Assignment-20

PowerPoint Presentation

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What is Block Diagram of a
Computer?

The block diagram represents how data and instructions flow between the CPU,
memory, and Input and output devices, managed by the Control Unit. In simple
terms, a Block Diagram of a Computer helps us understand how a computer
works, from collecting input data, processing & formatting the data, and
generating the output results in the way user commands. The computer system
consists of three main parts: Input Units, CPU, and Output Units.

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 step-by-step working of how data is
received and displayed on the computer
Step 1: Input devices allow the users to provide data and commands to the computer. The data inserted manually is collected by input
devices like keyboard, mouse, scanners, and others. These devices generate electrical signals or data packets representing the input.
Step 2: The data generated by input devices is sent to the computer’s input interface/Memory Unit which processes and formats the data
for further use by the computer.
Step 3: The processed input data is then sent to the computer’s Central Processing Unit (CPU) which temporarily stores this data in
memory (RAM) for immediate processing. The CPU executes instructions related to the input data. For example, if you’re typing a
document, the Central Processing Unit (CPU) processes the keystrokes and stores them in memory. The control unit schedules all the
activities for the smooth working of the computer.
Step 4: After processing, the CPU sends the results or instructions to the computer’s output interface where the data is formatted for
transmission to the output devices.
Step 5: Then the output unit receives the final processed output. Output devices such as monitors, printers, speakers, and others receive
the formatted data. Monitors display visual information, printers produce hard copies, and speakers play audio, based on the data they
receive.
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Components of Block diagram

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INPUT UNIT

The input unit takes all the data received by the computer. The input unit comprises
different devices such as a mouse, keyboard, scanner, etc. All of these devices act as
intermediaries between the users and the computer. The input unit takes the data that has
to be processed. The raw data is accepted by the computer in binary form. This data is
then processed and the desired output is produced.
1. The major functions of the Input Unit are-The Input Unit takes the data to be
processed by the user.
2. The data is then converted into machine-readable form.
3. The Input Unit then transmits the converted data into the main memory of the
computer.
4. The main purpose of this process is to connect the user and the computer by
creating an easy connection between them.

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 TYPES OF INPUT UNIT
1. Keyboard- It is a standard input device that allows the user to input alphabets, numbers and other characters.
It consists of a set of keys mounted on a board. They are Numeric Keypad, Navigation Keys and Function
Keys
2. Mouse-It is a pointing device. It is used to perform the tasks in a short way. It can be used to select menu
commands, size windows, start programs etc.
3. Joystick- The joystick is a vertical stick which moves the graphic cursor in a direction the stick is moved.
Joystick is used as an input device primarily used with video games, training simulators and controlling
robots
4. Scanner- Scanner is an input device used for direct data entry from the source document into the computer
system. It converts the document image into digital form so that it can be fed into the computer. Capturing
information like this reduces the possibility of errors typically experienced during large data entry.

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5. Bar code reader A bar code is a set of lines of different thicknesses that represent a number. Bar
Code Readers are used to input data from bar codes. Most products in shops have bar codes on
them. Bar code readers work by shining a beam of light on the lines that make up the bar code
and detecting the amount of light that is reflected back.
6. Light Pen -It is a pen shaped device used to select objects on a display screen. It is just like the
mouse (in its functionality) but uses a light pen to move the pointer and select any object on the
screen by pointing to the object. Users of Computer Aided Design (CAD) applications commonly
use the light pens to directly draw on screen.
7. Touch Screen- It allows the user to operate selections by simply touching the display screen.
Common examples of touch screen include information kiosks, and bank ATMs.
8. Digital camera -A digital camera can store many more pictures than an ordinary camera. Pictures
taken using a digital camera can be transferred to a computer. A digital camera takes pictures by
converting the light passing through the lens at the front into a digital image.

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Central Processing Unit (CPU)
The Central Processing Unit or CPU is known as the brain of the computer. Just like the human brain
controls all human activities, the CPU also takes care of all the tasks. The CPU is responsible for
performing all the arithmetic and logical operations within the computer. All the major calculations,
operations, and comparisons are performed inside the CPU.
Some of the main functions of a CPU are-
1. All the components of a computer system, software, and data processing are controlled by the
CPU.
2. The Input devices provide data to the CPU which is then executed and then the CPU sends the
output to the Output devices.
3. All the operations including the arithmetical and logical are processed by the CPU.
The CPU comprises two parts- ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit) and CU (Control Unit). These units
work in sync to help the CPU process the whole data. Let us know about these components-
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 Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU)
The Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) is a major part of the computer’s Central Processing Unit (CPU). The
Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) is the portion of the Central Processing Unit (CPU) that handles all of the
Central Processing Unit (CPU’s) calculations.
The ALUs work for all math and operations that are related to arithmetical and logical operations. Also, they
work on the basis of comparisons. Mostly, they are responsible for performing the decision-making so that
they can do most of the operations.
When any calculations must be performed, the Control Unit (CU) passes the data from the memory unit to the
Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU). When the computation is completed and the results are created by the ALU,
the CU returns the computation data to the memory unit. The arithmetic unit performs logical, arithmetic, and
bit-shifting operations.

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 Control Unit (CU)
The control unit, which coordinates and controls other functional units of the computer, is sometimes
known as the “central nervous system” of the machine. All CPU functions, including ALU operations and
data flow inside the CPU, are under the direction of CU.
The CU plays some important functions in the system which are:-
 When data is received from users via input devices, the control unit informs the input unit where to
keep it.
 The control unit (CU) gets one instruction at a time from memory and then executes the instruction at
ALU during program execution; thus, the Govern unit also serves to control the flow of data and
instructions from memory to ALU.
 And the result of the calculation provided by ALU is given over to CU, which directs it back to
memory as well as to the output unit for display on the screen. The Control Unit (CU) manages the
flow of data from the ALU to the memory and output units.
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 Memory Unit
The memory unit is responsible for storing data and information for the computer’s other functional components. The computer’s
memory unit stores the data and information received from the input unit before it is processed by the central processing unit (CPU).
The memory unit also plays some major functions in the system, which are:-
 The data received from the input unit is stored in the memory unit.
 Data and information are passed to the CPU for further processing.
 Variable stores any data or instructions created by the CPU during intermediate processing.
 After that, the variable stores the final result of data processing in the CPU.
 Finally, sends the processed data results to the output devices.
There are two types of computer memory-
1. Primary Memory
2. Secondary Memory 50
1. Primary memory – This type of memory cannot store a vast amount of data. Therefore, it is
only used to store recent data. The data stored in this is temporary. It can get erased once the
power is switched off. Therefore, is also called temporary memory or main memory.
a) Types of primary memory-
RAM stands for Random Access Memory. It is an example of primary memory. This memory
is directly accessible by the CPU. It is used for reading and writing purposes. For data to be
processed, it has to be first transferred to the RAM and then to the CPU.
b) ROM stands for Read Only Memory. It is an example of primary memory. It is a non-volatile
memory type. This means it receives data and permanently writes it on a chip, and it lasts
even after you turn off your computer. The data is coded to not be overwritten, so it's used for
things like your printer software or your startup programs. You can't change your ROM data
just by doing ordinary computer activities.

2. Secondary memory – The use of primary memory is not possible to store data permanently
for future access. Therefore, there are some other options to store the data permanently for future
use, which is known as secondary memory or auxiliary storage or permanent storage. The data
stored in the secondary memory is safe even when there is a power failure or no power supply.
Hard Disk is usually considered a secondary memory.

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Memory Size
All digital computers use the binary system, i.e. 0’s and 1’s. Each character or a
number is represented by an 8-bit code. The set of 8 bits is called a byte. A character
occupies 1-byte space. A numeric occupies 2-byte space. Byte is the space occupied
in the memory. The size of the primary storage is specified in KB (Kilobytes) or MB
(Megabyte). One KB is equal to 1024 bytes and one MB is equal to 1000KB. The
size of the primary storage in a typical PC usually starts at 16MB. PCs having 32
MB, 48MB, 128 MB, 256MB memory are quite common.

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Output Unit
Once the information sent to the computer is processed, the user receives the results
through the output unit. Examples of output units are devices such as printers, monitors,
projectors, etc.The output unit presents the data either as a soft copy (on the screen) or as
a hard copy (on paper). The printer is for the hard copy. The monitor is for the display.
The output unit receives data in binary form from the computer and converts it into a
readable format for the user.
The Output Units perform these functions-
1. The Output Unit accepts all the data and information from the main memory of a
computer system in binary form.
2. The Output Unit also converts the binary data into a human-readable form for a
better understanding

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 Types of Output Unit
1. Monitors : Monitor commonly called as Visual Display Unit (VDU) is the main output device of a
computer. It forms images from tiny dots, called pixels, that are arranged in a rectangular form. T he
sharpness of the image depends upon the no. of the pixels. T here are two kinds of monitors. Cathode-
Ray Tube (CRT ) Flat- Panel Display
2. Cathode-Ray Tube (CRT) Monitor - In the CRT, display is made up of small picture elements called
pixels for short. T he smaller the pixels, the better the image clarity, or resolution. The most screens are
capable of displaying 80 characters of data horizontally and 25 lines vertically.
3. Flat-Panel Display Monitor : T he flat-panel display refers to a class of video devices that have reduced
volume, weight and power requirement compare to the CRT. You can hang them on walls. Current uses
for flat panel displays include calculators, video games, monitors, laptop computer, graphics display.

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4. Speakers : The more complicated part of the sound output system is in the sound
card. The sound card translates digital sound into the electronic current that is sent
to the speakers.
5. Printer : Other important output device is the printer. Generally printers fall into
two categories. They are Impact and Non-impact. An impact printer creates an
image by pressing an inked ribbon against the paper, using pins and or hammers
to shape the image. An example of an impact printer is a typewriter. Non-impact
printers are used to print images. Laser printers work like photocopies.
6. Plotters : A plotter is a special kind of output device. It is like a printer. Because it
produces images on paper, but the plotter is used to print large format images,
such as construction or engineering drawings created in CAD (Computer Aided
Design).
7. Snapshot printers : These are specialized. Small format printers used to print
small color photographs. Snapshot printers popular among users who own digital
cameras. These printers are slow and they can be more expensive than inkjet or
laser printers.

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