Computer Hardware

Hardware and Software

• Hardware refers to all the parts of the
Computer System that we can touch.
Examples of hardware are monitors,
joysticks, printers, processors etc.
• Software refers to all the programs and
data that we use with the computer.
 What is a Computer?
• A computer is an information processing
machine.
• A computer only follows the instructions it
is given.
• Data is Input, Processed and then Output.
I’m ONLY a
machine!
 Sizes of Computers
Smallest
• Microprocessor
» A small chip programmed with instructions.

• Microcomputer
» The most common type of computer. The IBM
PC is a microcomputer

• Mini Computer
» Medium to Large computers - mainly used to
process business information.

• Mainframe Computer
» Very powerful computers able to process
1000’s of times more information a second than
PCs
Biggest
 IPO - Input, Process, Output

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

Data is INPUT into the computer

system
It is then PROCESSED to produce
useful Information as OUTPUT.
Data and Information
Data has no meaning
• Data is made up of symbols e.g.
871652; H789 IOS; £76.91
Information has a meaning
• We understand what a piece of
information is about e.g
Telephone Number: 871652
Car License Plate: H789 IOS
 More Input, Process, Output
• Data is the RAW MATERIAL.

• This raw material is processed.

• When the processing is completed a useful

thing is produced…INFORMATION
 Computer - Block Diagram
• The Computer System consists of four
parts.
Input, Processor [CPU], Output, Backing
Storage
Input Central Processing Output
Devices Unit (CPU) Devices

Backing Storage
Devices
 The central processing
unit (CPU)
This is the part of the computer where the
searching and sorting of data, calculating
and decision-making goes on.

The CPU contains the processor [Control

Unit and the Arithmetic and Logic Unit
(ALU)] and the Main Memory
 The Processor
• The CONTROL UNIT fetches program
instructions from the memory storage
locations, decodes and then executes them.

• The ALU (Arithmetic/Logic Unit) carries

out all the calculations as instructed by the
control unit.
MAIN MEMORY - ROM and RAM
• ROM is Read Only Memory
• Data stored in ROM can only be read, it can never be
written over or deleted. We normally store important
programs in ROM to do with the computers Operating
System (see later). NON VOLATILE MEMORY
• RAM is Random Access Memory
• It can be written to and read from. It is where most
programs and data are stored while the
computer is being used. RAM loses its contents when
the computer is switched off. VOLATILE
MEMORY
RAM ROM
Data Flow
PROCESSOR
 Memory
• Computers store blocks of data called
‘words’ in memory (A 32 bit computer has
words that are 32 bits long).
• Each place that can store a word is called a
storage location.
• Each storage location has a unique address
that identifies it from all the other locations.
 Machine Code

• Computers only understand binary!!!

• All programs have to end up in binary language in
order work.
• The binary language that the computer
understands is called MACHINE CODE
• Machine code looks like this…
00100111,01110100,10010001
Bits and Bytes [BINARY]
• Each 1 or 0 is called a BIT (short for Binary Digit).
• Eight bits are called a BYTE.
• 1024 bytes is a KILOBYTE (Kb for short)
• 1024 kilobytes is a MEGABYTE (Mb for short)
• 1024 megabytes is a GIGABYTE (Gb for short)

These units are used to measure

the size of storage or storage
requirements e.g. the available
memory, hard disk space,
program size.
 Bits and Bytes [BINARY]
Name Abbr Size No of Bytes
Kilo Kb 210 1,024

Mega Mb 220 1,048,576

30 1,073,741,824
Giga Gb 2
40 1,099,511,627,776
Tera Tb 2
Peta Pb 250 1,125,899,906,842,624

Exa Eb 260 1,152,921,504,606,846,976

70 1,180,591,620,717,411,303,424
Zetta Zb 2
80 1,208,925,819,614,629,174,706,176
Yotta Yb 2
 Binary Everywhere!
• Binary is used to store all the data and
programs in a computer system.
• We use binary to store:
Graphics, Text, Numbers, Video, Sound
and Programs.
• Binary is just the code used to store the
data.
 Storing Numbers
• Numbers are stored in binary.
1Bin is 1Dec
10Bin is 2Dec
1000Bin is 8Dec
1001Bin is 9Dec
1111Bin is 15Dec
11111111Bin is 255Dec
• You don’t need to understand binary (that’s
Maths) but you do need to know that it is how
most numbers are stored in the computer.
 Storing Text
• Text is stored using a special set of codes
called ASCII.
• Each symbol (letter, number etc) has its
own unique code e.g.
• a is 97, A is 65, ? is 63, 3 is 51
• ASCII (American Standard Code for
Information Interchange)
• One ASCII code is one byte long (eight
bits).
 Storing Graphics
• Black and White graphics are stored using pixels
(Picture Elements).
• The image to be stored is broken up into dots,
each dot is a pixel.
• The pixels are ON for black and OFF for white
e.g.
1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1
1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0
0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0
0 1 1 1 1 1 1 0
0 1 1 1 1 1 1 0
 Hardware Devices
• Devices are either INPUT, OUTPUT or
BACKING STORAGE.
• Input devices allow us to enter data into the
computer system (mouse, microphone etc).
• Output devices allow us to receive information
from the computer system (monitor, speakers,
robot).
• Backing storage devices allow us to store
programs and data so that we can use them later
(floppy disc, magnetic tape, CD-ROM).
• Backing storage is used to store programs
and data when they are not being used or
when a computer is switched off.
• When programs and data are needed
they are copied into main memory but also
still remain on backing storage.
• Magnetic tape drives, floppy disk drives
and hard disk drives are all examples of
backing storage devices.
 Backing Storage Devices
Magnetic tape, floppy disc, hard disc
and CD-ROM are all types of
backing storage.
• WORM - Write Once Read
Many
A WORM is a writable optical disc. An optical disc
is any disc that can be read using light (normally
laser light). WORM drives use a high powered laser
to burn the data into the disc. This can then be read
in the same way that CD-ROM's are read. Because
the data is burnt onto the disc each disc can only be
written once and the data written is permanent.
 PROM and EPROM
• PROM and EPROM are both special types of
programmable read only memory.

• PROM stands for Programmable Read Only

Memory. This type of memory can be
programmed once but can’t be changed again
afterwards.

• EPROM stands for Erasable Programmable

Read Only Memory. This type of memory can be
programmed and then changed whenever
necessary.
 The Floppy Disk
Disc Label Write Protect Tab

• A floppy disc can be used to

save data.
• It can also be used to make a backup
copy of small files.
• A backup is a second copy of
your data that you take in case
• Size : 3.5 inch something happens to the original.
• Capacity : 1.44 Mb• You should always make a backup
of important files.
 Formatting A Floppy Disk
The formatting process involves:
 Dividing the surface of the disk into invisible
circles called tracks and sectors.
 Setting up a root directory where the list of
files that are on the disk will be kept.
 Data on a magnetic disk is located by finding the
address of its location from an index in the root
directory.
 Each address in the index contains a track and
sector number for an individual data segment.
 Formatting A Floppy Disk
Tracks

Sector

Index

No data is stored on the outside or inside tracks of the disk

The Hard Disc and Drive
• A hard disk is a circular metal disk coated with
magnetic material and usually sealed in a hard disk
drive inside the computer.

• Some hard disk drives are not permanently fixed

inside the computer but are removable.

• Data stored on a hard disk can be accessed much

more quickly than data stored on a floppy disk.

• Hard disks can store much more data than a floppy

disk. A typical hard disk inside a personal computer can
hold many gigabytes of data.
 The Hard Disc and Drive
• Hard discs are normally built into the
computer.

• In a modern home PC the hard disc would

typically store 10Gb of data or more.
 Non-magnetic storage
• Non-magnetic storage involves the use of
media not coated in magnetic material.
• Examples of this are: CD-ROM, Video
Disc, Digital Video Disc (DVD) and
WORM.
• These use pits and bumps (lands) on the disc to
store digital data and use laser light to write
and read them.
 Capacity
• The size of memory, hard disc space, floppy drive
space, programs, data files etc. are all measured by
the number of bytes, kilobytes, megabytes or
gigabytes (1024 megabytes) of data they
contain.

=
445 floppy discs 1 CD-ROM
 File compression
• File compression software can be used to make
files smaller so that more data can be stored in the
same amount of space on backing store.

• When a compressed file on backing store needs to

be used it must be decompressed.

• This can be done using decompression software

or by setting files up to be self-extracting which
means that they can automatically decompress
themselves.

• Winzip is an example of software that can be used

to compress and decompress files.
 Types of Access
• There are two types of access
• Random Access (also called Direct Access) devices
retrieve the data you want straight away e.g. CD-ROM
drive, Hard disc drive, floppy disc drive.
• Sequential (also called Serial) devices have to move
through all the data, record after record, to find the data
you need e.g. Cassette tape, magnetic tape.
 Types of access
• Random Access
• Refers to the ability to access data at
random. In a random-access system,
you can jump directly to file Z.

• Sequential Access
• To go from file A to file Z in a
sequential-access system, you
must pass through all intervening
files.
• Sequential access is sometimes
called serial access.
Types of Input
• Keyboard
Most keyboards are of the QWERTY type but
not always. They have always been used for
inputting data to the computer

• Mouse
The mouse is very important in WIMP systems
and is used to move a pointer around the screen
and make selections by pressing a button
Advanced types of Input
• Trackball
A trackball is basically an upside down mouse.
A trackball allows the user to move a small ball
in order to move the pointer across the screen.

• Graphics Tablet
A graphics tablet allows the user to draw on a
special worktop. As the user draws the details
are stored on the computer system. These
devices are most often used by architects and
designers.
Joystick
The main use of a joystick is to play
computer games by controlling the way
that something moves on the screen.

• Joysticks can be used to control

movement from side-to-side, up-and-
down and diagonally.

• A joystick will also always have at least

one button on it which can be used to
make something happen like making a
character in a game jump or a gun fire.
Touch Screen
A touch screen can detect exactly where,
on its surface it has been touched.

Touch screens are

used in a lot of fast
food chains and
restaurants because
they are easy to keep
clean and re-program
if changes need to be
made to the menu.
 Digital Camera
• A digital camera can store many more
pictures than an ordinary camera.
• Pictures taken using a digital camera are
stored inside its memory and can be
transferred to a computer by connecting the
camera to it.

• A digital camera takes

pictures by converting
the light passing
through the lens at the
front into a digital
image.
 Scanner
• A scanner can be used to input pictures
and text into a computer.
• There are two main types of scanner;
Hand-held and Flat-bed.
• Voice Recognition
With voice recognition systems the computer can understand the
words spoken to it and can carry out commands associated with
the words. Using voice recognition a letter can be dictated
instead of being typed at the keyboard.

• Handwriting Recognition
Handwriting can be recognised and the computer can convert the
written text into typed text for storing.
Optical Character Recognition
• OCR
Is used to convert paper typed documents into
text files that can be edited and stored on a
computer system.
OCR software can search a scanned image for
the shapes of letters, numbers etc. When it
finds shapes that match it converts them to the
correct text and stores them in a file.
Types of Output
• Plotter
A plotter is a device used for creating a hard
copy of the output from a computer system.
Plotters use special pens to draw the output as a
series of lines. Plotters are often used to
output building drawings and designs.

• VDU or Monitor
Visual Display Unit (VDU) is
the proper name for the computer monitor. The
VDU allows us to see the output from the
computer.
Monitor - Visual Display Unit
• A monitor or VDU is an
output device that can display
graphics and text and video.
• The picture on a monitor is
made up of thousands of tiny
coloured dots called pixels.

• The quality of the output on a monitor depends

on its resolution.

• The resolution of a monitor depends on the

number of pixels that it can display.
 More on Output Devices.
• There are three types of printers
– laser
– inkjet
– dot-matrix
• Printers are used to create a hard copy of output from
the computer system (normally on paper).

Laser printers are expensive,

produce high quality printouts, can
produce 8 to 12 pages in a minute
and are almost silent when they are
working.
More on Output Devices
• Inkjet printers are cheaper than laser printers,
they produce reasonable quality printouts (not
quite as good as laser), can also printout in
colour, can print 2 to 5 pages in minute but
there are a little noisy.

• Dot-matrix printers are the cheapest, they

produce poor quality printouts, some can print
in colour, they struggle to print 1 page in a
minute and they are VERY noisy.
 More on Output Devices
• Voice Output
Voice output from a computer system is also known as
speech synthesis. Some voice output programs are
know as text readers. They take a text file and recite it
to the user.

Hello,
Other speech synthesis
I am Hal! programs can tell the user
what they are doing (for
example floor
announcements in a
speaking elevator).
 Types of Media
• Media is the material used in devices.
• Examples of media are Floppy disc and
CD-ROM.
• If CD-ROM is the MEDIA then the CD-
ROM drive is the DEVICE.
 Multimedia
• Multimedia systems combine graphics, text,
sound, video and animation to provide a rich
experience for the user.
• Many interactive multimedia software titles are
available now.
• Often these are stored on CD-ROM e.g. Microsoft
Encarta.
 Virtual Reality
• Virtual Reality involves the user entering a 3D
world generated by the computer.
• To be immersed in a 3D VR world requires
special hardware e.g.
• A headset (containing goggles, headphones and a
position tracker)
• A data glove or data suit so that the users body
can interact with the VR world.
 What is a Computer System ?
 A computer system is a collection
of parts that work together.
 A standalone computer system
is a computer system that is NOT
connected to other computers.

 It consists of at least one input

device, a processor and one output
device.
 A Computer System ?
Monitor-
Output

Printer-
Central Output
Processing
Unit

Mouse- Keyboard-
Input Input
 Computer Networks
• A network is made up of two or more
computers linked together.

Advantages are:
* Share devices between computers
* Share data between computers
* Share programs between computers
* Saves time
 A Typical Local Area Network
• A local area network is a computer network across one
building or site.

Printer
Work Station

Fileserver
Network Cable