Components of a Computer Systems

Basic Parts of a Computer System

 Input  Processing  Output  Storage  Communications

Hardware
 A computer system consists of hardware and software. software.  Hardware is the equipment which makes up the computer system. (If you can touch it, its hardware!).  - input devices such as keyboard, mouse, joystick  - the Central Processing Unit (CPU) - which does all the processing  - output devices such as a printer, monitor, graph plotter  - backing storage devices such as disc drive, hard drive  - media such as discs, tapes, paper etc

Software
 Software - programs that tell the hardware how to work. Anything that can be stored is also called Software.  Operating System is the main program that controls the hardware and how all the software works.  Applications software instructs a computer to carry out a specific task.
 Word Processing programs,  Database programs,  Spreadsheet programs,  Graphics programs etc....  Computer game

Software
 Language Software instructions produced by programmers to create system and application software.  Machine Language- programming using Languagethe digits 0 and 1.  Assembly Language-use names instead of Languagenumbers  They do not run on other computers as they are specific to one CPU

Software - Language Software

 High-Level Languages they use Highkeywords similar to English. Can run on most types of computer.  Fourth-generation Languages 4GL Fourthare even closer to human languages and are often used to access databases.

CPU / Processor
 Processes all of the information and instructions used by a computer.  Enables the computer To carry out the instructions within the software To handle the control signals To carry out arithmetic operations to store data  Processor chip consists of millions of transistors whose on and off states represent 1 and 0 respectively.

How a Computer Works

Input Devices - Manual

 An input device is a piece of hardware that is used to enter data into a computer.  Keyboards  Mouse  Touchpad  Joystick  Concept Keyboard  Touch Screen  Scanner  Digital Camera  Graphics Tablet  Microphone

 Advantages  Most computers come with a keyboard supplied  People are used to using keyboards to enter data, they need very little training  A skilled typist can enter data very quickly  Specialist keyboards are available e.g. ergonomic, gaming keyboards      

Disadvantages It is easy to make mistakes when typing in data If you can't touch type, it can be time consuming to enter data Keyboards are not suitable for creating diagrams Disabled people often find keyboards difficult to use Excessive use can lead to R.S.I.

MOUSE
 A mouse is also called a 'pointing device' because it enables you to control what happens on the screen by moving the mouse on your desk and pointing, clicking and selecting items on the screen.  Recent versions of mice use 'optical' or 'wireless' technology to track mouse movement.

CONCEPT KEYBOARD
 A concept keyboard is a flat board that contains a grid of buttons. Each button can be programmed to do whatever you want.  Concept keyboards are used when fast input is needed and are ideally suited to selecting from a limited range of choices such as fast food restaurants. Checkout tills such as McDonalds use symbols to make ordering faster and easier.

JOYSTICKS
 Joysticks were originally used by pilots as part of an aeroplane's controls and the technology was developed to let computer gamers experience a more realistic game environment.

Graphics Tablet
 Graphics tablets are often used by graphics designers and illustrators.  Using a graphics tablet, a designer can produce much more accurate drawings.  A graphics tablet consists of a flat pad (the tablet) on which you draw with a special pen. As you draw on the pad, the image is created on the screen.

Touchpad
 A touchpad is an input device which is usually found on a laptop computer.  By dragging your finger over the surface of the touchpad, sensors underneath detect the movement direction and speed. The sensors only react to a fingertip and not a pencil or other object. There are usually two buttons next to the touchpad which are used to replace the left and right mouse button.

Touch screen
 A touch screen is the only device which works as both an input and an output device. You device. view the options available to you on the screen (output) and you then use your finger to touch the option that you have chosen (input).  Touch screens are easy to use and are often found in public places such as cash points at banks, ticket collection terminals at theatres or airports, information centres at museums.

Scanners
 Scanners can be used to convert images or text on paper into a digital format that can be used by the computer.  A scanner works by shining a beam of light onto the surface of the object that you are scanning. This light is then reflected back onto a sensor that detects the colour of the light. This is then used to build up the digital image.

Microphone
 A microphone can be used to input sound.  The sound is detected by the microphone and an electrical signal is transmitted to the computer. Special hardware is used to convert this analogue data into digital data so it can be stored and manipulated.

Digital camera
 A digital camera records images electronically on a memory card rather than on film as did the older models of camera. The images can be downloaded from the memory card onto a computer and then printed, stored or manipulated with a photo editing application.

Input Devices - Automatic

 MICR  OMR  OCR  Barcode Reader  Magnetic Stripe Readers  Biometric Devices  Sensors

MICR
 MICR stands for Magnetic Ink Character Recognition. Recognition.  Characters are printed using a special magnetic ink which contains iron oxide. As the document passes into the M.I.C.R. reader, the ink is magnetised, so that the shapes of the characters can be recognised electronically.  The main use of MICR is to input data from bank cheques.

OMR
 OMR stands for Optical Mark Recognition. Recognition.  OMR uses light to detect the position of black marks on white paper. The documents to be read have empty boxes pre-printed onto prethem. The user makes pencil or ink marks in the appropriate boxes. These forms are scanned by a special piece of equipment called an 'Optical Mark Reader' (OMR). they detect the presence of your pencil mark by reflecting light onto it. Less light is reflected where a mark has been made.  Eg: multiple-choice examination multiple-

OCR
 OCR stands for Optical Character Recognition. Recognition.  OCR is used for reading characters from paper, using scanners, and inputting them into a computer.  An OCR system consists of a normal scanner and some special software. The scanner is used to scan software. text on a document or piece of paper into the computer. The OCR software then examines the page and changes the letters into a form that can be edited or processed by a normal word processing package.  The shapes of different characters are detected by shining light on them, and sensing the patterns of reflected light. Each pattern is compared with a set of stored patterns until the closest match is found.

Bar Code Reader

 Bar code is a set of parallel printed lines of differing thicknesses which are used to store coded information about an item.  Bar codes are read using a Bar Code Reader, which Reader, can be in the form of a hand-held wand or a handstationary laser scanner over which the bar code is passed.  This method of data entry is used in big shops and supermarkets and in libraries.  A barcode reader is an automatic input device which is used to scan or 'read' the barcode by using a visible red light. The reflected light is translated into digital data that is interpreted by the computer to identify the product and price from the database.

ISBN
An International Standard Book Number consists of 4 or 5 parts: The parts of an ISBN barcode for a 13 digit ISBN, a GS1 prefix: 978 or 979 the group identifier code, (group of countries sharing a language) [3] the publisher code, the item number, and a checksum character or check digit.

    

Magnetic Stripe
 A magnetic stripe (or strip) is a short length strip) of magnetic tape sealed onto the surface or embedded in a ticket or card. The stripe usually contains information to identify the ticket or card or its user. The magnetic strip can hold personal details about the card number such as account number, name and Personal Identification Number (PIN). The strip can contain up to 60 characters, stored magnetically.  To swipe a card with a magnetic stripe means to move the card through a card reader so that the stripe can be read.  Credit / Debit Cards /Phone Cards

Magnetic Stripe
 You can pay for your shopping using credit/debit cards.  When you swipe the credit/debit card at the counter your account details and cost of goods are transferred into banking system.  This type of system is EFTPOS.

Magnetic Stripe
 Laser Cards Data is stored using CD technology. Each card can hold about 2 million characters.  Smart Cards These have very thin memory chips sealed into them. Some of the data in them can be changed. One card can store about 8000 characters.

Sensors
 Sensors are used to detect physical quantities outside a computer such as light, temperature and pressure. It can measure  temperature eg to control a heating system  light eg to control automatic street lighting  sound eg to measure noise pollution  infra red eg photo cells may be used to detect a break in a beam in a burglar alarm system.  proximity eg to make sure robots do not crash into walls  pressure eg to make sure robotic 'hands' do not grip an object too tightly.  humidity eg to control an environment in a tropical greenhouse.

Sensors
 Many measuring devices (sensors) can be (sensors) linked to computers. This requires special software and usually a special interface. interface. Some sensors are digital - they produce one of a distinct set of values.  Other sensors are analogue - they can produce any value within a given range of numbers.  Analogue signals would need to be converted to digital signals by an analogue-to-digital analogue-toconverter (ADC), before the computer can process the readings.

 They collect data automatically and usually at regular intervals. This data can either be transmitted immediately to the computer or can be stored for a period of time and a batch of readings sent in one go.  In order to process input from sensors, a device called an 'Analogue to Digital Converter' (ADC) must be connected between the computer and the sensor. This device converts the analogue signals from the sensors to digital data that the computer can process.

Biometric devices
 Finger print and retinal identification are being used in many places now and even facial recognition systems are starting to be introduced.  Special devices are needed to capture the biometric data which is then passed onto the computer for processing and identification.

HOMEWORK
 Page 17 Qns- 2, 3, 4, 5 Qns-

Output Devices
        

Monitors Printers Laser Printers Inkjet Printers DotDot-Matrix Printers Thermal Printers Plotters Speakers Lights

Monitor
 A monitor (or screen) is the most commonly used output device.  The picture on a monitor is made up of thousands of tiny coloured dots called pixels. The quality and detail of the picture depends on the number of pixels that the monitor can display. The higher the number of pixels, the better quality the output.  The two types of monitor that you need to know about are Cathode Ray Tube monitors (CRT) and Thin Film Transistor monitors (TFTs).

Cathode Ray Tube

 They are large and bulky and have a glass screen which makes them fairly robust and difficult to damage.  They produce quite a lot of heat so when you have an office with lots of them it could get quite warm. They are also fairly noisy compared to newer TFT monitors.

Thin Film Transistor

 TFT monitors used to be very expensive but now the price has come down they are beginning to replace all of the old CRT monitors.  They are quieter than CRT monitors and also create less heat.  On the down side they are easier to damage than CRT screens. A few sharp pokes at the screen with a pencil can cause lasting damage. Another disadvantage is that unless you have a very high quality TFT monitor, the colours and contrast are not so good as a CRT monitor and so the picture can look a bit dull.

Printers
 Printers are another common output device. They are used to create a 'hard' copy of your work i.e. something that you can hold, hand to someone else or file away.  Most printers produce their output on paper

Output Devices Laser Printers

 Laser printers use a process similar to a photocopying machine, with toner (very fine powder) being transferred to the page and then fused on to it by heat and pressure.  A laser printer produces output of high quality, and is virtually silent  Colour laser printers are expensive. They work by printing 4 times.....Once with Cyan toner, then with Magenta toner, then Yellow then Black.  Laser printers are used in many workplaces because they are quiet, they print a large number of sheets very quickly and they produce high quality documents.

Laser Printer
           Advantages High quality printouts - better than ink-jet or dot-matrix inkdotFast printouts - faster than ink-jet or dot-matrix inkdotPrints very quietly - quieter than ink-jet or dot-matrix inkdotCost per page is low - cheaper than ink-jet or dot-matrix inkdotDisadvantages Most expensive printer type to buy, especially colour lasers Toner is more expensive than ink-jet cartridges inkExpensive to repair - lots of complex equipment inside Fairly bulky - larger than ink-jet printers inkCan't use continuous or multi-part stationary to create carbon copies multilike you can with a dot-matrix printer. dot-

Output Devices Inkjet printers

 Inkjet printers produce an image by spraying ink onto the paper.  These printers use cartridges which contain ink. They operate by heating the ink as it flows through the nozzle. The heating process causes a small droplet of ink to form  They are cheaper than laser printers but can be expensive to run - the ink cartridges are not cheap.  They can produce good quality output on special paper.  Colour graphics may be produced by spraying cyan, magenta, yellow and black inks.  Good for home use

Inkjet Printer
Advantages Cheap to buy - cheaper than a laser printer More compact than a laser printer Cartridges cost less to replace than toners Produce good quality printouts better than a dot-matrix but not as good as a dotlaser  Speed - faster than a dot-matrix but not as fast as a laser dot     Disadvantages Noisier than a laser printer (but not as noisy as a dot-matrix) dotColour printing can be extremely slow Cost of printouts per page are more expensive than a laser printer Cartridges need to be replaced more often than a laser printer Ink will smudge while it is still wet Colours can become saturated and often don't look the same as on the screen  If not used for a while, the cartridges can dry out       

Output Devices Dot-Matrix Printer Dot They are also called 'impact printers'. The print head contains a grid of pins and different combinations of pins are pushed out to form different characters. The print head then hits a carbon ribbon leaving an imprint on the paper. This makes them fairly noisy as you can hear the pins striking the paper.

 Dot-matrix printers are ideal when you need carbon Dotcopies. copies. This is because the print head hits the paper with enough force that when carbonised paper is used, the impact makes a copy on the second sheet.
 They are also useful when continuous paper needs to be used for example printing large quantities of invoices or bills. They can be printed onto paper with perforations and then separated by tearing once the printing is complete.

DotDot-Matrix
      Advantages Relatively cheap to buy Low operating costs Can print on continuous stationary Create carbon copies using carbonated paper Robust and will work perfectly well in harsh or dirty conditions such as garages or factories.

 Disadvantages  Print quality is poor and important documents are not suitable to give to managers or customers  Very slow - slowest out of all three printers  Noisy - you wouldn't want one of these printing all day in the office  Cannot produce colour copies

Output Devices Thermal Printers

 Applies heat to heat-sensitive paper heat May be used to print receipts at POS terminals.

Output Devices Plotters

 Plotters are a specialist type of printer which is able to draw high quality images on very large pieces of paper, for example 3 foot paper, wide by 10 foot long.  A plotter differs from a printer in that it draws images using a pen that can be lowered, raised and moved across the paper to form continuous lines. The electronically controlled pen is moved around the paper by computer controlled motors.  There are plotters now which are 'pen-less'. 'penthese are used for creating high density drawings

Output Devices Plotters

 Flatbed plotters - These hold the paper still while the pens move.  Drum plotters - These roll the paper over a cylinder.  Pinch-roller plotters - These are a mixture Pinchof the two types above.

Output Devices Lights

 Lights such as LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) can be connected to a computer and respond to electrical signals which tell them to switch on and off.  Control devices such as lights, buzzers and motors are used when the computer is controlling a situation such as traffic lights.

Speakers
 Output Device for sound

MODEM
 MOdulator  DEModulator  Input and Output  Speed measured in Kilobits per second  ISDN Integrated services digital network  ADSL Asymmetric digital subscriber line

MODEM
 A modem converts a digital signal (as used by computers) into an analogue signal (as used by the telephone system) and vice versa.  Digital data has distinct values but analogue data can have any value in a continuous range.  This will allow a computer to send data down the telephone lines to another computer. Another modem will need to translate the analogue signal back into a digital signal so that the receiving computer can use the data.

MODEM
 There is no need for modems if the link between computers is digital  ISDN lines allow much faster connection between computers...but is more expensive.
(ISDN = Integrated Services Digital Network)

 Broadband allows greater bandwidth - this means more data can be sent at the same time giving faster communication.

MODEM
 analogue modem - really slow -The amount of data that can be transferred is approximately 56 kilobits per seconds.  ISDN -all-digital service -64 kbits per second all(connect two of them -128 kbits per second )  ADSL -512 kbits per second

HOMEWORK
 PAGE 19 Qn 4, 6  PAGE 21 Qns 1, 3

Storage Devices
 Data can be stored either in the 'internal memory' or on a 'storage device'.  The amount of data and instructions that can be stored is measured in 'bytes'.  One byte contains 8 bits (short for Binary Digit). This is the smallest unit of data that can be stored. Each 'bit' is represented as a binary number, either 1 or 0.  A single keyboard character such as the letter A or T takes one byte of storage.  We normally refer to the capacity of a storage device in terms of Kilobytes (KB), Megabytes (MB), Gigabytes (GB)

Storage Devices - Storage sizes

 Bit - Smallest unit of data, either a 0 or 1  Byte - 8 bits  Kilobyte (Kb) - Assumed to be 1,000 bytes. In reality, it is 1,024 bytes.  Megabyte (Mb) - 1,024 Kb  Gigabyte (Gb) - 1,024 Mb

Storage Devices - Storage sizes

 ROM  RAM  Hard Disk  Floppy Disk  Zip Disk  Magnetic Tape  CDs  DVDs  Flash Memory

Memory - Read Only Memory (ROM)

 ROM is a special kind of memory which stores the instructions which the computer uses when it 'boots up' - the BIOS (basic input output system). It allows it to check the type of hard disk installed, the amount of RAM installed, the type of CPU being used etc.  Because the data is 'read only', it can be read but not changed by the user.  The ROM chip (although there may be more than one) is attached to the Motherboard.  The key thing to remember about ROM is that the data is not erased when the computer is switched off. off. This type of memory is called 'non volatile memory.

ROM
 Rewritable ROM chips include PROMs (programmable read-only memory), readEPROMs (erasable read-only memory), readEEPROMs (electrically erasable programmable read-only memory). read A common variation of EEPROMs is called "flash memory".

Memory - Random Access Memory (RAM)

 RAM stands for Random Access Memory and is a memory chip which allows data to be stored on it (written) and accessed from it (read). It is used for temporary storage of data and programs.  RAM is volatile - all data stored in it is lost if the power is switched off.  As well as storing the data you are working on, RAM also stores the modules that are needed to make your applications work.

Homework
 Page 23 Qns 3, 4

Storage Devices - Hard Disk Magnetic Media

 The hard disk is the main storage device in your computer. It is like a filing cabinet: all of your data files and applications software are stored on it.  The hard disk contains a number of metal platters which have been coated with a special magnetic material. The data is stored in this magnetic material. Thus, the hard disk is known as a magnetic storage device.  In order to access the data, the platters spin many thousands of times a second and a magnetic read and write head floats just above the surface of the platter.

Storage Devices - Hard Disk

 The term 'hard disk crash', refers to the read/write head crashing down onto the surface of the hard disk. There is a risk every time this happens that the data stored in the section just where the head crashes might be damaged. That is why it is a bad idea just to switch the computer off at the POWER PLUG without shutting it down properly.  Hard disks are measured in Gigabytes. A typical hard disk size will be around 120 Gb.  It is possible to also have an external hard disk which can be plugged into the computer and used to back up your data and then stored in a different place to keep it safe.

Advantages/Disadvantages over floppy disks

 Access to data is faster than from floppy disks.  Hard discs store more data than floppy disks. (40 Gb drives are now common).  They are more reliable than floppy disks as they have more protection from dirt.  One disadvantage of a hard disc over floppy disk is that it is not portable - you cannot carry it round and use it on different computers.

Storage Devices - Floppy disks (Magnetic media)

 Used for storage on microcomputers.  Usually 3.5 inches in diameter. High density floppy disks can store 1.44Mb of data.  Access to data is slower than from a hard disk.  The data can be protected by opening a small writewrite-protect tab which prevents the contents of the disk being changed.  Floppy disks are portable and can be used for transferring data or programs from one microcomputer to another. backing up data from a hard disk.

Storage Devices - Zip disks

 Zip disks are pretty much obselete now.  Zip disks look similar to a floppy disk but are a little bit thicker.  You need a separate plug in drive, which is an extra expense.  They can store around 100Mb of data - 70 times more than a floppy disk.  Compresses data, reducing the file size, so more data can be stored

Storage Devices Magnetic Tape

 Large organizations who need to back up their systems daily tend to use magnetic tapes to store their data.  Magnetic tape uses 'serial access' to find a piece of data.  To find a specific piece of data, you have to start at the beginning of the tape and continue fast forwarding until you get to the piece of data that you need. This makes it fairly slow to find and retrieve data.

Storage Devices Magnetic Tape

Advantages  relatively cheap per megabyte of storage  can store large amounts of data - over 100 Gb  can be set up to do the back up overnight or over the weekend Disadvantages  serial access so can be quite slow to access data  need a special piece of equipment to record and read the data on the tape

What is Back-up?
 To Back up your files means to create copies of those files and to store those copies in any of the storage devices (alternative medium) safely .  If a computer system problem causes you to lose one or more files or if files are deleted by hackers , you can restore them from the backup.

Storage Devices CDs

 Compact disks are known as Optical storage devices.  Data is burned onto the surface of the disk using a laser beam in the CD drive. A laser beam is also used to read the data stored on the disk.  Stores around 650 Mb of data - equivalent to 450 floppy disks.  CD-ROM - CD Read Only Memory. CD CD-WORM - CD Write Once Read Many. CD CD-RW - CD ReWritable. CD-

Storage Devices CDs

Advantages  Small and portable  Very cheap to produce  Most computers can read CDs. If there is no CD drive, a DVD drive can usually read them  Fairly fast to access the data - quicker than a floppy disk or magnetic tape Disadvantages  Fairly fragile, easy to snap or scratch  Smaller storage capacity than a hard drive or DVD  Slower to access than the hard disk.

Storage Devices DVDs

 A DVD is similar to a CD in that it is an optical device and that a laser is used to store the data and read the data.  A single sided DVD can store about 4.7Gb of data. DVDs which store data on both sides can hold over 9Gb of data.

Storage Devices DVDs

Advantages  Very large storage capacity  Sound and picture quality is excellent, making them ideal for storing films with video and sound.  DVDs are now mass produced so they are relatively cheap  DVD players can read CDs Disadvantages  DVDs do not work in CD drives  There is no single standard of DVD  They can be easily damaged by breaking or scratching

Storage Devices Flash Memory

 Flash memory storage devices are typically small, lightweight, removable and rewritable. They consist of a small printed circuit board which is encased in plastic or metal casing.  They usually have a removable cap which covers and protects the part of the stick which is inserted into a USB port.  EEPROMs (electrically erasable programmable readreadonly memory).  Memory sticks are available from 32 Mb up to 2Gb.

Storage Devices Flash Memory

Advantages  They are more compact and portable than floppy disks or CDs/DVDs.  They hold more data than a floppy disk and nowadays often more than a CD.  They are more reliable than a floppy disk because they have no moving parts  They are being developed with fashionable looking outer casings and are almost becoming a 'fashion accessory' much in the way of a mobile phone.

Storage Devices Flash Memory

 Disadvantages  At the moment, the cost per megabyte of storage is more expensive than floppy disks, CDs or DVDs.  They can be easily lost.  The metal part which is inserted into the USB port can be snapped off if they are handled roughly.  REFER PAGES 22 - 25 in your text book book

Homework
 Page 24 qns 3, 4.