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Components of a
Computer System
• Central Processing Unit
• Auxiliary Storage
• Input Devices
• Output Devices
Central Processing Unit
• Arithmetic/Logic Unit (ALU): processes data
arithmetically (addition, subtraction, multiplication,
division) or logically (greater than, less than, equal to)
• Control Unit: works with the operating system to move
data between auxiliary storage and main memory; and
between main memory and the ALU
• Main Memory: contains both program instructions and
the data that is required.
• A single machine can have multiple CPUs to share
processing tasks (co-processors, multiprocessing), but
each CPU can execute only a single task.
Inside the System Unit
• Main component: motherboard
– Circuit board that “houses” integrated circuits
(microscopic elements … wires, transistors,
etc…) required to make the digital pulse flow
inside of the computer. Pulses flow from
component to component via the “bus”
– Some microcomputers contain a special local bus
(VESA or PCI) which increase data transfer rates
to the display and/or storage devices
Motherboard (cont.)
– Attachments to the motherboard include:
• Main Memory: types of main memory include:
– RAM - temporary (includes virtual memory storage). Include RAM
cache
– ROM - permanent
– CMOS - semipermanent battery powered
» Memory chips attach with either a DIP (dual inline pin - old PCs)
or as a SIMM (single inline memory module) board
– When add main memory, make sure add-on chips are compatible
• Real time clock (current date and time)
• Microprocessor or CPU (central processing unit)
– Control Unit: traffic cop portion of the CPU
– ALU: arithmetic logic unit processes all math and logical operations
performed by the computer
Motherboard (cont.)
• Expansion slots/add on boards - allow “cards” that attach
various peripheral devices to the motherboard
– monitors, hard drive, internal fax/modem, network cards,etc
– PCMCIA slots: special slots developed for laptops to attach devices
and add on RAM
• Expansion devices may provide an external “port” which you
connect a cable to. Device ports will either be from an internal
or external bay in the system unit.
– Serial Port: transmits data one bit at a time (modem)
– Parallel Port: transmits 8 bits simultaneously (printers, backup devices,
etc.)
– SCSI Port: allows several devices to be chained together and
connected through a single SCSI (small computer system interface)
– MIDI Port: musical instrument digital interface
Main Memory
• Random Access Memory (RAM): allows data
and instructions to be accessed randomly from any
memory location (address). Primary storage.
– Volatile - lost when power is turned off
• Read Only Memory (ROM): usually contains
programs that help the computer system operate:
– can only be read: cannot be written to or altered by the
user (usually)
– ROM is not volatile
Main Memory
• Data and instructions are stored as BITS (binary
digits). Everything from our world is translated into a
computer recognizable format called binary (zeros or
ones)
– The combination of binary digits represents our letters or
numbers. One character represented is equal to a byte.
• Memory capacity is measured in bytes. Today’s most
common measurement is megabytes
Kilo = 1,000 (KB) Thousand
Mega = 1,000,000 (MB) Million
Giga = 1,000,000,000 (GB) Billion
• Bytes are composed using either the ASCII coding
system (7 bits = character) or EBCDIC (8 bits =
character)
Microprocessor Families