Basic Computer Concepts.

COMPUTER BASIC
Chapter - 2
Dr. Basheer Riskhan PhD (IT)
Associate Professor
China Three Gorges University
三峡大学计算机与信息学院
Chapter 2 - Computer Hardware
Section A : Personal Computer Basics Section C: Memory
Personal Computer Systems Memory Architecture

Desktop and Portable Computers Memory Hierarchy
Buying a Computer Volatile and Non- Volatile
Handheld Computers Random Access Memory
Read-Only Memory
Section B: Microprocessor Diff between ROM and RAM
Microprocessor Basics PROM and EPROM
Components of the CPU EEPROM
Primary CPU Operations Diff PROM-EPROM-and-EEPROM
Comparing CPUs Primary memory Comparison
Today’s Microprocessors Capacity
Looking at your computer
Computer Hardware 三峡大学计算机与信息学院

CHINA THREE GORGES UNIVERSITY
Section D : Storage Devices Section E : Input and Output Devices
Storage Basics Basic Input Devices

Magnetic Disk and Tape Technology Printers
Optical Storage Technology Display Devices
Solid State Storage Technology Installing Peripheral Devices
SSD Vs. HDD
Storage Comparison

Section A : Personal Computer Basics
Personal Computer Systems

Desktop and Portable Computers
Buying a Computer
Handheld Computers

Personal Computer Basics - Personal Computer Systems

Personal Computer Basics - Personal Computer Systems

Personal Computer Basics - Desktop and Portable Computers
• The term form factor refers to the size an

d dimensions of a component, such as a sys
tem board or system unit
• A desktop computer fits on a desk and runs
on power from an electrical wall outlet
• A portable computer is a small, lightweigh
t personal computer
• A notebook computer (also referred to as a
laptop) is a small, lightweight portable c
omputer that opens like a clamshell to rev
eal a screen and keyboard
• A netbook is a small version of a notebook
computer
Personal Computer Basics - Buying a Computer
Concern before buy computer
List of factors to consider whe
n buying a computer Decide on a budget and stick
• Brand
to it
• Weight
• Price
Make a list of the ways you
plan to use your computer
• Usability
• Operating system
Browse through computer
• Peripherals
magazines and online
• Hard drive capacity and speed computer stores to get a
• Processor general idea of features and
• Random Access Memory (RAM) prices
• Warranty
Personal Computer Basics - Handheld Computers
• Handheld computers are small, portable devices that allow you to ins
tall application software, usually referred to as apps
• An enhanced media player is a handheld device, such as the iPod Touc

h, designed for playing music and videos, and offers a camera, acces
s to the Internet, and a variety of apps
• A smartphone is an enhanced mobile phone that typically also functio

ns as a portable media player and has the capability to access the I
nternet
• A tablet computer is a handheld computer that is essentially a large

version of an enhanced media player

Section B: Microprocessors
Microprocessor Basics
Components of the CPU
Four Primary CPU Operations
Comparing CPUs
Today’s Microprocessors

Microprocessors - Microprocessor Basic
• Alternately referred to as a processor, central process
or, microprocessor, CPU (Central Processing Unit) .
• A computer's CPU handles all instructions it receives f
rom hardware and software running on the computer.
• The processor is placed and secured into a compatible CPU
socket found on the motherboard.
• Processors produce heat, so they are covered with a heat
sink to keep them cool and running smoothly.
• The two main competitors in the processor market are Int
el and AMD.

Microprocessor - Microprocessor Basic
• A microprocessor is an integrated circuit d
esigned to process instructions
• Usually the most expensive component of a compute
r
• Microprocessor clock
• Megahertz
• Gigahertz
• Multicore processor
• Front side bus
• Cache
• Level 1 cache (L1)
• Word size

Microprocessors - Components of the CPU
In the CPU, there are two primary components.
• ALU (arithmetic logic unit) - performs mathematical, log
ical, and decision operations.
• CU (control unit) - directs all the processors operation
s.

Microprocessor - Components of the CPU
Arithmetic-Logic Unit (ALU):
• The arithmetic logic unit (ALU) is an electronic circuit used to car
ry out the arithmetic operations like addition (+), subtraction (-),
multiplication (x)(*), and division (/).
• This unit also carries out logical operations like greater than (>),
less than (<), equal to (=), not equal to (!=), AND (&&), OR (||),
Not (!).
• It performs the operation on the data provided by the input devices.
• Logical operations can be used to determine whether a particular sta
tement is TRUE or FALSE.
• The arithmetic logic unit (ALU) operates on the data available in th
e main memory (RAM) and sends them back after processing again to th
e main memory (RAM).

Microprocessors - Components of the CPU
Control Unit:
• The control unit manages and coordinates the activities of
all the other units in the processor.
• Its main functions are to control the transfer of data and
information between various units (like ALU, MU) and to ini
tiate appropriate actions by the arithmetic-logic unit.
• It also aids in the loading of data and instructions residi
ng in the secondary memory to the main memory as required.
• Conceptually, the control unit fetches instructions from th
e memory, decodes them, and directs them to various units t
o perform the specified tasks.

Microprocessor - Components of the CPU
Register
• It also refer as processor register or CPU register
• It is a type of computer memory used to quickly accept, sto
re, and transfer data and instructions that are being used
immediately by the CPU.
• A register may hold an instruction, a storage address, or
any kind of data
• The computer needs registers for manipulating data and hold
ing a memory address.
• It holding the memory location is used to calculate the add
ress of the next instruction after the execution of the cur
rent instruction is completed.

Microprocessor - Four Primary CPU Operations
• Fetch- is the operation which receives instructions from program memory from
a systems RAM (Program Counter)
• Decode: All programs to be executed are translated to into Assembly instruc
tions. Assembly code must be decoded into binary instructions, which are und
erstandable to your CPU. This step is called decoding.
• Execute: While executing instructions the CPU can do one of three things: D
o calculations with its ALU, move data from one memory location to another,
or jump to a different address.
• Store: The CPU must give feedback after executing an instruction, and the o
utput data is written to the memory.

Microprocessor - Comparing CPUs
Comparing CPUs
• In addition to the brand name and model of a CPU, there are stats th
at you can use to compare different processing chips.
clock speed
• It refers to how many program instructions it can run in a second.
• This speed is typically measured in megahertz or gigahertz.
Number of Core of :
• A core is an independent processor within a processor that can run c
ommands in parallel with other cores.
• There's a limit to how much software can be divided into units of co
mmands that can run simultaneously,
• so adding additional cores only speeds up computers some, but in gen
eral, CPUs with more cores run faster than those with fewer cores.

Microprocessor - Comparing CPUs
CISC vs. RISC technology, Serial processing (Pipelining),

Parallel processing, Benchmarks

Microprocessor - Today’s Microprocessors

Section C : Memory
Memory Architecture
Memory Hierarchy
Volatile and Non- Volatile
Random Access Memory
Read-Only Memory
Different between ROM and RAM
PROM and EPROM
EEPROM
Different PROM-EPROM-and-EEPROM
Primary memory Comparison
Capacity
Looking at your computer
Memory – Memory Architecture
• A memory is just like a human brain.

• It is used to store data and instructions.
• Computer memory is the storage space in the computer, where data is
to be processed and instructions required for processing are stored.
• The Memory is divided into large number of small parts called cells.
• Each location or cell has a unique address, which varies from zero t
o memory size minus one.
• For example, if the computer has 64k words, then this memory unit ha
s 64 * 1024 = 65536 memory locations.
• The address of these locations varies from 0 to 65535.
• Memory is primarily of three types −
1.Cache Memory 2. Primary Memory/Main Memory 3. Secondary Memory


• Cache Memory
• Cache memory is a very high speed semiconductor memory which can speed up
the CPU.
• It acts as a buffer between the CPU and the main memory.
• It is used to hold those parts of data and program which are most frequent
ly used by the CPU.
• The parts of data and programs are transferred from the disk to cache memo
ry (L1, L2, L3) by the OS, from where the CPU can access them.
• Advantages
• Cache memory is faster and consumes less access than main memory.
• It stores the program that can be executed within a short period of time.
• It stores data for temporary use.
• Disadvantages
• Cache memory has limited capacity.
• It is very expensive.

• Primary Memory (Main Memory)
• Primary memory holds only those data and instructions on which the compute
r is currently working.
• It has a limited capacity and data is lost when power is switched off.
• These memories are not as fast as registers.
• The data and instruction required to be processed resides in the main memo
ry.
• It is divided into two subcategories RAM and ROM.
• Characteristics of Main Memory
• These are semiconductor memories.
• Usually volatile memory.
• Data is lost in case power is switched off.
• It is the working memory of the computer.
• Faster than secondary memories.
• A computer cannot run without the primary memory.

• Secondary Memory
• It is known as external memory or non-volatile.
• It is slower than the main memory.
• These are used for storing data/information permanently.
• CPU directly does not access these memories, instead they are acce
ssed via input-output routines.
• The contents of secondary memories are first transferred to the ma
in memory, and then the CPU can access it.
• For example, disk, CD-ROM, DVD, etc.
• Characteristics of Secondary Memory
• These are magnetic and optical memories.
• It is known as the backup memory.
• Computer may run without the secondary memory.
• Slower than primary memories.


Primary memory
• directly accessed by the CPU to store and retrieve informati
on,
• accessed using address and data buses by the CPU,
• does not retain data when the power is turned off (volatile)
• very fast, more cost and less capacity memory

Secondary memory
• not accessible directly by the CPU.
• accessed using input/ output channels.
• retains data when the power is turned off (non-volatile).
• Slow, Less cost and larger capacity memory.

Memory – Memory Hierarchy

Memory – Volatile and Non- Volatile
• Volatile Memory: Example : RAM (Random Access Memory) and Cache Memory
• It is computer memory that requires power to maintain the stored informati
on and it’s referred as temporary memory.
• It’s quite quick and economical in nature and may be accessed apace
• Once the system is turned off the information within the volatile memory i
s deleted mechanically.
• Non-Volatile Memory: Example : ROM

• It is computer memory that can retain the stored information even when not
powered and slow concerning accessing.
• it’s not that a lot of economical and quick in nature, however stores inf
ormation for the longer amount.
• All information (Manufacture, System Information) must be hold on in this
memory.
• Non-volatile memory has a huge impact on a system’s storage capacity.
Memory – Volatile and Non- Volatile

Memory - Random Access Memory
• RAM (Random Access Memory) = integrated circuits (chips)

• RAM is used to temporary holding area for data, applicati
on program instructions, and Operating System
Software (operating system software, application softwa
re
Data (documents, spreadsheets, etc.)
• RAM is TEMPORARY memory, when power goes off, everything
in RAM is lost

• RAM capacity is expressed in megabytes or gigabytes

• Personal computers typically feature between 256 MB and 8 GB of RAM
• Why does the CPU use RAM?
The CPU is very FAST!
The CPU needs the instructions (software) and data as quickly as possib
le
• Why doesn’t the CPU use permanent storage like disk drives?
Too slow (EXAMPLE: Spellchecker)
• The amount of RAM determines:
what software and data the user can work on
how much software and data the user can work with
• “out of memory” error message from the Operating System
• If a program exceeds its allocated space, the operating system uses an area
of the hard disk, called virtual memory, to store parts of programs or data
files until they are needed
• SDRAM is fast and relatively inexpensive

• DDR, DDR2, or DDR3
• RAM speed is often expressed in nanoseconds or megah
ertz. Lower nanosecond ratings are better

Memory - Read-Only Memory
• ROM = integrated circuits (microchips), that

are used to permanently store start-up instr
uctions and other critical information
• Read Only = information which:

Cannot be changed
Cannot be removed
Cannot be appended (added to)
Fixed by manufacturer
• The ROM BIOS tells the computer how to acces

s the hard disk, find the operating system,
and load it into RAM
Memory - Read-Only Memory
• ROM is sometimes known as ROM BIOS (Basic
Input Output System software)
• ROM permanently contains:

start-up (boot) instructions.
instructions to do “low level” proc
essing of I/O devices, such as the com
munications with the keyboard and the mo
nitor
• Firmware = software program which is store

d permanently on a microchip, such as the
software on the ROM chip
Memory – Different between ROM and RAM

Memory – PROM and EPROM
• PROM or programmable ROM is a computer memory ch
ip
• It can be programmed once after it is created.
• Once the PROM is programmed, the information writte
n is permanent and cannot be erased or deleted.
• EPROM - Erasable Programmable ROM

• It can be erased and re-used.
• Erasure is caused by shining an intense ultraviolet
light. (bright sunlight can cause erasure)
Memory - EEPROM
• EEPROM - Electrically Erasable Programmab
le Read-Only Memory
• It is a form of semiconductor memory chip
• It can be erased and reprogrammed (writte
n to) repeatedly through the application
of higher than normal electrical voltage
• Unlike EPROM chips, EEPROMs do not need
to be removed from the computer to be mod
ified
• Replaces CMOS technology
• Requires no power to hold data

Memory – Different PROM-EPROM-and-EEPROM

Memory – Primary memory Comparison
Description RAM ROM Cache Register

Nature of temporary temporary temporary temporary
data store
Capacity 64MB,128MB, 1MB 512KB-1MB 32bit,64bit,128bit
256MB,512MB,1G
B,2GB
Location Out side the CPU Out side the CPU Both outside and Inside the CPU
inside of the CPU
Cost High High High Very high
Upgrade User can easily Difficult to upgrade User can’t User can’t
upgrade –complex process upgrade-set by upgrade – set by
manufacturer manufacturer
How attach As a memory card As a removable As a In built chip Inside the
with computer chip On motherboard processor

Memory - Capacity

Memory – Looking at your computer

Section D : Storage Devices
Storage Basics
Magnetic Disk and Magnetic Tape Technology
Optical Storage Technology
Solid State Storage Technology
SSD Vs. HDD
Storage Comparison

Storage Devices - Storage Basics
• A storage medium contains data
• Storage is the collective methods and technologies that capture a

nd retain digital information on electromagnetic, optical or sili
con-based storage media.
• A storage device records and retrieves data from a storage medium

• Data gets copied from a storage device into RAM, where it waits
to be processed
• Processed data is held temporarily in RAM before it is copied t
o a storage medium

Storage Devices - Magnetic Disk and
Magnetic Tape Technology
• Magnetic Tapes and Magnetic Disks are the types of magnetic memory.
• Both are called non-volatile storage and used for store data.
• Magnetic Disk
• It contains circular disk made of metal or plastic.
• The disk is coated by magnetic oxide.
• The disk is divided into multiple concentric circles known as trac
k and tracks are divided into sectors in which data are stored.
• Magnetic tape
• It contains thin plastic ribbon is used for storing data.
• It is a sequential access memory. So the data read/write speed is
slower.
• It is mainly used for data backups.



Hard Disk
• Hard disk technology is the preferred type of main storage for
most personal computers and used Magnetic Disk Technology
• Fixed permanently in a hard disk drive inside a system unit
• Used to store the operating system, applications, and data
• Can not buy more expansion (easily)
• Not as durable as many other storage technologies (Ex: Head cr

ash)
Hard Disk

Storage Devices - Optical Storage Technology
• Optical storage is any storage t
ype in which data is written and
read with a laser.
•
• Typically, data is written to op
tical media, such as compact dis
cs (CDs), DVDs and Blu-ray
• Optical storage provides greater

memory capacity than magnetic st
orage, because laser beams can b
e controlled and focused much mo
re exactly than can tiny magneti
c heads
CD-ROMs
• Read-only memory devices (but CD-R and CD-RW discs are re
cordable)
• Store up to 650 MB of data
• Portable and can be used on any computer that has a CD-RO
M drive
• CD-R (CD Recordable)
• CD-RW (CD Rewritable)

• Today’s DVD drives typically ha

ve 24X speeds for a data transfe
r rate of 3,600 KBps
• Three categories of optical Tech

nologies
• Read-only (ROM)
• Recordable (R)
• Rewritable (RW)

• Some Categories of Optical Storage Technology
CDDA DVD-Video CD-ROM DVD-ROM C
D-R DVD+R CD-RW DVD+RW DVD-RW
BD-ROM BD-R BD-RE

Storage Devices - Solid State Storage Technology
• Solid-state storage (SSS) is a type of computer storage media

that Storing data electronically rather than magnetically
• Solid state storage is made from silicon microchips
• Solid state storage technology stores data in an erasable, rew
ritable circuitry and Non-volatile
• Card reader may be required to read data on solid state
storage
• Solid-state storage can be found generally in three form fact
ors
1.solid-state drives (SSD)
2.solid-state cards (SSC)
3.solid-state modules (SSM).

Storage Devices - Solid State Storage Technology
Solid State Drives (SSD)
• An SSD is a type of mass storage device similar to a hard disk dr
ive (HDD), but their internal components are much different.
• It supports reading and writing data and maintains stored data in a

permanent state even without power.
• SSDs do not have any moving parts (which is why they are called sol
id state drives)
• Instead of storing data on magnetic platters, SSDs store data using

flash memory
• A USB flash drive is a portable storage device that plugs directly i
nto a computer’s system unit using a built-in connector
Storage Devices – SSD Vs. HDD

Storage Devices – Storage Comparison

Storage Devices – Different between Memory and Storge

Section E : Input and Output Devices
Basic Input Devices

Printers
Display Devices
Installing Peripheral Devices

Input and Output Devices - Basic Input Devices
• An input device is any hardware device that sends data to

a computer.
• Input devices either interact with or control the compute

r in some way.
• It allows input of raw data to the computer for processin

g
• Following are some of the important input devices which a

re used in a computer

• Keyboard • Optical Devices

• Pointing Devices • Bar code readers
• Mouse • Scanners
• Trackball • MICR
• Touchpad • OMR
• Other devices • Audio Visual Devices
• Pen drive (Flash drive) • Microphone
• Pen / Stylus • Digital Camera
• Touch screen
• Joystick and Game pad

Keyboard
• Act as the primary input device of the computer system.
• May be connected to the computer system through a wire or
as wireless.
• The wired connection may be through the DIN-5 connector,
PS/2 connector or USB.
• Wireless may use radio-frequency or infrared.
Standard keyboard
• has about one hundred keys
• This set of keys can be divided into six categories.

This set of keys can be divided into six categorie

s.
• Alphanumeric keys
• Modifier keys
• Numeric keypad
• Function keys
• Cursor-Movement keys
• Special-purpose keys

Alphanumeric keys
• These include the alphabetical and numeric keys grouped together on
the left side of the keyboard.
• Main function of these keys is to simply enter whatever symbol that
is displayed on the particular key.
• Also include the “Tab, Caps Lock, Backspace, Enter and symbol key
s”.
Modifier keys
• Are located on the bottom left and right corners of the grouping of
alphanumeric keys.
• These are the keys that modify functionality of another key.
• Eg: Shift, Ctrl, Alt

Numeric Key Pad

• Located at right most end of keyboard.
• Consists 0 to 9 numbers, mathematical operators, numlock, ente
r and decimal keys.
• Help to enter numeric data faster that using alphanumeric key
s.
Function keys
• located on top most row of key-board and a labeled F1 to F12.
• Allocated certain functions by different application.
• For example, most applications allocate the function of show
ing the “application help” to the F1 key.
Cursor-Movement keys
• located between alphanumeric and number pad keys.
• Home, End, Page-up, Page-down, arrow keys
Special-purpose keys
• Located between the alphanumeric and number pad keys whic
h allow to carryout special functions.
• Insert ,Delete, Print screen, Scroll Lock, Pause and Esc



Pointing Devices
• Used to point to specific location on computer sc
reen.
• By clicking a button on the pointer device you co
uld execute a icon click, button click or text se
lection etc.
• Eg:
• Mouse
• Trackball
• Touchpad

Mouse
Mouse is the second most common input device after keyboard
Parts of a mouse
• A ball/roller or optical sensors that indicate mouse motion
• Buttons and/or wheel that are used to make selections and scroll
• A housing that holds the above components and lets you move mouse ar
ound
• An interface to connect to the computer system.
Interface with computer

• Wired - serial port, PS/2 connector or USB.
• Wireless - radio-frequency or infrared

Types of a mouse
Ball mouse
• uses a ball/roller.
• When the mouse is moved, wheels touching the ball moves an
d sensors at the end of these wheels indicate the directio
n of motion.
Disadvantages : it gathers dust and debris, which cause err
atic motion
Optical mouse
• uses a light and an optical sensor.
Advantages: it needs no pad and works on most types of surf
aces.
Disadvantage : Sometimes oversensitive and difficult to con
trol on some surfaces

Trackball
• Works like an upside-down mouse.
• Ball is on the top of the device where as the mou
se ball is on the underside.
• Fingers are used to move the ball.
• The best example is the use of
a trackball in laptops where you
do not have space for a mouse.

Touchpad / Track pad

• Invented by Cirque in 1994
• Squared area
• Finger is used to move around on
the touchpad
• Found most commonly on laptops
• Works by sensing the position of finger through body capa
citance
• Consists of two or more buttons
• “strike-sensitive” which means by tapping once or twice you
could imitator the left single and double clicks respectively.

• Other devices
Pen drive (Flash drive) Pen / Stylus
Touch screen Joystick and Game pad
Pen / Stylus
• Used to write on a special pad or
directly on the screen
• Commonly used for data entry on
PDAs, handheld computers, tablet
PCs, smart phones and palmtops
Touch screen
• Is a display screen which has sensors or capacitive
film to locate where finger is touching the screen
• Commonly used in locations where using a mouse or ke
yboard is not feasible and an intuitive interface is
required
• Buttons or icon on screen can be pressed by finger a
nd appropriate action will be taken by computer
Joystick and Game Pad

Joystick
• Also be referred to as Game Controller
• Connected to the computer system through
the game port which is a 15-pin connector
usually available on the sound card or I/O
card Gamepad
• Optical Devices
• Bar code readers
• Scanners
• MICR
• OMR

Bar code readers
• Commonly available as flatbed and handheld
• Flatbeds are mostly seen in supermarkets and
retail stores
• Handheld are commonly used in libraries and b
ookstores
• These emit strips of LASER light and reflecte
d image is picked up by the light sensors
• Captured image is processed and the barcode i
s identified and passed on to the computer sy
stem as an alphanumeric value.
• This value can be processed by program and a
suitable response can be executed.
Scanners and OCR devices
• Used to capture printed image into an electronic format
• This is done by shining light onto the image and capturing the wavelengt
h of light reflected at each point of the image
• If printed image is a collection of text, there are special software cal
led Optical Character Recognition (OCR) that can process captured electr
onic image file and recognize text on it to create a text file
• Like barcode readers scanners are also available as flatbed or handhelds
• Accuracy of flatbed scanners is much
Higher than that of handheld scanners.
• Reason for this is that the speed of
The motion of light sensors is constant
for the flatbed but handheld speed of
sensors varies according to speed of hand.

MICR
OMR

Audiovisual Device (Microphone, Digital Camera)
• Audio means sound or audible noise, and visual means still or moving
images.
• Therefore audiovisual input devices are any devices that can capture
and transfer sound, still images or video
Microphone
• Used to input sound into the computer system through the sound card.
• Used for 1. recording speech 2. communicating though voice
3.providing voice commands to computer system.
Camera
1.Web Cam 2.Analog Video Camera
3.DV Camera 4.DVD Camera 5. Digital Camera

Web Cam
• Can be considered the most primitive type of video camera
• It captures image and transfers it directly to the computer system.
• Image are of low quality and low resolution captured video file small in siz
e and suitable to be transmitted over the internet
• Webcam does not support the capture and transfer of sound
Analog Video Camera
• Can capture and store analog video on magnetic tapes
• Also capture sound
• Disadvantage : needs a special video capture card or device to convert analo
g audio and video into digital format to store on computer system.
DV Camera
• Stores the audio and video on DV tapes in digital format
• Disadvantage : time it takes to transfer the video is equal to the recorded
time of the video

DVD Camera
• Directly write video on to a mini-DVD
• These can be read using a DVD-ROM and copied t
o the computer using DVD-ripping software
• Store the video and audio as a single file on
the digital memory card.
Digital Camera
• Difference between DVD cameras and video camer
as is digital cameras only capture still image
s and store them in a digital memory card
• Most often image file is compressed and stored
on the memory card to allow a large number of
photographs to be taken
Input and Output Devices – Display Devices
Output
• Any device that can be used to output information from a
computer is known as an output device.
• certain devices have functionality that fall into both in
put and output categories such as touch-screen, joystick
Output Devices
• Monitor and LCD Panel
• Printers
• Speakers
• Plotters

Input and Output Devices - Display Devices
Monitor
• Monitors are the primary output device of a computer syst
em
• Provide a graphical representation of information on the
screen.
• Types
• CRT
• LCD
• LED

CRT Monitor
• Stands for Cathode Ray Tube
• Use cathode ray tube technology
• Monitor tube is a glass vacuum tube with one end having an electron gun
that projects three beams and the other a display surface coated with ph
osphors
LCD Monitor
• Stands for Liquid Cristal Display
• A back-light was also introduced to illuminate what was displayed on scr
een.
• The LCD screen is a grid of liquid crystals.
• The orientation of the liquid crystals in a particular pixel is changed
by a small current sent along the rows and columns of the LCD grid.
• The LCD display has a refresh rate which is similar to CRT monitor.

Advantages of LCD
• very little space and has better color quality,
• consumes about 5% of the power used by a CRT
• produces no radiation and little heat.
Disadvantage of LCD
• has low contrast and has a limited viewing angle
• more expensive to manufacture.
Key features of LCD
• Size of the viewing area - usually stated in inches diagonally
• Resolution - The maximum number of pixels across and from top to bottom
• Image contrast - The contrast between colors
• Image brightness - The brightness of the display
• Power consumption and management - the amount of power it uses and its power manageme
nt features
• Refresh rates (Vertical and horizontal) - the number of times a second it refreshes t
he screen

Tell About LED

Multimedia projectors
• Used to project videos on to the screen
There are two types technologies used for multimedia projectors.

• Liquid crystal display (LCD)
• Digital light processing (DLP)

Liquid crystal display (LCD) Projector
• Projector lamp is shone through a LCD display with the
image, and the image is then projected onto a screen
• These projectors are not bright therefore require a da
rk room
• Images are not sharp but blur
• Require a considerable time to cool down.
Digital light processing (DLP) Projector

• These have a special microchip called the Digital Micr
o mirror device, which use mirrors to manipulate the i
mage that is projected.
• Images are sharp not blur and brighter.
• Small in size and take very little time to cool down

Input and Output Devices - Printers
Printer
• Printer is the device that provides you with a hard copy
output
• Generally categorized into two types.
• Impact : Printing occurs by pressing an inked ribbon ag
ainst the paper. Use pins of shapes embossed on steel h
ammers.
Example : Dot matrix Printer,
• Non-impact : There are no components that touch the pap
er, but ink is sprayed on to the paper or toner is spra
yed onto the paper
Example : Ink Jet Printer, Laser Jet Printer
Dot matrix Printer
• Usually used in organizations that need to pri
nt documents with a large amount of text, some
low quality graphics like graphs, a large numb
er of pages, but do not require high quality p
rints.
• Work by striking a set of pins arranged in one
or more columns (contained in the printer hea
d) against an inked ribbon to create an image
by dots on the paper.
• Minimum number of pins in a head is 9 and the
maximum is 24.24 pin printer creates a higher
resolution, but takes a longer time to print.
• Speed of dot matrix printers is stated in char
acters per second (cps)
Ink Jet Printer

• Print by spraying different colored ink directly o
nto the paper through tiny nozzles
• When compared to laser printer these have a very l
ow initial cost and operational cost.
• Can print photographs and other graphics.
• Using special photo quality
paper and high resolution
printing these printers can
print good quality images
Laser Jet Printer

• Laser printouts are of higher quality that most othe
r printers.
• Have a higher ppm value.
• toner cartridges are much more
expensive than ink jet cartridges.
• Therefore the operation cost of
laser printers is usually higher

Other Printers
• Plotter
• Photo printers
• Thermal-Wax printers
• Dye-Sublimation printers

Plotter
• Mostly used to print large images such as Computer
Aided Design (CAD) drawings, construction plans an
d engineering drawings which are too large to be p
rinted using a conventional printer
Photo printers
• Most photo printers use the ink jet technology.
• There are large scale photo printers that can prin
t photo enlargements and other large dimensional i
mages.
• Photo printers can work without a computer and can
directly read an image from a memory card or from
the camera

Thermal-Wax printer
• Used for presentations and handouts.
• These printers have a low CPM (copies per minu
te) value.
• Therefore these printers are commonly used for
prints like posters and book covers
Dye-Sublimation printers
• Create high quality and sharp images.
• used by graphics artist and desktop publisher
s.
• Disadvantages: Slow, Costly, Special expensive
paper is required. 三峡大学计算机与信息学院
Computer Hardware CHINA THREE GORGES UNIVERSITY
Key features when purchasing a printer

• What do you plan to use the printer for?
• What type (color or black and white) of printouts will you be
taking?
• Will you be printing only text or graphics or photographs et
c.?
• How fast do you want your printouts?
Key Features
• Image quality
• Speed
• Initial Cost
• Operational Cost

Image Quality
• Need to consider dots per inch (dpi), this states how clear and sharp printed image w
ill be.
300 dpi - adequate for text and low resolution images and drawings
600 dpi - Provides four times the resolution of a 300 dpi printer. Adequate quality f
or medium quality images.
1200 dpi and above - High quality professional prints
Speed
• Time for first page
Time it take for the printer to print first page once print command is received by pr
inter Papers per minute (ppm)
Number of printouts per minute. This is stated as two values. One for text and other
for graphics since graphic take a longer time.
Initial cost
• Initial investment for the printer
Operation cost
• Cost of ink or toner cartridges and maintenance cost.

Input and Output Devices - Installing Peripheral Devices
• The data bus moves data between RAM and the microprocessor
• The segment of the data bus to which peripheral devices connec
t is called the expansion bus
• An expansion slot is a long, narrow socket on the system board
into which you can plug an expansion card
• Expansion cards are small circuit boards that give the compute
r additional capabilities
Expansion slot Expansion port


An expansion port passes data in and out of a comp

uter or peripheral device

• Most peripherals connect to an
external USB port
• You can easily add USB ports to
your computer by using a USB hub
Other kinds of ports
Plug and Play automatically configures your computer to accommo

date new peripheral devices you add
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COMPUTER BASIC

Personal Computer Systems Memory Architecture

Computer Hardware 三峡大学计算机与信息学院

Storage Basics Basic Input Devices

Computer Hardware 三峡大学计算机与信息学院

Personal Computer Systems

Computer Hardware 三峡大学计算机与信息学院

Computer Hardware 三峡大学计算机与信息学院

Computer Hardware 三峡大学计算机与信息学院

• The term form factor refers to the size an

• An enhanced media player is a handheld device, such as the iPod Touc

• A smartphone is an enhanced mobile phone that typically also functio

• A tablet computer is a handheld computer that is essentially a large

Computer Hardware 三峡大学计算机与信息学院

Computer Hardware 三峡大学计算机与信息学院

Computer Hardware 三峡大学计算机与信息学院

Computer Hardware 三峡大学计算机与信息学院

Computer Hardware 三峡大学计算机与信息学院

Computer Hardware 三峡大学计算机与信息学院

Computer Hardware 三峡大学计算机与信息学院

Computer Hardware 三峡大学计算机与信息学院

Computer Hardware 三峡大学计算机与信息学院

Computer Hardware 三峡大学计算机与信息学院

CISC vs. RISC technology, Serial processing (Pipelining),

Computer Hardware 三峡大学计算机与信息学院

Computer Hardware 三峡大学计算机与信息学院

• A memory is just like a human brain.

Computer Hardware 三峡大学计算机与信息学院

Computer Hardware 三峡大学计算机与信息学院

Computer Hardware 三峡大学计算机与信息学院

Computer Hardware 三峡大学计算机与信息学院

Computer Hardware 三峡大学计算机与信息学院

Computer Hardware 三峡大学计算机与信息学院

Computer Hardware 三峡大学计算机与信息学院

Computer Hardware 三峡大学计算机与信息学院

• Non-Volatile Memory: Example : ROM

Computer Hardware 三峡大学计算机与信息学院

• RAM (Random Access Memory) = integrated circuits (chips)

Computer Hardware 三峡大学计算机与信息学院

• RAM capacity is expressed in megabytes or gigabytes

• SDRAM is fast and relatively inexpensive

Computer Hardware 三峡大学计算机与信息学院

• ROM = integrated circuits (microchips), that

• Read Only = information which:

• The ROM BIOS tells the computer how to acces

• ROM permanently contains:

• Firmware = software program which is store

Computer Hardware 三峡大学计算机与信息学院

• EPROM - Erasable Programmable ROM

Computer Hardware 三峡大学计算机与信息学院

Computer Hardware 三峡大学计算机与信息学院

Description RAM ROM Cache Register

Computer Hardware 三峡大学计算机与信息学院

Computer Hardware 三峡大学计算机与信息学院

Computer Hardware 三峡大学计算机与信息学院

Section D : Storage Devices

Computer Hardware 三峡大学计算机与信息学院

• Storage is the collective methods and technologies that capture a

• A storage device records and retrieves data from a storage medium

Computer Hardware 三峡大学计算机与信息学院

Computer Hardware 三峡大学计算机与信息学院

Computer Hardware 三峡大学计算机与信息学院

Computer Hardware 三峡大学计算机与信息学院