Lecture Sheets

Week 1
Lecture 1

Basic knowledge of computer and its applications:

 Introduction, Benefits and area of using
 Types of computer, Computer application in our
daily life
 Hardware and software concept.

In details

Definition of a Computer
A computer is an electronic device used to process data, converting the
data into information that is useful to people.
A computer is a machine that stores data (numbers, words, pictures ),
interact with devices (monitor, printer, sound system), and execute
programs.

Computers Consist of Four Parts

 Hardware
 Software
 Users
 Data

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Computers Consist of Four Parts

Hardware: The mechanical devices that make up the computer are

called hardware. In other words, hardware is any part of the computer
which can touch. Ex- Processor, memory, input/output devices, storage
devices.

Software: Software is a set of electronic instructions consisting of

complex code (know as programs) that make the computer perform
tasks. Software tells computer what to do.
Users: People are the computer operators, also known as users.

Data: Data consists of raw facts, which the computer stores and
reads in the form of number. Data can consist of letters, numbers,
sounds, or images.

Examples of Hardware

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  Processor
 Memory
 Input and output devices
 Storage

Processing

The procedure that transforms raw data into useful information is called
processing
The processor and memory perform this transformation,

Data and Information

Data are unprocessed facts. Numbers, letters, or symbols that the

computer processes called data.
Example: consider the following AA 3124 ORD 9:00 CID 10:00, these
letters, numbers, and symbols, which describe an event-a flight schedule
–
are typical of the data stored in a computer system.

Information is defined as the words, numbers, and graphics used as the

basis for human actions
and decisions.
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Example:
Here, the letters, numbers, and symbols displayed on the screen are
considered

Carrier Flight From Depart To Arrives

Number
AA 3124 ORD 9:00 CID 11:00

Processor
The computer’s brain, which organizes and carries out instructions from
either the user or the software.
It is commonly known as the ‘chip’ or, more correctly, the central
processing unit (CPU).
CPU’s Two Basic Parts:
 Control unit
 Arithmetic logic unit

Central Processing Unit

 CPU has two basic components: the control unit and the
arithmetic-logic unit.

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Motherboard

Rigid rectangular card containing the circuitry that connects the

processor to the other hardware
Memory Measurements
 Kilobyte (KB)
 Megabyte (MB)
 Gigabyte (GB)
 Terabyte (TB)

Input Devices
Accept data and instructions from the user or from another computer
system.
Most common input devices are –
 Keyboard
 Mouse

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Storage
 Holds data permanently
Secondary storage
Secondary storage devices hold data and programs even after electrical
power to the computer system has been turned off. The most important
kinds of secondary media are floppy, hard, and optical disks. Optical
disks – Compact discs (CDs), and Digital Versatile (or Video) Discs
(DVDs).

Few Storage Terms

 CD-ROM drive
 Compact disks (CDs)
 Compact Disk-Read-Only Memory (CD-ROM)
 CD-Recordable (CD-R)
 CD-ReWritable (CD-RW)
 Digital Video Disk (DVD)

Software

A set of electronic instructions consisting of complex codes, or

programs, that make the computer perform tasks
Examples of Software
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System software
Programs that control or maintain the operations of the computer
and its devices.
Application software
Programs designed to make users more productive.

Week 3
Lecture 2

Lecture 2: Basic knowledge of computer and its applications:

o Basic concept of computer hardware.

o External devices required for computer operation.
o Computer understandable binary system.

Five Computer Categories

 Supercomputers
 Mainframe computers
 Minicomputers
 Workstations
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  Microcomputers, or personal computers

 Supercomputer: Supercomputer are the most powerful type

of computer. These machines are special high-capacity
computers used by very large organizations.

 Mainframe: Mainframe computers are capable of great

processing speeds and data storage. But its not nearly as
powerful as supercomputer.

 Minicomputer: Minicomputer also known as midrange

computers. Medium –sized company or department of
large companies use this type of computer.

 Workstations: Single user computers with the processing

power of a minicomputer.

 Microcomputer: Microcomputers are the least powerful, yet

the most widely used and fastest-growing, type of computer.
There are 4 types of Microcomputers: Desktop, Laptop,
Tablet PC, and Handheld computers.

Personal Computers

Designed so all of the components fit entirely on or under a desk or

table.

 What is a notebook computer?

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  Portable, small enough to fit on your lap
 Also called a laptop computer
 Usually more expensive than a desktop computer with equal
capabilities

 What is a Tablet PC?

 Allows you to write on the screen using a digital pen
 Resembles a letter-sized slate
 Especially useful for taking notes

 What is a handheld computer?

Small enough to fit in one hand
Used by mobile employees such as meter readers and delivery
people

Computer Applications in Society

What are some examples of computer applications in society?

 Education
 Finance
 Government
 Health Care
 Science
 Publishing
 Travel
 Manufacturing

Computer Architecture
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  Computer architecture refers to the design and construction of
a computer.
 Architecture broadly classified by considering two
characteristics: what the computer uses for power and how the
computer physically represents, processes, stores, and moves
data.
 Most modern computers are electronic devices, that is, they are
powered by electricity.
 Modern computer uses electrical signals and circuits to
represent, process, and move data.

Data Representation

 Data representation refers to the form is which information is

conceived, manipulated, and recorded.
 A computer is an electronic device which needs to use electrical
signals to represent data.
 Most computer are digital device. Digital device works with
discrete, that is, distinct or separate numbers or digits, such as
0 and 1.
Data Representation

 What is a byte?
 Eight bits grouped together as a unit
 Provides enough different combinations of 0s and 1s to
represent 256 individual characters
 Numbers
 Uppercase and lowercase letters
 Punctuation marks

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How to convert a decimal number to binary number?

 How to convert a binary number to decimal

number?

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 WEEK 3
Lecture 3

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Computer related Hardware details:
o Computer on/off. Desk top Environment:
o System unit – Mother board, Microprocessor, Hard disk drive
o Memory, Expansion card. Power supply unit.

Computer related Hardware

Input Devices

Input devices are hardware used to translate words, sounds, images, and
actions
that people understand into a form that the system unit can process.
Keyboard: The keyboard is a way to input letters or numbers into
different
applications or programs. A keyboard also has special keys that help
operate
the computer.

The modifier keys – Shift, Ctrl (control), and Alt (alternate).

Function keys – F1,F2,..F12 keys.
Cursor-Movement keys – Arrow keys, Home/End keys, and Page
Up/Page Down keys.
Return key – Enter key also known as return key.

Mouse (pointing device): The mouse is used to open and close files,
navigate
web sites, and click on a lot of commands (to tell the computer what to
do) when
using different applications.
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Types of mouse:
a) Mechanical mouse- It has a ball on the bottom and is
attached with a cord to the system and need mouse pad to move the
mouse.
b) Optical mouse – It emits and senses light to detect mouse
movement. It can be used in any surface.
c) Cordless or wireless mouse – This is a battery powered
device that typically uses radio waves or infrared light waves to
communicate with the system unit.
Three devices similar to a mouse are – trackballs, touch pad,
and pointing sticks.

Joystick (pointing device) - A joystick is used to move the cursor from

place
to place, and to click on various items in programs. A joystick is used
mostly for computer games.

Touch Screen (pointing device) - is a particular kind of monitor with a

clear
Plastic outer layer. Behind this layer are crisscrossed invisible beams of
infrared
Light. The arrangement enables someone to select actions or commands
by
touching the screen with a finger. They are commonly used at ATM and
information centers.

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Stylus (pointing device) – A stylus is a pen-like device commonly
used with
tablet PCs and PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants). A stylus uses
pressure to
draw images on a screen. A stylus interacts with the computer through
handwritten recognition software which translates handwritten notes into
a form that the system unit can process.

• What is a bar code reader?

• Uses laser beams to read bar codes

• What is a bar code?

• Identification code that consists of a set of vertical lines and
spaces of different widths
• Universal Product
Code (UPC)

• What is an optical reader?

• Device that uses light source to read characters, marks, and
codes and then converts them into digital data
• Optical character recognition (OCR) reads characters
in
OCR font

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Audiovisual Input Devices

• Microphones and Speech Recognition Software

• Video Input
• Digital Cameras

Output
• What is output?
• Output is processed data or information.
• Output is data that has been processed into useful form,
called information.
• The most common types of output are text, graphics, audio,
& video.

Types of Output
• Common types of output
• Text – letters, words, sentences, and paragraphs.
Newsletters, flyers, and reports are all text documents.
• Graphics – images and pictures.
• Audio – sounds within the human hearing range.
• Video – moving images.

Display Devices

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 • What is a display device?
• Any hardware used to provide or to create output from the
computer.
• Output devices visually convey information.
• Monitors and printers are most widely used output devices.

Monitor

 The most frequently used output device.

 Also known as display screen or screen.
 The output from monitors is often referred to soft-copy.
 The most important characteristic of a monitor is its clarity.
 Clarity refers to the quality and sharpness of the displayed
images.
Monitor
• Common features.
• Resolution:
• The number of dots or pixels per unit of measurement
displayed by a computer monitor.
• The greater the number of dots, the higher the
resolution.
• The higher resolution, the greater the clarity of image
produced.
• Dot pitch:
• The distance between each pixel.
• The lower the dot pitch, the higher the clarity of images
produced.
• Refresh rate:
• Indicates how often a displayed image is updated or
redrawn on the monitor.
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 • Most monitor operate at a rate 75 hertz.
• The faster the refresh rate, the better the quality of
images displayed.
• Size:
• Size is measured by the diagonal length of a monitor’s
viewing area.
Common sizes are 15,17,19, and 21 inches.\

Types of Monitor

 CRT Monitor :
 Called Cathode-ray tube.
 The most common type of monitor.
 Has low price and excellent resolution.
 Bulky and occupy a considerable amount of space.
 Flat panel monitor :
 Also known as liquid crystal display (LCD).
 Take less desk space.
 Requires less power than CRT.
 Two types: Passive-matrix or dual-scan monitor, and
Active-matrix or thin film transistor (TFT).


 Gas Plasma Monitor :

 Displays image by applying voltage to layer of gas.
 Also known as plasma display or gas discharge
display.
 Larger screen size and higher display quality than
LCD, but much more expensive

Data projector
What is a data projector?

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  Device that takes text and images from computer screen and
projects them onto larger screen

Printers
 Impact printer that produces printed images when tiny
wire pins strike ribbon
 Impact printer forms characters by striking
mechanism against inked ribbon that contacts paper

• What is a line printer?

 . High-speed impact printer that prints entire line
at a time
 Speed measured in lines per minute (LPM)

Printers
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What is an ink-jet printer?
 A type of non-impact printer that sprays tiny drops of
liquid ink onto paper
 Non-impact printer forms characters and graphics
without striking paper
 Prints in black-and-white or color on a variety of paper
types

• What is a laser printer?

• High-speed, high-quality non-impact printer.
• Prints text and graphics in very high-quality resolution,
ranging from 600 to 2,400 dpi.
• Typically costs more than
ink-jet printer, but is much faster.

• What is a thermal printer?

• Generates images by pushing electrically heated pins
against heat-sensitive paper
• Dye-sublimation printer, (also called a digital photo
printer) uses heat to transfer dye to specially coated
paper.

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• What is a plotter?
• Sophisticated printer used to produce high-quality drawings.
• Large-format printer creates photo-realistic-quality
color prints.

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 WEEK 4
Lecture 4

Computer related Hardware details:

o Input /Output device, Secondary storage.
o Communication device, Types of ports. Types of cable.
o Types of software
Microcomputer Hardwareh
System Unit
Microprocessor: The microprocessor controls and manipulates
data to produce information. The microprocessor is either mounted onto
a carrier package that plugs into the system board or contained within a
cartridge that plugs into a special slot on the system board.

Memory: Also known as primary storage or random access

memory (RAM), holds data and program instructions for processing
data. It also holds the processed information before it is output. Memory
sometimes referred to as temporary storage because its contents will be
lost if the electrical power turn-off.

Microcomputer Hardware

System Unit
Some other components are:-
Motherboard - The motherboard is the main circuit board of a
microcomputer. It is also known as the main-board or system board.
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 Bus - A bus is an electronic line that allows 1s and 0s to move
from one place to another.
Expansion Slots –Expansion slots appear on the
motherboard. They are sockets into which adapters are connected
Port - Connecting socket on the outside of the system unit. Used
to connect input and output devices to the system unit.

• What is a chip?
• Small piece of semi-conducting material on which integrated
circuits are etched
• Integrated circuits contain many microscopic pathways
capable of carrying electrical current
• Chips are packaged so they can be attached to a circuit board

Processor
What are dual-core and multi-core processors?
 A dual-core processor is a single chip that contains two
separate processors
 A multi-core processor is a chip with two or more
separate processors
 Each processor on a dual-core/multi-core chip generally
runs at a slower clock speed, but increase overall performance

 What is a register?
 Temporary high-speed storage area that holds
data and instructions

• What is cache?

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 • Helps speed computer processes by storing frequently
used instructions and data
• Also called memory cache
• L1 cache built into processor
• L2 cache slower but has larger capacity
• L2 advanced transfer cache is faster, built directly on
processor chip
• L3 cache is separate from processor chip on
motherboard (L3 is only
on computers that use L2 advanced transfer cache)

Ports and Connectors

• What are ports and connectors?

• Port connects external devices to system unit
• Connector joins cable to peripheral

• What are different types of connectors?

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Ports and Connectors

• What are USB ports?

• USB (universal serial bus) port can connect up to 127 different
peripherals together with a single connector type

What is a serial port?

 Transmits one bit of data at a time
 Connects slow-speed devices, such as mouse, keyboard,
modem

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 • What is a parallel port?
• Connects devices that can transfer more than one bit at a
time, such as a printer

Storage
• What is storage?
• Also called secondary storage
• Holds data, instructions, and information for future use
• Storage medium is physical material used for storage

Storage
• How does volatility compare?
Storage medium is nonvolatile—contents retained when power is off
 Memory is volatile—holds data and instructions temporarily

Magnetic Disks
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What are tracks and sectors?

Track is narrow recording band that forms full circle on disk.

Optical Discs

• What is a CD-ROM?
• Compact disc read-only memory
• Cannot erase or modify contents
• Typically holds 650 MB to 1 GB
• Commonly used to distribute multimedia and complex
software

• What is the data transfer rate of a CD-ROM drive?

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 • What are CD-Rs and CD-RWs?

What is a DVD-ROM (digital versatile disc-ROM or digital video disc-

ROM)?

 Must have DVD-ROM drive or DVD player to read DVD-

ROM
 Stores databases, music, complex software, and movies
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  Blu-ray discs have storage capacity of up to 100 GB
 HD-DVD discs have storage capacity of up to 60 GB

• How does a DVD-ROM store data?

• Two layers of pits are used, lower layer is
semitransparent so laser can read through
• Some are double-sided
• Many types of recordable and rewritable DVDs are
available
• DVD-R and DVD+R
DVD-RW and DVD+RW

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 WEEK 5
Lecture 5

Computer network: A computer network, often simply referred to as

a network, is a collection of hardware components and computers
interconnected by communication channels that allow sharing of
resources and information. Where at least one process in one device is
able to send/receive data to/from at least one process residing in a
remote device, then the two devices are said to be in a network.

Networks may be classified according to a wide variety of

characteristics such as the medium used to transport the data,
communications protocol used, scale, topology, and organizational
scope.

Properties

Computer networks:

Facilitate communications
Using a network, people can communicate efficiently and easily
via email, instant messaging, chat rooms, telephone, video
telephone calls, and video conferencing.
Permit sharing of files, data, and other types of information
In a network environment, authorized users may access data and
information stored on other computers on the network. The
capability of providing access to data and information on shared
storage devices is an important feature of many networks.
Share network and computing resources
In a networked environment, each computer on a network may
access and use resources provided by devices on the network, such
as printing a document on a shared network printer. Distributed
computing uses computing resources across a network to
accomplish tasks.
May be insecure

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 A computer network may be used by computer hackers to deploy
computer viruses or computer worms on devices connected to the
network, or to prevent these devices from normally accessing the
network (denial of service).
May interfere with other technologies
Power line communication strongly disturbs certain forms of radio
communication, e.g., amateur radio. It may also interfere with last
mile access technologies such as ADSL and VDSL.
May be difficult to set up
A complex computer network may be difficult to set up. It may
also be very costly to set up an effective computer network in a
large organization or company.

Personal area network

A personal area network (PAN) is a computer network used for

communication among computer and different information technological
devices close to one person. Some examples of devices that are used in a
PAN are personal computers, printers, fax machines, telephones, PDAs,
scanners, and even video game consoles. A PAN may include wired and
wireless devices. The reach of a PAN typically extends to 10 meters. A
wired PAN is usually constructed with USB and Firewire connections
while technologies such as Bluetooth and infrared communication
typically form a wireless PAN.

Local area network

A local area network (LAN) is a network that connects computers and

devices in a limited geographical area such as home, school, computer
laboratory, office building, or closely positioned group of buildings.
Each computer or device on the network is a node. Current wired LANs
are most likely to be based on Ethernet technology, although new
standards like ITU-T G.hn also provide a way to create a wired LAN
using existing home wires (coaxial cables, phone lines and power lines).

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