Introduction to Computer Hardware What is a Computer

Introduction to Computer Hardware

What is a Computer? An electronic device that: § Accepts Input § Processes the input § Stores the results of the processing § Provides Output

Purpose of a Computer § A computer transforms raw data into useful information § The computing process consists of 5 parts: • • • Hardware Software Data People Procedure

What is Software? § Set of electronic instructions that tell the computer what to do. § A collection of instructions is known as a: COMPUTER PROGRAM

Types of Software § OPERATING SYSTEM SOFTWARE Runs the system (ex: DOS, WINDOWS, Unix, OS X) § APPLICATION SOFTWARE Accomplishes a specific task

Application software Powerpoint Professional presentations Word Manipulation of text Excel Numeric analysis AIM Instant messaging

Programming Languages § § § § PERL JAVA C++ COBOL FORTRAN VISUAL BASIC VRML C#

//moves the shooting bullets by adding the velocities //to the corresponding positions, also adds gravity to Y velocity void move. Bullet(void) { if(current. Bullet->position. Y <= 0) //if it hit the ground { current. Bullet->position. Y = 0; //put it on the ground bullet. List[bullet. Count] = current. Bullet; //add it to the list bullet. Count++; last. Bullet = current. Bullet; //update our positioning text current. Bullet = NULL; //allow another to be shot } else //otherwise { if(slowdown. Num > SLOWDOWN) { current. Bullet->position. X += current. Bullet->velocity. X; //add velocities in X and Z current. Bullet->position. Z += current. Bullet->velocity. Z; current. Bullet->velocity. Y += GRAVITY; //add gravity to Y current. Bullet->position. Y += current. Bullet->velocity. Y; //and velocity to position slowdown. Num = 0; } else slowdown. Num++; } }

Hardware any part of the computer you can touch. § System hardware • The core of the computer § Peripherals • Any piece of hardware attached to the computer that is not essential for the computer to run.

Hardware Classifications § Input Devices § Processing Devices § Storage Devices § Output Devices

Input And Output § § § § Mouse Keyboard Monitor Video Adapter Scanner Joystick Microphone Zip Drive § § § § Printer Modem/ Fax Sound Card DVD Drive Speakers Trackball Touchpad CDRW

Processing § CPU - CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT The main chip that: • Processes instructions • Performs calculations • Manages the flow of information § The CPU communicates with input, output, and storage devices through bus lines to perform tasks. • Bus lines - ELECTRONIC PATHWAYS

Processing § CPU lives on the motherboard § Microchips - Electronic circuits etched on a small silicon chip • The width of the elements in a CPU can be less than 0. 13 microns. (Human hair is 100 microns wide!!!) • The CPU performs billions of calculations every second.

Central Processing Unit § Approximately every 2 years CPU speeds double. § Presently, the speed of the CPU is measured in GHz – billions of cycles per second § The faster the CPU the faster the computer operates. § CPU Brands: Intel • Pentium IV • Celeron AMD • Athlon • Duron

Moore’s Law – Transistor # doubles every 18 months

Motherboard AKA system board or logic board The motherboard usually contains the computers most important parts, such as: § Microprocessor (CPU) § RAM § Controllers for devices, such as the keyboard § ROM chips

Memory § MEMORY • Used to temporarily store data inside of the computer. § RAM - RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY • Used as the computer’s working area and is often called primary storage. • Ram is short term and is considered volatile. (requires electricity to hold information)

RAM § VRAM = VIDEO RAM Used in a video adapter § SRAM = STATIC RAM Improves performance of CPU § DRAM = DYNAMIC RAM Used for computer’s main memory § RDRAM = Rambus Dynamic Random Access Memory The Fastest Memory Available!.

Even Faster RAM § DDR RAM (Double Data Rate RAM) • Allows for increased speed by using both rising and falling edge of clock cycles § RDRAM (Rambus Dynamic RAM) • New improved RAM technology • Very sophisticated and faster than older RAM • Very Expensive

SDRAM (Synchronous Dynamic RAM) § Improves the performance of your computer by synchronizing with the computer’s system clock, reducing the need for wait states. § Wait states - (time the CPU spends waiting for data to come from memory).

CPU vs. Memory Performance

Cache § A special block of fast memory used for temporary storage of data for quick retrieval. § 2 types: • Memory cache Small block of very fast memory that sits near or on the CPU. Stores most recently used data from main memory. L 1 (on chip) vs. L 2 (near chip) cache • Disk cache • • Memory attached to hard disk that contains a copy of data that is frequently accessed from the disk. Getting data from the memory is much faster than getting from the disk.

ROM Contains instructions for: § Power on Self Test • Power on Self Test -- part of the boot up process that diagnoses problems in the computer § I/O operations • ROM Bios -- basic input-output system • Controls low-level input/output activities § Starting the operating system

Storage § Storage devices hold information (non-volatile). § Examples of Storage devices: • • • Hard drive Floppy drive CD-ROM drive Zip drives USB flash drives

Memory Space • BIT = a 1 or 0 (actually it’s a tiny bit of electricity) • 1 BYTE = 8 BITS = 256 possible combinations = 1 character • ASCII Code

Measuring Storage § BYTE = 8 Bits that makes up 1 character example: A, S or 5 § KILOBYTE = one thousand characters example: 1 page of text § MEGABYTE = one million characters example: 1/3 rd of an MP 3 § GIGABYTE = one billion characters example: 30 MP 3 s § TERABYTE = one trillion characters example: 30, 000 MP 3 s

Display Devices § MONITORS Display units that output soft copy. § VIDEO CARD A video adapter translates instructions from the CPU into a form the monitor or screen can display. § PIXELS Configured dots which form the image – picture elements. § RESOLUTION # of pixels per square inch Higher resolutions show a clearer picture, but require more RAM.

Monitors § Dot Pitch – Sharper image when pixels are closer together -. 28 clearer than. 30 § Types of Monitors: • cathode-ray tube, (CRT) • flat panel display • liquid crystal display, (LCD)

Printers § Output device that produces a “hard copy” § Types of printers: • Dot-matrix impact printer – characters/image are formed by a series of connecting dots. • Ink Jet non-impact printer - electronically charged ink is sprayed through nozzles, then through an electronic field which deflects the ink to form characters/image. • Laser printer – laser beam creates electrical charges which attract the toner (black powered ink), to form characters/image which are then transferred to paper.

Modem § An accessory that allows computers to communicate with each other through telephone lines. § Computers are digital machines whereas telephone wires require analog signals. Therefore: § Modems modulate data (the transformation of digital signal into analog), then demodulate the same data (the transformation from analog back to digital).

Types of Computers Supercomputers § Largest, fastest and most expensive. § Used for scientific and mathematical research and simulations. § Speed derived from Multiprocessing – simultaneous processing. § Speed measured in nanoseconds (1 billionth of a second), or picoseconds (1 trillionth of a second) and gigaflops (one billion floating-point arithmetic operations per second). § Can perform at 128 gigaflops – i. e. FAST!!!

Types of Computers Mainframes Single mainframe services multiple terminals Banks, government, corporations, Universities, etc.

Types of Computers Minicomputers Slower, Smaller, Less Than A Mainframe Mid-Sized Businesses Not as popular in today’s marketplace

Types of Computers Microcomputers aka PC § § Personal computers 1 computer -- 1 user Costs $100. 00 s TO $1000. 00 s Popular types of PCs • Desktop, laptop, pocket PC

Writing A Research Paper § Typing On Keyboard § Use Mouse INPUT

Writing a Research Paper § CPU -- Central processing unit. § Word processing application is used to process the text. PROCESSING

Writing a Research Paper § RAM - The paper is in the computer’s memory § DISK - The paper is saved on a disk or the hard drive STORAGE

Writing a Research Paper § Text is displayed on the screen -- monitor. § When you’re ready to hand it in -- print it. OUTPUT