storing Binary Information:
Electronic Magnetic Optical

Input Devices
Electronic Circuits
Most expensive of the three forms for storing binary information. A flip-flop circuit has either one electronic status or the other. It is said to flip-flop from one to the other. Electronic circuits come in two forms:
Permanent Non-permanent

Input Devices
Magnetic Technology
Two parts to most of the magnetic forms of information storage:
The medium that stores the magnetic information.
Example: Floppy disk. Tiny spots on the disk are magnetized to represent 0s and 1s.

The device that can read that information from the medium.
The drive spins the disk. It has a magnetic sensing arm that moves over the disk. Performs nondestructive reading.

Input Devices
Optical
Uses lasers to read the binary information from the medium, usually a disc.
Millions of tiny holes are burned into the surface of the disc. The holes are interpreted as 1s. The absence of holes are interpreted as 0s.

Input Devices
The four most important characteristics of storage devices:
Speed and access time Cost / Removable versus non-removable Capacity Type of access

Input Devices
Speed (Access time) - How fast information can be taken from or stored onto the computer memory devices medium.
Electronic circuits: Fastest to access.
40 billionths of a second.

Floppy disks: Very slow in comparison.

Takes up to 1/2 second to reach full speed before access is even possible.

Input Devices
Cost
Megabyte: A Million bytes. Gigabyte: A billion bytes. Two parts to a removable secondary storage device:
The cost of the medium. (Cheaper if bought in quantity) The cost of the drive.

Input Devices
Capacity - The amount of information that can be stored on the medium.
Unit 1 bit 1 nibble 1 byte 1 kilobyte 1 megabyte 1 gigabyte 1 terabyte Description 1 binary digit 4 bits 8 bits 1,024 bytes 1,048,576 bytes 1 million bytes 1,073,741,824 bytes 1 billion bytes 1 trillion bytes Approximate Size

1 character 1/2 page, double spaced 500,000 pages 5 million pages 5 billion pages

Input Devices
Type of Access
Sequential - Obtained by proceeding through the storage medium from the beginning until the designated area is reached (as in magnetic tape). Random Access - Direct access (as in floppy and hard disks).

Primary Memory
Primary storage or memory: Is where the data and program that are currently in operation or being accessed are stored during use.

Consists of electronic circuits: Extremely fast and expensive. Two types:

RAM (non-permanent)
Programs and data can be stored here for the computers use. Volatile: All information will be lost once the computer shuts down.

ROM (permanent)
Contents do not change.

Output Devices
DVD (Digital Versatile Disk)
Allows up to 17 gigabytes of storage (from 4.7 GB to 17 GB). Compatible with older CD-ROM technology. The four versions of the DVD:

Moving Information Within the Computer

How do binary numerals move into, out of, and within the computer?
Information is moved about in bytes, or multiple bytes called words.
Words are the fundamental units of information. The number of bits per word may vary per computer. A word length for most large IBM computers is 32 bits:

Moving Information Within the Computer

Bits that compose a word are passed in parallel from place to place.
Ribbon cables: Consist of several wires, molded together. One wire for each bit of the word or byte. Additional wires coordinate the activity of moving information. Each wire sends information in the form of a voltage pulse.
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Moving Information Within the Computer

Example of sending the word WOW over the ribbon cable

Voltage pulses corresponding to the ASCII codes would pass through the cable.

QUIZ TIME