INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE AND NETWORK

TUTORIAL 4.1 – COMPUTER COMPONENT – PART 1: HARDWARE

Answer All Questions

This is an individual tutorial. You need to show and submit your work for all questions.

1. Label the following components in the system unit.

CPU POWER SUPPLY FAN HARD DRIVE

EXPANSION CARDS DRIVE BAYS

EXPANSION SLOTS
DVD DRIVE

MOTHERBOARD
FLASH MEMORY
CARD READER
MEMORY (RAM) MODULES
MEMORY SLOTS
USB PORT

2. Describe the full machine cycle in the CPU when you input a Mathematic
question into the computer for calculation.
I. The control unit fetches the math problem’s instructions and data from memory
II. The control unit decodes the math problem’s instructions and sends the instructions and
data to the ALU
III. The ALU performs calculations on the data
IV. The result of the math problem are stored in memory
V. The results in memory appear on the screen of the monitor
 3. Differentiate between volatile and non-volatile memory, and give one example for
each.

VOLATILE MEMORY NON-VOLATILE MEMORY

Loses its content when computer is turned off
Used to hold data while it is being processed, and
program while it is being executed
Example: Random Access Memory (RAM)
Does not lose its content when computer is turned
off
Used to store instructions during computer set up,
called the firmware
Example: Read-only Memory (ROM)

4. Research on what OCR, OMR, MICR, RFID, and NFC readers are and what do
they do as an input device.

TYPE OF READER DESCRIPTION FUNCTION

Optical Character Consist of scanner with software to
Reader (OCR) scan text on paper into a computer
in digital format
Optical Mark Reader System which automatically reads
(OMR) marks made in pen or pencil
Magnetic Ink Character A system which can read
Recognition (MICR) information printed in a special ink
(containing iron particles).
Radio Frequency Data chip can be read within a
Identification (RFID) specified area, without a line of
sight
Near Field a short-range wireless connectivity
Communication (NFC) technology that lets NFC-enabled
devices communicate with each
other through electromagnetic radio
fields
Used in the processing of passports, identity
cards and in the process of digitizing books.
Used to read multiple choice examination answer
sheet. OMR reader shines light onto the form and
less light is reflected where a pencil mark has
been made to tell the computer the chosen
option.
Used to write customer account number which
converts it to a form the computer can
understand. The information is sent to the
computer so the cheque can be processed.
Used to read data wirelessly from RFID chips, or
tags, using an electromagnetic field.
Used to transfer information between devices
quickly and easily with a single touch—whether
paying bills, exchanging business cards,
downloading coupons, or sharing a research
paper.

5. List four (4) types of biometrics input and briefly describe each of them.

BIOMETRIC SENSOR DESCRIPTION

Fingerprint Recognition Works by taking a fingerprint image of a person and

Face Recognition
Voice Recognition
Signature Recognition
6. Differentiate between ink-jet, laser, and dot-matrix printer.
INK-JET PRINTER
spray liquid ink on paper
through microscopic nozzles
20 pages a minute
Prints faster, bigger input trays
Printing quality is adequate.
Best for black and white
records its features like arches, whorls, and loops along
with the outlines of edges, minutiae, and furrows.
Works by capturing data for the nodal points on a digital
image of a person’s face and resulting data can be stored
as a face print.
Used to produce speech patterns by combining
behavioral and physiological factors that can be captured
by processing speech technology. 
Used to analyze and measure the physical activity of
signing like the pressure applied, stroke order and speed.
LASER PRINTER DOT-MATRIX PRINTER
use fine ink powder and heat the works having pins pushed
powder on the paper against an ink-soaked ribbon to
paper
6 pages a minute 30-550 characters per second
Quieter in operation, high print Cheaper to print as ribbon is
quality, no warm up time, low cheap
cost per page
Printing quality is good, Printing quality is bad if printing
specially for smaller fonts images. In terms of text, printing
is fine