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Introduction to Computers (a)

Gap-fill exercise

Fill in all the gaps using the AWL words in the list, then press "Check" to check your
answers. Use the "Hint" button to get a free letter if an answer is giving you trouble.
Note that you will lose points if you ask for hints or clues!

   access      Analytical      capable      complex      component      components     
comprise      computer      Computer      computers      Computing      conceived
     construct      constructing      construction      designers      detecting     
device      devices      Devices      distinct      equation      errors      factor     
input      internal      method      negative      output      positive      rely     
required      restricted      Similarly      structure      technology   

Introduction to

Although the has been in existence since the late 1940s, the idea of such
a machine was first as early as 1833 by Charles P. Babbage. He called

it an Engine. It was because of his frustration with the

many produced by clerks in making their calculations.

Charles Babbage, a Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University in England,

wanted to build a machine of calculating any he cared to

enter. It was never completed since there was one thing missing from the world in the

early 19th century, namely electronics. Babbage was to mechanical

, i.e. cogs, levers, wheels. He was able to complete one part of the
Engine and this can be seen today in the Gallery of the

Science Museum, in London. If you like mechanics, it is a beautiful .

But the fact remains that it was not possible to build a mechanical . Had
Babbage to electronics, then he would most certainly have been the first
person to build a .

In the event the world had to wait until the early 1940s for the first electromechanical

. One of the early pioneers was Howard A. Aiken who coincidentally also
came from Cambridge, but in Massachusetts in America.

Electronics

Electronics is today the most convenient for

. Electronic such as transistors, diodes, capacitors and

resistors form the basis of the modern .

Fortunately, we do not need to know anything about electronics in order to understand

what can do and how they are programmed, apart from one most
important . The electronic are called two-state and

millions of these two-state .

Two-state

An electronic need not be a simple two-state . It could be three,

four or more. However, of electronic have found it
easier (and, therefore, cheaper) to two-state . In the past,

have built ten-state electronic , but the

resulting was expensive and . For this reason, all
tend to on the two-state basic .

A two-state is something we are all familiar with. Take a tap; this may be in
one of only two states at any given time - allowing water to flow (ON) or not (OFF). A

light bulb is another example; it may be either passing an electric current (i.e.
illuminated) or not passing an electric current (i.e. not illuminated). A two-state
then, like a switch on a wall, can be in only one of two possible states at any
given instant, i.e. it may be either ON or OFF.

The two states that electronic in can take up are concerned

with voltage levels. What is is two clearly voltages with no

possibility of confusion between them. The from one provides the

to the next , and this next must be certain of
which of the two levels it is receiving. In practice, several combinations

(pairs) can be used, depending on the application and the manufacturer. Such
combinations are of this kind:

A voltage and zero voltage (e.g. +5 volts and 0 volts)

A voltage and a voltage (e.g. +2 volts and -2 volts)

A larger voltage and a smaller voltage (e.g. +3.3 volts and

+0.2 volts)

people, however, do not like talking about voltage levels or the presence

or absence of electrical charges. They prefer to represent the two voltage levels or the
presence or absence of a charge in another way, namely by binary.

Binary

Binary is a number system. Since every number system has zero as one of its digits,
and because binary comes from the Latin meaning twice or two, the only other digit it

can have is 1. Binary, then, with its 0s and 1s, is a very convenient of

representing the two states of a ’s electronic components.

Binary digits do not actually exist inside , only electrical charges (or
voltages). So, for example, +5 volts can be represented by binary 1 and zero volts by
binary 0 (i.e. the absence of a charge). for the other combinations
shown above. However, we shall frequently talk about binary digits as though they do
exist inside a . We must just make certain that we remember that this is
only a convenient representation.

In the decimal number system, the ten digits 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 are used. Any
value can be represented using one or more of these digits, for example 253. Any value
can also be represented by binary digits, except that we can only use the two digits 0
and 1. Thus, 253(decimal) is 11111101 in binary. Later on we shall have more to say
about binary. Let us now begin to look at the basic of a .

 Check 
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