COMPUTER HARDWARE

SUBSYSTEMS
 THE INPUT SUBSYSTEM HARDWARE
Input is data and instructions…
 Data – includes unprocessed text,
numbers, images, audio, and video,
and…
 Instructions – include programs,
commands & user responses
An input device is any hardware component that
allows users to enter data and instructions

p. 234 and 236 Fig. 5-1

 The Keyboard
The keyboard has…
 A typing area
 A numeric keypad
 Function keys (special keys that issue commands)
Alternative forms of commands:
 Many programs
allow you to use
key combinations,
menus, or buttons
to obtain the same
results

p. 236 Fig. 5-2

 The Keyboard
The insertion point is…
 The blinking vertical bar that indicates where
the next character you type will display
 The pointer changes
location and shape
as you move the
mouse or other
pointing device

p. 237 Fig. 5-3

 The Keyboard and Mouse
A cordless keyboard and mouse…
 Communicate with a receiver attached to a
port on the system unit
 Use infra-red (IrDA) or radio frequency (RF)
technology

p. 238 Fig. 5-4

 Pointing Devices
A mouse is…
 A pointing device that fits under the palm of your hand
 controls movement of the mouse pointer on the screen
mouse buttons
A mechanical mouse wheel
button
 has a rubber or metal
ball on the underside ball

An optical mouse…
 Has no mechanical parts
 Uses light to detect movement
 Is more precise
 Can connect via cable,
or wirelessly
p. 239 Fig. 5-5
 Other Pointing Devices
A trackball is…
 A stationary pointing device with a ball
on its top or side
A touchpad is…
 A touchpad is a small, flat, rectangular
pointing device sensitive to pressure
and motion
A pointing stick is…
 A pointing stick is pointing
device shaped like pencil
eraser positioned between
keys on a keyboard
p. 241 Fig. 5-8
 Other Pointing Devices
A light pen is…
 A handheld input device that can
detect light
 Press light pen against screen
surface and then press button on pen
Joystick and wheel…
 Joystick is vertical lever
mounted on a base
 Wheel is steering-wheel-
type input device
 Pedal simulates car brakes
and accelerator
p. 242 Fig. 5-11
 Other Pointing Devices
A touch screen…
 Works by touching areas of
the screen with your finger
 Often used in kiosks

The stylus and digital pen…

 Look like ballpoint pens, but
use pressure to write text and
draw lines on the screen
 Used with graphics tablets
(i.e. flat electronic boards)

p. 243 Fig. 5-13

 Voice Input
How does voice recognition work?
Step 1. A user dictates text into a microphone.
Step 2. An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) translates
sound waves into digital measurements computer can
process. Measurements include pitch, volume, silences, and
phonemes. Phonemes are sound units such as aw and guh.

10010111010110101100001101

Step 4. To narrow a list down, software presents user with Step 3. Software compares spoken
a list of choices or uses a natural language component to measurements with those in its
predict most likely match. User may correct any selection database to find a match or list of
made by software. possible matches.

Natural Language Engine

Matches

p. 246
 Voice Input
MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface)?

 External device, such as electronic piano keyboard,

to input music and sound effects

p. 246 Fig. 5-19

 PDAs, Tablet PCs, and Smart Phones
How is a data
entered into a
PDA?

p. 247 Fig. 5-20

 PDAs, Tablet PCs, and Smart Phones
A Portable Keyboard is…
 a full-sized keyboard you
can conveniently attach to
a PDA as required
A Docking Station is…
 an external device that a
mobile computer can be
attached to that allows
other peripheral devices
to be connected

p. 248 Fig. 5-21

 PDAs, Tablet PCs, and Smart Phones
A Smart Phone…
 Allows users to input and send
text messages, graphics, pictures,
video clips, and sound files
 Many have a built-in or
attachable camera

p. 248 Fig. 5-22

 PDAs, Tablet PCs, and Smart Phones
A Tablet PC…
 Is a mobile computer that
includes handwriting recognition
software
 Its primary input device
is a pressure-sensitive digital pen

p. 249 Fig. 5-23

 Digital Cameras
A Digital Camera…
 Allows you to take
digital pictures
 Images are viewable
immediately on the
camera’s LCD screen
 Download to computer
 Post pictures to Web
 Email to friends

p. 250 Fig. 5-24

 Digital Cameras
How does a Digital Camera work?
Step 1. Point to the image to
photograph and take picture.
Light passes into the lens of the
camera.
Step 7. Using software
supplied with the
camera, images are
viewed on screen,
incorporated into
documents, edited, and
printed.
p. 251 Fig. 5-25
Step 2. Image is focused on a chip
called a charge-coupled device
(CCD).
Step 3. CCD generates an analog
signal that represents the image.
Step 4. Analog signal is converted
to digital signal by analog-to-
digital converter (ADC).
Step 5. Digital signal processor
(DSP) adjusts quality of image and
usually stores digital image on
miniature mobile storage media in
the camera.
Step 6. Images are transferred to a
computer’s hard disk by plugging one
end of the cable into a camera and the
other end into a computer; or images
are copied to hard disk from storage
media used in the camera.
 Digital Cameras
Image resolution relates to…
 The sharpness and clarity of an image
 The higher the resolution, the better the image
quality, but the more expensive the camera
 Pixel (picture element)
is a single point in an
electronic image
 Greater the number of
pixels, the better the
image quality

p. 252 Fig. 5-26

 Video Input
Video input is…
 The process of entering full-motion
images into a computer
 A video capture card is
an adapter card that
converts analog video signal into
digital signal that computers can
use

 A Digital Video (DV)

camera records video
as digital signals

p. 253 Fig. 5-27

 Video Input
PC Video Camera and Web Cams:
 PC Video Camera— DV camera used to capture video
c

and still images, and to make video telephone calls on

the Internet
 Also called a PC Camera
 Web Cam — a video
c c

camera whose output

displays on a Web page

p. 253 Fig. 5-28

 Video Input
Video Conferencing is where…
 Two or more geographically separated people
use a network or the Internet to transmit and
share audio and video data
 Whiteboard is another
window on screen that
can display notes and
drawings simultaneously
on all participants’
screens

p. 254 Fig. 5-29

 Scanners and Reading Devices
Flatbed

A scanner is…
 A light-sensing device that
reads printed text and Pen or

graphics Handheld

 Used for image processing,

converting paper documents
Sheet-fed
into electronic images

Drum

p. 255 Fig. 5-30

 Scanners and Reading Devices
How does a Flatbed Scanner
work?
Step 1. Document to be scanned is
placed face down on the glass window.
Step 2. Bright light moves underneath
scanned document.
Step 3. Image of the document is
reflected into a series of mirrors.

Step 4. Light is
converted to analog
electrical current that
is converted to
digital signal by an
analog-to-digital
Step 6. Users can print image,
converter (ADC).
e-mail it, include it in a document,
or place it on a Web page.
Step 5. Digital information is sent to
memory in the computer to be used by
illustration, desktop publishing, or
other software; or it is stored on disk.
p. 256 Fig. 5-31
 Scanners and Reading Devices
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
 Optical mark recognition
(OMR) reads hand-drawn pencil
marks, such as small circles

p. 257 Fig. 5-32

 Scanners and Reading Devices
A Turnaround Document is…
 A document that you
return to the company
that sent it
 Portion you return has
information printed in
OCR characters

p. 257 Fig. 5-33

 Scanners and Reading Devices
A Bar Code Reader…
 Uses laser beams to read bar codes

p. 258 Fig. 5-34

 Scanners and Reading Devices
A bar code…
 Identification code that consists of a set of vertical
lines and spaces of different widths
 Universal Product
Code (UPC)

p. 258 Fig. 5-35

 Other Input Devices
An RFID Reader…
 Reads information on the
RFID tag via radio waves
 Can be a handheld device or
mounted in a stationary position

RFID (Radio Frequency ID)

p. 259 Fig. 5-36

 Other Input Devices
A Magnetic Stripe Card Reader…
 Reads the magnetic stripe
on the back of a credit card
 Exposure to a magnetic
field can erase the contents
of a card’s magnetic stripe

p. 260 Fig. 5-37

 Scanners and Reading Devices
Magnetic-Ink Character Recognition
(MICR) Reader:
 Can read text printed with magnetised ink
 Banking industry almost exclusively uses MICR
for cheque processing

p. 260 Fig. 5-38

 Scanners and Reading Devices
A data collection device…
 Obtains data directly at the location where
a transaction or event takes place
 Transmits data over a network
or the Internet

p. 261 Fig. 5-39

 Terminals
A Point Of Sale (POS) Terminal…
 Records purchases,
processes credit or debit
cards, and updates
inventory
 Swipe credit or debit card
through a card reader
 Reads customer’s personal
data from
the magnetic strip

p. 261 Fig. 5-40

 Terminals
What is an Automated Teller Machine (ATM)?
 Self-service banking machine that
connects
to a host computer through a network

p. 262 Fig. 5-41

 Biometric Input
Biometrics…
 Can authenticate a person’s identity by
verifying unique
personal characteristic

 Fingerprint Scanner captures curves

and indentations of a persons fingerprint
 Hand geometry system measures shape
and size of person’s hand
 Eye Scanners determine unique
characteristics of an individuals iris.

p. 262 Fig. 5-42 and 5-43

 Biometric Input
What are examples of biometric technology?
 Voice verification system compares live
speech with stored voice pattern
 Signature verification system recognizes
shape of signature
 Iris recognition system reads
patterns in blood vessels in back
of eye
 Biometric data is sometimes stored
on smart card, which stores
personal data on microprocessor
embedded in card
p. 263 Figs. 5-44—5-45
 Input Devices for Physically Challenged Users

What input devices are available

for those with physical limitations?
 Keyguard allows users to rest
hands on keyboard without
accidentally pressing keys
 Head-mounted pointer
controls pointer on screen
 New developments include
gesture recognition and
computerized implant devices

p. 266 Figs. 5-47

 THE SYSTEM SUBSYSTEM/CPU
The system unit is…
 The case that contains
electronic components
of the computer used
to process data
 Sometimes called
the chassis

p. 184 Fig. 4-1

 The System Unit
Common components inside the system unit include…
power supply drive bays

 Processor
 Memory processor
 Adapter cards
 Sound card
ports memory
 Video card
 Ports
 Drive bays
 Power supply

sound card
video card

p. 185 Fig. 4-2

 The System Unit
The motherboard:
 Is the main
circuit board in
the system unit
 Contains adapter
cards, processor
chips, and
memory chips
 Also called
system board

p. 186 Fig. 4-3

 The System Unit
A chip is…
 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

p. 186
 Processor

The central processing unit (CPU)…

 Interprets and carries Processor
out basic instructions Control
Control Arithmetic
Arithmetic
Unit Logic
Logic Unit
Unit (ALU)
that operate a computer Unit (ALU)

 Control unit directs and

Instructions
coordinates operations in Data
computer Informatio
n
 Arithmetic logic unit
(ALU) performs Input Output
Devices
Data Memory Information
Devices
arithmetic, comparison,
and logical operations
Instructions
 Also called the processor Data
Informatio
n

Storage
Devices
p. 187 Fig. 4-4
 Processor
What is the machine cycle?
 Four operations of the CPU comprise a machine cycle
Step 1. Fetch
Obtain program instruction
or data item from memory

Memory
Step 2.
Step 4. Store Decode
Write result to memory Translate
instruction into
Processor commands
ALU Control Unit
Step 3. Execute
Carry out command

p. 188 Fig. 4-5

 Processor
Pipelining is where…
 The CPU begins fetching the second instruction before
completing machine cycle for first instruction
 Results in faster processing

p. 189 Fig. 4-6

 Processor
A register is…
 A temporary high-speed storage area that holds
data and instructions

Stores location
from where instruction
was fetched
Stores Stores data
instruction while it is while ALU
being decoded computes it
Stores results
of calculation

p. 189
 Processor
The system clock…
 Controls timing of all computer operations
 Generates regular electronic pulses, or ticks, that set
operating pace of components of system unit

Pace of system
clock is clock speed
Processor speed can
Each tick Most clock speeds are
also be measured in
is a in the gigahertz (GHz)
millions of instructions
clock cycle range (1 GHz = one
per second (MIPS)
billion ticks of system
clock per second)

p. 189
 Processor
Which processor should you select?
 The faster the processor, the more expensive the computer
Intel Processor Desired Clock Speed

Itanium or Xeon 1.3 GHz and up

Pentium family
3.0 GHz and up

2.4 GHz to 3.0 GHz

Up to 2.4 GHz

Celeron 2.2 GHz and up

p. 191 Fig. 4-7

 Processor
What are the guidelines for selecting a processor?

p. 192 Fig. 4-8

 Processor
Heat sinks, heat pipes, and liquid cooling…
 Heat sink—component
with fins that cools
the processor
 Heat pipe —smaller
e

device for notebook

computers
 Liquid cooling—uses
a continuous flow
of fluids to transfer
heat away

p. 193 Fig. 4-9

 Processor
Parallel processing…
 Using multiple Control Processor
processors
simultaneously
to execute a
program faster Processor 1 Processor 2 Processor 3 Processor 4
 Requires special Memory Memory Memory Memory

software to divide
problem and
bring results
together Results combined

p. 194 Fig. 4-10

 Data Representation
How do computers represent data?
 Most computers are digital
 Recognize only two
discrete states: on or off
 Use a binary system to
recognize two states
 Use Number system with
two unique digits: 0 and
1, called bits (short for
binary digits)

p. 194 Fig. 4-11

 Data Representation
A byte is…
 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
 Other

p. 195 Fig. 4-12

 Data Representation
The three popular coding systems used
to represent data are…
 ASCII—American Standard Code for Information Interchange
 EBCDIC—Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code
 Unicode—coding scheme capable of representing all
world’s languages

ASCII Symbol EBCDIC

00110000 0 11110000
00110001 1 11110001
00110010 2 11110010
00110011 3 11110011

p. 195 Fig. 4-13

 Data Representation
How is a letter converted to binary form and back?
Step 1.
The user presses Step 2.
the capital letter An electronic signal for the
D (shift+D key) capital letter D is sent to the
on the keyboard. system unit.

Step 4.
After processing, the binary
code for the capital letter D is
converted to an image, and
displayed on the output device.
Step 3.
The signal for the capital letter D
is converted to its ASCII binary
code (01000100) and is stored in
memory for processing.

p. 196 Fig. 4-14

 Memory
Memory includes…
 Electronic components that
store instructions, data
and results
 Consists of one or
more chips on the
motherboard or
other circuit board
 Each byte stored
in unique location
called an address,
similar to seats in a
concert hall

p. 196 Fig. 4-15

 Memory
How is memory measured?
 By number of bytes available for storage

Term Abbreviation Approximate Size

Kilobyte KB or K 1 thousand bytes
Megabyte MB 1 million bytes
Gigabyte GB 1 billion bytes
Terabyte TB 1 trillion bytes

p. 197 Fig. 4-16

 Memory
What is random access memory (RAM)?

Memory chips that can be

read from and written
to by the processor(s)
Most RAM is
Also called
volatile, it is lost
main memory
when computer’s
or primary
power is
storage
turned off

The more RAM a

computer has, the
faster it responds

p. 198
 Memory
How do program instructions transfer in and out of RAM?
RAM Step 1. When you start the computer, certain
operating system files are loaded into RAM from
Operating system Operating system the hard disk. The operating system displays the
instructions interface user interface on the screen.

Step 2. When you start a Web browser, the

program’s instructions are loaded into RAM from
Web browser Web browser the hard disk. The Web browser window is
displayed on the screen.
instructions window
Step 3. When you start a word processing
program, the program’s instructions are loaded
Word processing into RAM from the hard disk. The word
Word processing processing program, along with the Web Browser
program
program window and certain operating system instructions are in
instructions RAM. The word processing program window is
displayed on the screen.
RAM
Step 4. When you quit a program, such as the
Web browser, its program instructions are
removed from RAM. The Web browser is no
longer displayed on the screen.

Web browser Web browser

program instructions window is no
are removed from longer displayed on
p. 198 Fig. 4-17 RAM desktop
 Memory
The two basic types of RAM chips are…
Do not have to
Most
be re-energized
common
as often as
type
DRAM
Static
RAM
Dynamic
Must be
(SRAM)
RAM Faster and
more reliable
re-energized
constantly (DRAM) than DRAM
chips

Newer Type: Magnetoresistive RAM (MRAM)

p. 199
 Memory
dual inline memory module

Where does memory reside?

 Resides on small circuit
board called memory
module
 Memory slots on
motherboard hold memory
memory chip memory slot
modules

p. 199 Fig. 4-18

 Memory
How much RAM does an application require?
 Depends on the types of
software you plan to use
 For optimal
performance, you
need more than
minimum specifications

p. 199
 Memory
How much RAM do you need?
 Depends on type of applications you intend to run
on your computer
RAM 256 MB to 1 GB 512 MB to 1 GB 2 GB and up
Use • Home and business • Users requiring more advanced • Power users creating
users managing multimedia capabilities professional Web sites
personal finance • Running number-intensive • Running sophisticated
• Using standard accounting, financial, or CAD, 3D design, or
application software spreadsheet programs other graphics-intensive
such as word processing • Using voice recognition software
• Using educational • Working with videos, music, and
or entertainment digital imaging
CD-ROMs • Creating Web sites
• Communicating with • Participating in video conferences
others on the Web • Playing Internet games

p. 200 Fig. 4-19

 Memory – [ Lecture 13 ]
Cache…
 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)

p. 201 Fig. 4-20

 Memory

Read-Only Memory (ROM) includes…

Memory chips that store Nonvolatile memory, it is not
permanent data lost when computer’s
and instructions power is turned off

Three types: EEPROM

(electrically
Firmware—
erasable programmable
Manufactured with
read-only memory)—
permanently written
PROM Type of PROM
data, instructions,
(programmable containing microcode
or information
read-only programmer
memory)— can erase
Blank ROM
chip onto which
a programmer
can write permanently

p. 201
 Memory
What is flash memory?
 Nonvolatile memory that can be erased electronically and rewritten

 Used with PDAs, digital cameras, smart phones, music players, digital
voice recorders, printers, Internet receivers, and pagers
Step 3.
Step 1. Plug the headphones into the MP3
Purchase and download MP3 music tracks To headphones player, push a button on the MP3
from a Web site. With one end of a special Flash memory chip player, and listen to the music
cable connected to the system unit, connect through the headphones.
the other end into the MP3 player.

From computer

Flash memory card

Step 2.
Instruct the computer to copy the MP3 music track
MP3 Player
to the flash memory chip in the MP3 player.

p. 202 Fig. 4-21

 Memory
CMOS memory is…

Complementary Used in some

metal-oxide RAM chips, flash
semiconductor memory chips, and
memory other types of
memory chips

Uses battery Stores date,

power to retain time, and
information when computer’s
other power is startup
turned off information

p. 203
 Memory
Access time is…
 The amount of time it takes
the processor to read data
from memory

 Measured in nanoseconds (ns),

one billionth of a second
 It takes 1/10 of a second to blink
your eye; a computer can perform
up to 10 million operations in same
amount of time
Term Speed
Millisecond One-thousandth of a second
Microsecond One-millionth of a second
Nanosecond One-billionth of a second
Picosecond One-trillionth of a second
p. 203 Figs. 4-22-4-23
 Expansion Slots and Adapter Cards
An adapter card…
 Enhances system unit or provides connections to
external devices called peripherals
 Also called an expansion card

p. 204 Fig. 4-24

 Expansion Slots and Adapter Cards
An expansion slot is…
 An opening, or socket,
on the motherboard
that can hold an
adapter card
 With Plug and Play,
the computer
automatically
configures cards
and other devices
as you install them

p. 204 Fig. 4-25

 Expansion Slots and Adapter Cards
PC cards, and flash memory cards:
 A PC card adds memory, storage,
sound, fax/modem, communications,
and other capabilities to notebook
computers
 A flash memory card allows users to transfer
data from mobile devices to desktop computers
 USB Flash drive

p. 205 Fig. 4-26–4-27

 Ports and Connectors
Ports and connectors:
 Port connects external devices to system unit
 Connector joins cable to peripheral
 Available in one of two genders: male and female

p. 206 Fig. 4-28

 Ports and Connectors
Some different types of connectors:

p. 207 Fig. 4-29

 Ports and Connectors
A serial port…
 Transmits one bit of data
at a time
 Connects slow-speed devices,
such as mouse, keyboard,
modem

p. 207 Fig. 4-30

 Ports and Connectors
A parallel port…
 Connects devices that can
transfer more than one bit at
a time, such as a printer

p. 208 Fig. 4-31

 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

PCs typically have Third USB

six to eight USB ports Single USB port can device connects
be used to attach to second USB
on front or back of device, and so on
the system unit multiple peripherals
in a daisy chain
Second USB
device connects
to first USB
First USB device
device connects
to USB port
p. 208 on computer
 Ports and Connectors
FireWire ports…
 Connects multiple types of devices that require
faster data transmission speeds
 Allows you to connect up to 63 devices together

p. 209
 Ports and Connectors
Special-purpose ports…
 Allow users to attach specialized peripherals or transmit data
to wireless devices
 MIDI (Musical Instrument
Digital Interface) port
 SCSI (small computer
system interface) port
 IrDA (Infrared Data
Association) port
 Bluetooth port

p. 209 Fig. 4-32

 Buses
A bus is…
 A channel that allows devices
inside the computer to
communicate with each other
 The System bus connects the
processor and RAM
 Bus width determines number
of bits transmitted at one time
 Word size is the number of
bits processor can interpret
and execute at a given time

p. 211 Fig. 4-35

 Buses
What is an expansion bus?
 Allows processor to communicate with peripherals

FireWire USB AGP PCI

Bus Bus Bus Bus

p. 212
 Bays
A bay is…
 An open area inside
system unit used to
install additional
equipment
 Drive bays typically
hold disk drives

p. 212 Fig. 4-36

 Power Supply
The power supply…

Converts Fan keeps

AC Power system unit
into components
DC Power cool

External peripherals
might use an AC
adapter, which is an
external power supply

p. 213
 Mobile Computers and Devices
A mobile computer is…
 A notebook, weighing between 2.5 and 8 pounds, or
mobile device such as a PDA

p. 213 Fig. 4-37

 Mobile Computers and Devices
What ports are on a notebook computer?

p. 214 Fig. 4-38

 Mobile Computers and Devices
What ports and slots are on a tablet PC?

p. 214 Fig. 4-39

 Putting It All Together
What are suggested processor, clock speed, and RAM
requirements based on the needs of various types of users?

p. 215 Fig. 4-40