Computer Fundamentals

1st Semester Electrical Engineering Fall 2010 Lecture 1: Components of a Computer System

Desktop

computers

The most common type of computer Sits on the desk or floor Performs a variety of tasks
Workstations

Specialized computers Optimized for science or graphics More powerful than a desktop

Computers for Individual Use

Notebook

computers

Small portable computers Weighs between 3 and 8 pounds About 8 by 11 inches Typically as powerful as a desktop

Computers For Individual Use

Tablet computers
Newest development in portable computers Input is through a pen Run specialized versions of office products

Computers For Individual Use

Handheld

computers

Very small computers Personal Digital Assistants (PDA) Note taking or contact management Data can synchronize with a desktop

Smart

phones

Hybrid of cell phone and PDA Web surfing, e-mail access

Computers For Individual Use

Network

servers

Centralized computer All other computers connect Provides access to network resources Multiple servers are called server farms Often simply a powerful desktop

Computers for Organizations

Mainframes

Used in large organizations Handle thousands of users Users access through a terminal

Computers for Organizations

Minicomputers

Called midrange computers Power between mainframe and desktop Handle hundreds of users Used in smaller organizations Users access through a terminal

Computers for Organizations

Supercomputers

The most powerful computers made Handle large and complex calculations Process trillions of operations per second Found in research organizations

Computers for Organizations

More

impact than any other invention are important because:

Changed work and leisure activities Used by all demographic groups

Computers

Provide information to users Information is critical to our society Managing information is difficult

Computers in Society

Computers

at home

Many homes have multiple computers Most homes in Pakistan have Internet Computers are used for
Business Entertainment Communication Education

Computers in Society

Computers Computers

in education in small business in industry

Computer literacy required at all levels Makes businesses more profitable Allows owners to manage
Computers

Computers are used to design products Assembly lines are automated

Computers in Society

Computers

in government

Necessary to track data for population

Police officers Tax calculation and collection

Governments were the first computer users

Computers in Society

Computers

in health care

Revolutionized health care New treatments possible Scheduling of patients has improved Delivery of medicine is safer

Computers in Society

Hardware
keyboard mouse monitor speakers

The physical components of a computer

Software

The programs that run on a computer

Word-processor Calculator Spread-sheets

Firmware

Programs permanently stored in computer ROM

Components of a Computer System

Each

Hardware component of a computer falls in one of these four categories

Processor Memory Input/Output Storage Buses (Bundles of wires)

Computer Hardware

Processor

It is the brain of a computer It reads instructions and executes them one at a time Multi-core processors can execute multiple instructions Components like video cards may have their own dedicated processor to decrease the burden or the over-head on the main processor (on the motherboard)

Computer Hardware

Processor

(continued)

The overall performance of a computer is greatly dependent on the processors speed

Memory

It serves as a temporary store-room for the programs being run. e.g., when a game is started, it is first loaded into Memory ANALOGY: Books are kept in the shelf, while the one to be studied is placed on the table

Computer Hardware

Memory

(continued)

RAM serves as the Main Memory for the system The OS reserves a portion of RAM for itself Every subsequent program is given a share in RAM Devices like video cards have their own dedicated memory to share burden with RAM

Computer Hardware

Cache

Moving data from RAM is very much time consuming because RAM is very slow Hence cache is used; much faster CPU first looks in the cache, if the required instructions arent present there, it fetches it from RAM and saves a copy in the cache as well for future use

Computer Hardware

Cache

(continued)

Cache is found;
Built into the CPU (L1 cache) External cache on the CPU (L2 cache) Cache on the motherboard (L3 cache) (in high-end systems) Also found on Hard drives and Network cards etc.

Duties
L1 cache holds the most recently used instructions L2 cache holds the possibly upcoming instructions L3 cache holds a number of possibly required instructions

Computer Hardware

Storage

Devices

Store the data permanently so that it isnt lost by removing power Examples:
Magnetic Storage Devices include Floppy Disks and Hard Disks Optical Media include CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs and Blue-Ray ROMs

Computer Hardware

Bus

A bundle of wires running between different components of a computer, providing a means of transferring data and the control signals Two types

Internal (system) bus; resides on the motherboard and connects CPU to the devices that reside on the motherboard External (expansion) bus; connects external devices, such as mouse, modem, keyboard, printer etc. to the CPU/motherboard

Computer Hardware

Bus

The system bus has two parts;

(continued)

Data Bus Connects CPU, RAM and other devices on the

motherboard Number of wires affects the number of bits that can be carried at a time, normally 16-bit, 32-bit and 64-bit buses are available Like CPU, bus has its own clock-speed, normally 100MHz or 133 MHz. 800 MHz in high computers

Address Bus Connects only the RAM and CPU, used for addressing

Computer Hardware

Bus

Standards

ISA ( Industry Standard Architecture)

16-bit, mid-1980s, used in modems and input devices

Local Bus

Invented for interfacing faster devices Used in system as well as expansion buses A type of Local Bus designed by Intel to integrate audio, video and graphics

PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect)

Computer Hardware

Bus

Standards (continued)

AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port)

Based on a special architecture that allows the video card to access the RAM directly Not supported by old PCs

USB (Universal Serial Bus)

Hot swappable (Replace or Add Components to a computer without shutting it down or restarting it) Supports up to 127 devices

Computer Hardware

IEEE

1394 (Fire Wire)

First found only on Macintosh, now present in IBM compatible PCs as well Used to connect video devices like cameras and video cameras, also used for digital TV connection
PC

Card Bus

Hot swappable, used mostly with laptops Used in Wi-Fi cards, network cards & external Modems

Computer Hardware

Set

of instructions that tell the processor what steps to take and in what sequence Software brings the machine to life Discussed in detail in a later chapter

Computer Software

Firmware

is a set of very basic instructions to guide the computer through the initial steps on startup Burnt permanently into the system BIOS (Basic Input Output System) is an example

Firmware

A BIOS will also have a user interface (or UI for short). Typically this is a menu system accessed by pressing a certain key on the keyboard when the PC starts. In the BIOS UI, a user can: configure hardware set the system clock enable or disable system components select which devices are eligible to be a potential boot device set various password prompts, such as a password for securing access to the BIOS UI functions itself and preventing malicious users from booting the system from unauthorized peripheral devices.

Firmware

Number

systems number system

A manner of counting Several different number systems exist

Decimal

Used by humans to count Contains ten distinct digits Digits combine to make larger numbers

How Computers Represent Data

Binary

number system

Used by computers to count Two distinct digits, 0 and 1 0 and 1 combine to make numbers

How Computers Represent Data

Bits

and bytes

Binary numbers are made of bits Bit represents a switch A byte is 8 bits Byte represents one character Half a byte is called Nibble

How Computers Represent Data

Text

codes

Converts letters into binary Standard codes necessary for data transfer ASCII
American English symbols

Extended ASCII Unicode

Graphics and other symbols All languages on the planet

How Computers Represent Data

The

CPU

Central Processing Unit Brain of the computer Control unit

Controls resources in computer Instruction set

Arithmetic logic unit

Simple math operations Registers

How Computers Process Data

Machine

cycles

Steps by CPU to process data Instruction cycle

CPU gets the instruction

Execution cycle

CPU performs the instruction

Billions of cycles per second Multitasking allows multiple instructions

How Computers Process Data

The Machine Cycle Fetch - get an instruction from Main Memory Decode - translate it into computer commands Execute - actually process the command Store - write the result to Main Memory

How Computers Process Data

Memory

Stores open programs and data Small chips on the motherboard More memory makes a computer faster

How Computers Process Data

Nonvolatile

memory

Holds data when power is off Read Only Memory (ROM) Basic Input Output System (BIOS) Power On Self Test (POST)

How Computers Process Data

Flash

memory

Data is stored using physical switches Special form of nonvolatile memory Camera cards, USB key chains

How Computers Process Data

Volatile

memory

Requires power to hold data Random Access Memory (RAM) Data in RAM has an address CPU reads data using the address CPU can read any address

How Computers Process Data

Components Affecting Speed

Registers

Number of bits processor can handle Word size(size of the register) Larger indicates more powerful computer Increase by purchasing new CPU

Affecting Processing Speed

Virtual

RAM

Computer is out of actual RAM File that emulates RAM Computer swaps data to virtual RAM
Least recently used data is moved

Affecting Processing Speed

The

computers internal clock

Quartz crystal Every tick causes a cycle Speeds measured in Hertz (Hz)
Modern machines use Giga Hertz (GHz)

Affecting Processing Speed

The

bus

Electronic pathway between components Expansion bus connects to peripherals System bus connects CPU and RAM Bus width is measured in bits Speed is tied to the clock

Affecting Processing Speed

Peripheral

control interface (PCI)

Connects modems and sound cards Found in most modern computers

Affecting Processing Speed

Accelerated

Graphics Port (AGP)

Connects video card to motherboard Extremely fast bus Found in all modern computers

Affecting Processing Speed

Universal

Serial Bus (USB)

Connects external devices Hot swappable Allows up to 127 devices Cameras, printers, and scanners

Affecting Processing Speed

Cache

memory

Very fast memory Holds common or recently used data Speeds up computer processing Most computers have several caches L1 holds recently used data L2 holds upcoming data L3 holds possible upcoming data

Affecting Processing Speed

Architecture

Determines
Location of CPU parts Bit size Number of registers

Main difference between CPUs

About the Processor

Intel

Leading manufacturer of processors Intel 4004 was worlds first microprocessor IBM PC powered by Intel 8086 Current processors

Centrino Itanium Dual Core, Core 2 Duo, Quad Core Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, Core i7 Extreme Xeon

Micro Computer Processors

Advanced

(AMD)

Micro Devices

Main competitor to Intel Originally produced budget products Current products outperform Intel Current processors
Sempron Athlon FX 64 Athlon XP

Micro Computer Processors

Freescale

A subsidiary of Motorola Co-developed the Apple G4 PowerPC Currently focuses on the Linux market

Micro Computer Processors

IBM

Historically manufactured mainframes Partnered with Apple to develop G5

First consumer 64 bit chip

Micro Computer Processors

Speed

of processor Size of cache Number of registers Bit size

Basis of Comparing Processors

RISC

processors

Reduced Instruction Set Computing Smaller instruction sets May process data faster PowerPC and G5

Advanced Processor Topics

Parallel

Processing

Multiple processors in a system Symmetric Multiple Processing

Number of processors is a power of 2

Massively Parallel Processing

Thousands of processors Mainframes and super computers

Advanced Processor Topics

Standard

computer ports

Keyboard and mouse ports USB ports Parallel Network Modem Audio Serial Video

Extending Processing Power

Standard Computer Ports

Serial

Connect to printers or modems Parallel ports move bits simultaneously Serial ports move one bit
Made of 8 32 wires Internal busses are parallel

and parallel ports

Lower data flow than parallel Requires control wires UART (Universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter) converts from serial to parallel

Extending Processing Power

Serial Communication

Parallel Communication

SCSI

Small Computer System Interface Supports dozens of devices Fast hard drives and CD-ROMs

Extending Processing Power

FireWire

IEEE 1384 Cameras and video equipment Hot swappable Port is very expensive

Extending Processing Power

Expansion

slots and boards

Allows users to configure the machine Slots allow the addition of new devices Devices are stored on cards Computer must be off before inserting

Extending Processing Power

Plug

and play

New hardware detected automatically Prompts to install drivers Non-technical users can install devices

Extending Processing Power

Most

common output device Connects to the video card Categorized by color output
Monochrome Grayscale Color
Display 4 to 16 million colors One color with black background Varying degrees of gray

Monitors

CRT

drawbacks

Very large Very heavy Use a lot of electricity

Monitors

Liquid

Crystal Display (LCD)

Commonly found on laptops Desktop versions exist Solve the problems of CRT Fluorescent lights provide illumination

Monitors

Drawbacks

to LCD

More expensive than CRT Must sit directly in front of screen Can be more fragile than CRT

Monitors

Resolution

Monitor resolution determined by the number of pixels on the screen Higher number creates sharper images Higher number creates smaller images

Monitors

Refresh

rate

Number of time the screen is redrawn Modern equipment sets this automatically Improper settings can cause eyestrain

Monitors

Device

between the CPU and monitor Better cards result in better output Removes burden of drawing from CPU Have their own processor and RAM Modern cards have up to 5 GB RAM Capable of rendering 3D images

Video Cards

Replaced

overhead and slide projectors Project image onto wall or screen LCD projectors
Most common type of projector Small LCD screen Very bright light Require a darkened room

Data Projectors

Sound

card

Device between the CPU and speakers Converts digital sounds to analog Can be connected to several devices

Sound System

Headphones

and headsets

Replacement for speakers and microphones Offer privacy Does not annoy other people Outside noise is not a factor Headsets have speakers and a microphone

Sound System

Purpose

of storage device is to store data when computer is off Two processes

Writing data Reading data

Describing Storage Devices

Storage

terms

Media is the material storing data Storage devices manage the media Magnetic devices use a magnet Optical devices use lasers Solid-state devices have physical switches

Describing Storage Devices

Data

storage and retrieval

Media is covered with iron oxide Read/write head is a magnet Magnet writes charges on the media
Positive charge is a 1 Negative charge is a 0

Magnet reads charges Drive converts charges into binary

Magnetic Storage Devices

Data

organization

Disks must be formatted before use Format draws tracks on the disk Tracks is divided into sectors
Amount of data a drive can read

Magnetic Storage Devices

Finding

data on disk

Each track and sector is labeled

Some are reserved

Listing of where files are stored

File Allocation Table (FAT) FAT32 NTFS

Data is organized in clusters

Size of data the OS handles

Magnetic Storage Devices

Hard

disks

Primary storage device in a computer 2 or more aluminum platters Each platter has 2 sides Spin between 5,400 to 15,000 RPM Data found in 9.5 ms or less Drive capacity greater than 40 GB

Magnetic Storage Devices

Removable

high capacity disks

Speed of hard disk Portability of floppy disk Several variants have emerged High capacity floppy disk
Stores up to 750 MB of data Provide GB of data Connect via USB

Hot swappable hard disks

Magnetic Storage Devices

CD-ROM

Most software ships on a CD Read using a laser

Lands, binary 1, reflect data Pits scatter data

Written from the inside out CD speed is based on the original

Original CD read 150 Kbps A 10 X will read 1,500 Kbps

Standard CD holds 650 MB

Optical Storage Devices

DVD-ROM

Digital Video Disk Use both sides of the disk Capacities can reach 18 GB DVD players can read CDs

Optical Storage Devices

CD

Recordable (CD-R)

Create a data or audio CD Data cannot be changed Can continue adding until full

Optical Storage Devices

CD

Rewritable (CD-RW)

Create a reusable CD Cannot be read in all CD players Can reuse about 100 times

Optical Storage Devices

DVD

Recordable

Several different formats exist None are standardized Allows home users to create DVDs Cannot be read in all players

Optical Storage Devices

Data

is stored physically No magnets or laser Very fast

Solid State Devices

Flash

memory

Found in cameras and USB drives Combination of RAM and ROM Long term updateable storage

Solid State Devices

Smart

cards

Credit cards with a chip Chip stores data Eventually may be used for cash Hotels use for electronic keys

Solid State Devices

Solid-state

disks

Large amount of Synchronous Dynamic RAM (SDRAM) (SDRAM has a synchronous interface, meaning that it waits for a clock signal before responding to control inputs and is therefore synchronized with the computer's system bus) Extremely fast Volatile storage Require battery backups Most have hard disks copying data

Solid State Devices

Thank You