Chapter 1 (Computer System)

Introduction of Computer
Definition:-
Computer is derived from a Latin word “computare” which means
to “to calculate” , “to count” , “to sum up”. So, more precisely the word
computer mean s a “device that performs computation”.
The computer is a programmable electronic device designed to
accept data and instructions, perform prescribed mathematical and
logical operations at high speed, and display the information (results)
of these operations.
→ Data : Data in computer terminology means raw facts and figures. Eg:
‘Rahul’, ‘23’.
→ Instructions : A statement that describes how to do something. : an
order or command.
→ Information : Information is the processed data on which decisions
and actions are based. Eg: Age of Rahul is 23.
 Working Principle of computer

Input Process Output

❖ Input :
The data and instructions fed to the computer is known as Input.
❖ Process :
Treating data according to the instructions is known as process.
❖ Output :
The result produced by the computer is known as output or
information.
 Characteristics of computer
Speed
A computer works with much higher speed and accuracy compared to
humans while performing mathematical calculations. Computers can process
millions (1,000,000) of instructions per second. The time taken by computers for
their operations is microseconds (10 - 6 seconds) and nanoseconds (10 - 9 seonds).

Accuracy
Computers perform calculations with 100% accuracy. Errors may occur due
to data inconsistency or inaccuracy. (GIGO and Bug).

Diligence
A computer can perform millions of tasks or calculations with the same
consistency and accuracy. It doesn’t feel any fatigue or lack of concentration. Its
memory also makes it superior to that of human beings.

Versatility
Versatility refers to the capability of a computer to perform different kinds of
works with same accuracy and efficiency.
Word length
A digital computer operates on binary digits i.e 0 and 1. It can understand
information only in terms of 0’s and 1’s. A binary digit is called a bit. A group of
8 bits is called byte. The number of bits that a computer can process at a time in
parallel is called its word length. Commonly used word length are 8, 16, 32 or 64
bits.

Automatic
A computer is an automatic machine because once started on a job they carry
on until the job is finished without any human assistance.

Storage Capacity
Computers have the ability to store all types of data such as data, pictures,
files, programs, games, and sound for many years and later we can get any data in
a few seconds at any time for taking that information and for future retrieval.

Reliability
A computer is reliable as it gives consistent result for similar set of data i.e.,
if we give same set of input any number of times, we will get the same result.
 Application of computer
Home
Computers are used at homes for several purposes like online bill payment,
watching movies or shows at home, home tutoring, social media access, playing
games, internet access, etc. They provide communication through electronic mail.
They help to avail work from home facility for corporate employees. Computers
help the student community to avail online educational support.

Medical Field
Computers are used in hospitals to maintain a database of patients’ history,
diagnosis, X-rays, live monitoring of patients, etc. Surgeons nowadays use robotic
surgical devices to perform delicate operations, and conduct surgeries remotely.
Virtual reality technologies are also used for training purposes.

Entertainment
Computers help to watch movies online, play games online; act as a virtual
entertainer in playing games, listening to music, etc. MIDI instruments greatly help
people in the entertainment industry in recording music with artificial instruments.
Videos can be fed from computers to full screen televisions. Photo editors are
available with fabulous features.
Industry
Computers are used to perform several tasks in industries like managing
inventory, designing purpose, creating virtual sample products, interior designing,
video conferencing, etc. Online marketing has seen a great revolution in its ability
to sell various products to inaccessible corners like interior or rural areas. Stock
markets have seen phenomenal participation from different levels of people
through the use of computers.

Education
Computers are used in education sector through online classes, online
examinations, referring e-books, online tutoring, etc. They help in increased use of
audio-visual aids in the education field.

Government
In government sectors, computers are used in data processing, maintaining a
database of citizens and supporting a paperless environment. The country’s defense
organizations have greatly benefitted from computers in their use for missile
development, satellites, rocket launches, etc.
Banking
In the banking sector, computers are used to store details of customers and
conduct transactions, such as withdrawal and deposit of money through ATMs.
Banks have reduced manual errors and expenses to a great extent through
extensive use of computers.

Business
Nowadays, computers are totally integrated into business. The main objective
of business is transaction processing, which involves transactions with suppliers,
employees or customers. Computers can make these transactions easy and
accurate. People can analyze investments, sales, expenses, markets and other
aspects of business using computers.

Science and Engineering

Computers with high performance are used to stimulate dynamic process in
Science and Engineering. Supercomputers have numerous applications in area of
Research and Development (R&D). Topographic images can be created through
computers. Scientists use computers to plot and analyze data to have a better
understanding of earthquakes.
 Evolution of computer
History of computer
1. Mechanical Era

Abacus
It is the earliest calculating device
invented by Chinese people around 3000
BC. It is rectangular wooden frame
structure. Frame is divided into two parts
with mid bar. Upper part is called heaven
and lower part is called earth. The upper
part contains 2 beads (represents value 5)
and lower part contains 5 beads
(represents value 1).
 Napier’s Bone
John Napier, a Scottish
mathematician invented principle of
logarithm in the year 1614 AD. After
that with the same principle he invented
small device containing 10 rods
engraved with numbers called Napier’s
Bone in the year 1617 AD. With the
invention of Napier’s Bone people can
perform multiplication faster.

Slide Rule
William Oughtred, an English
mathematician invented a machine
called Slide Rule in the year 1620 AD.
It had 2 rulers engraved with numbers
and people could use for multiplication
and division also for roots, logarithms.
It is first analog computing device.
Pascaline
Blaise Pascal, a French
mathematician invented in the year
1642 AD. He invented this machine to
help his father’s profession, It could do
addition and subtraction. It was first
functional automatic calculator which
can do addition and subtraction directly
and multiplication division could be
done by repeated addition and
subtraction.

Stepped Reckoner
Gottfried Wilhelm Von Leibniz, a
German mathematician invented a
digital mechanical calculator in 1673
AD which was modified version of
Pascaline called Stepped Reckoner. It
could perform addition, subtraction,
multiplication and division.
Difference and Analytical
Engine
Charles Babbage was a professor
of mathematics at Cambridge University.
He invented Difference engine and it used
to work with steam in the year 1822 AD.
Then in the year 1833 AD he invented
Analytical engine, it was interconnected
maze of gears, cams. But he was unable to
complete due to lack of technology.
Analytical engine used to work in IPO
(Input Process and Output) So, he is called
as father of computer science.
Lady Augusta Ada
Lady Augusta Ada is said to be First Computer Programmer as she developed
first program for Analytical engine developed by Charles Babbage. She suggested
Charles Babbage to use Binary System for programs and data to be fed in the
Analytical Engine.

George Boole
He was an English mathematician who developed the concept of Boolean
Algebra during 1866 AD. This principle is used to developed the concept of
logic gates.

Tabulating Machine
Dr. Herman Hollerith and American
census statistician invented Tabulating
Machine in 1886. It was the first machine
to make practical use of punched card in
data processing. Herman Hollerith
established the Tabulating Machine
Company and later it was merged with
other companies and formed International
Business Company (IBM)
2. Electro-Mechanical Era
Harvard Mark I
In 1937, Howard Aiken, a professor of
Harvard University developed an
Electro-Mechanical Computer called
Mark-I. This computer was originally called
ASCC(Automatic Sequence Controlled
Calculator) later it was named as Mark-I. It
was 51 feet tall, 8 feet high and 2 feet wide
with 500 miles of wire , 32 tons of weight. It
consumed a lot of heat and electricity.

Harvard Mark I
The Harvard Mark II, also known as Aiken
Relay Calculator, was an
electromechanical computer built under the
direction of Howard Aiken and was finished in
1947. It was financed by the United States Navy.
Howard Aiken and Grace Hopper worked
together to program and build the Mark II.
ABC(Atanasoff Berry Computer)
It was first electronic digital computer. This
computer was designed by Dr. John Vincent
Atanasoff and Clifford Berry in 1942 AD. It
used 18000 valves as main memory.

3. Electronic Computers Era

ENIAC (Electronic Numerical
Integrator And Calculator)
It was the first general purpose electronic
computer developed by John William Mauchly
and John Presper Eckert in 1946 AD. It was
10 feet high and occupied about 1000 sq feet,
weight to 30 tons, it used 18000 vacuum tubes.
It consumed a lot of heat and electricity.
John Von Neumann
He was the mathematician. He discovered stored program technology In 1945
AD. He also discovered that Binary number system should be used in computer
processing.

EDSAC (Electronic Delay

Storage Automatic Computer)
It was developed by Maurice Wilkes
and his team .. It used 3000 vacuum tubes.
Input was given by paper tapes and output
by the teleprinter.
EDVAC (Electronic Discrete
Variable Automatic Computer)
It was the first stored program computer
designed by John William Mauchly and John
Presper Eckert in the year 1952 AD. It was binary
serial computer with automatic addition,
subtraction, multiplication programmed division.
Magnetic tapes was used to store data and
instruction.

UNIVAC-1 (Universal Automatic

Computer)
It was first general purpose electronic
digital computer made for commercial use
developed by J.W. Mauchly and J.P. Eckert
which was 8 feet high, 15 feet long and its
weight was about 15 tons.
History Of Computer in Nepal
History of computer in Nepal is not much old. An electronic calculator called
‘Facit’ was used to prepare the census in 2018 BS, it took long time to complete
calculation (about 6 years).
In the year 2028 BS Government of Nepal brought IBM 1401 (Second
Generation Computer) on rent to do the census calculation, it also took 1 year 7
months and 15 days to do the calculation.
Another computer was also brought in Nepal ICL 2950/10 (fourth Generation
computer) in 2038 BS to do census calculation. It tool 1 year and 3 months to do
calculation and its kept in the museum of National Computer Centre(NCC) Singha
Durbar.
In the year 2031 BS EDP(Electronic Data Processing) centre was formed
later it was renamed to National Computer centre. Government of Nepal formed
High Level Commission for Information Technology under chairmanship of Prime
minister. IT policy was formed in 2057 BS. IT park with all infrastructure for IT
companies is constructed. Also Government issued Electronic Transaction
Act-2061 was formed. It is Cyber Law of Nepal. Computer Association of Nepal
(CAN) was established in 1992.
 IBM 1401

ICL 2950/10 Facit

 Generation of computer
1. Firstgeneration of computer(1945-1955):
a. Technology used: vacuum tube.
b. Speed: In terms of milisecond(10 -3 sec).
c. Programming language: machine level language.
d. Primary memory: magnetic core memory.
e. Secondary memory: Magnetic tape.
f. Eg:- ENIAC, EDVAC, UNIVAC.

Vacuum Tube Magnetic core Magnetic Tape

memory
2. Second generation of computer(1957-1963):
a. Technology used: Transistor.
b. Speed: In terms of microsecond(10^-6 sec).
c. Programming language: Assembly language.
d. Primary memory: magnetic core memory.
e. Secondary memory: Magnetic tape, magnetic drum.
F. Eg:- IBM 1620, CDC 3600, IBM 7094.

Transistor Magnetic drum

3. Third generation of computer(1964-1971):
a. Technology used: ICs (Integrated Circuits).
b. Speed: In terms of nanosecond(10^-9 sec).
c. Programming language: High level language like C, C++ etc.
d. Primary memory: Semi-conductor memory like RAM, ROM.
e. Secondary memory: Magnetic tape, magnetic disk like hard
disk, floppy disk.
f. Eg:- IBM-360 series, ICL-900 series, Honeywell 200 series.

RAM Integrated ROM

Random Access Memory Circuit(IC) Read Only Memory
4. Fourth generation of computer(1971-Today):
a. Technology used: LSI and VLSI
b. Speed: In terms of Picosecond(10^-12 sec).
c. Programming language: High level language.
d. Primary memory: Semiconductor memory.
e. Secondary memory: Magnetic tape, magnetic magnetic disk.
f. IBM-PC, Laptops, Mac.

5. Fifth generation computer(present and future):

a. Technology to be used: Bio-chip
b. Operating speed: Femto second range
(10 -15 second)
c. Programming language to be used: Natural language
d. The computers will have AI.
e. The computer will have their own thinking power.