CHAPTER 1

OVERVIEW OF A COMPUTER
SYSTEM

Introduction to computer and its

components

Computer hardware

Computer software

System unit and memory

INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER AND ITS

COMPONENTS

Computer:
A set of tools that helps you perform information
processing tasks.
An electronic device that inputs, stores, processes
data and generates the useful information.

.INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER AND ITS

COMPONENTS

Two major components of computer:

Hardware:
- Consists of the physical devices that make up your
computer system.
- An equipment that processes data to create
information includes input, output, storage and
processing device.
Software (also called as a program) :
- Set of instructions that your computer hardware
executes to process information for you.
- Step by step instruction that tell the computer how to
do the work .

Computer hardware

Hardware includes all of those devices that you can touch

monitor, keyboard, a floppy disk and etc.
6 categories of computer hardware:
1. Input devices for capturing information.
2. Output devices for presenting information.
3. CPU and RAM for creating new information.
4. Storage devices for storing information.
5. Telecommunication devices for communicating
information.
6. Connecting devices for moving information to and
from your various hardware.

 Computer hardware
1. Input devices
Captures information and translates it into a form that
can be processed and used by other parts of your
computer.
Eg: use scanner to capture images, video camera to
capture your likeness in the form of a video, keyboard
to key in data, mouse to click the operation button,
and etc.
2. Output devices
Takes information within your computer and present it
in a form that you can understand.
Complement to input devices while input devices
help you enter information into a computer system,
output devices help you see, hear or otherwise receive
information stored within your computer system.
Eg: use a set of speakers to hear music.
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 Computer hardware
3. CPU and RAM
The most important components of hardware together
make up the real brains of computer.
The central processing unit (CPU or processor) is the
chip that carries out instructions it receives from software.
RAM (Random Access Memory) is temporary memory
that holds software instructions and information for the
CPU. It is rather like your short-term memory when you
turn off your computer, all information in RAM is gone.
4. Storage devices
Temporary information storage in RAM is not enough
need a means to more permanently store information so
you can recall and use it at a later time.
A storage device stores information so you can recall
and use that information at a later time. Eg: disk drive,
hard drive, DVD-RW drive, CD-ROM drive.
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 Computer hardware
5. Telecommunication devices
Telecommunication devices help
communicate information to people in other
location. Eg: cell phones, email, digital
pagers, modem, network card and etc.

6. Connecting devices
Computer contains a variety of connecting
devices so that information can move
around all your hardware.
For example: you need some sort of
connection between your computer and a
printer.

 Computer hardware
Keyboard, Mouse, Microphone,
Scanner, Digital Camera and
Web Cam
Monitor, Speaker and Portable
Media Player
Memory ,
Central Processing Unit (CPU),
Motherboard, Power Supply
Hard Disk, Compact Disc, USB
Flash Drive, Memory Card
Modem and Network Card
Cables, Telephone Lines,
Satellite

Computer Software
System
Software

Applicatio
n
Software

1. Uses to run computer.

2. To control and maintain the operation of
computer and its devices.
3. Serve as the interface between computer
hardware, user and application software.
4. Example: Operating System (Windows,
Linux,Unix) and Utility Program (Antivirus).
1. Program designed to make user more
productive.
2. Assist user to with personal task and
perform specific information processing task
such as writing term paper, and creating
presentation slide, and writing and program.
3. Example: Microsoft Office 2007, Microsoft
PowerPoint 2007,spreadsheets,games,
inventory program.

System unit

All computer system have a system unit. System unit

contains most of the computers electronic components.

The basic components in the system unit, including the

system board, microprocessor, memory, system
clock, expansion slots and cards, bus lines, ports,
cables and power supply units.
System board connects all system components to
one another.
Microprocessor controls operations and performs
arithmetic and logical operations.
Memory holds data, instructions, and information.
System clock emits a beats or pulse that sets the
operating pace for all of the components in the system
unit.
Expansion slots provide connections for expansion
cards to the system board.
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 System unit
Expansion card allow external devices to connect to
and expand a computers capability.
Bus lines provide data pathways that connect various
system components.
Ports socket for external devices to connect to the
system unit.
Cables connect exterior devices to the system unit
via the ports.
Power supply unit converts AC (alternating current)
to DC (direct current), providing power to the system
unit.

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4 BASIC TYPES OF MICROCOMPUTER

SYSTEM UNITS
1. Desktop system units
Typically contain the systems electronic components
and selected secondary storage devices.
Input and output devices, such as mouse, keyboard
and monitor are located outside the system unit.
2. Notebook system units
Portable and much smaller.
These system units contain the electronic components,
selected secondary storage devices, and input devices
(keyboard and pointing device). Located outside the
system unit, the monitor is attached by hinges.
Often called laptops.

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 4 BASIC TYPES OF MICROCOMPUTER

SYSTEM UNITS
3. Table PC system units
Similar to notebook system units.
Highly portable device that supports the use of a stylus or
pen to input commands and data.
4. Handheld computer system units
The smallest and are designed to fit into the palm of one
hand.
Also known as palm computer, this system contains an
entire computer system, including the electronic
components, secondary storage, and input/output devices.
Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) are the most widely used
handheld computers.

While the actual size may vary, each type of SU has the
same basic system components including system board,
microprocessor, and memory. However
HOW DO WE AS HUMAN BEINGS COMMUNICATE WITH AND
CONTROL ALL THIS ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY ??? 14

Electronic data and

instructions
Computers cannot recognize information the same way
you and I can.
People follow instructions and process data using letters,
numbers and special characters. For example: if we wanted
someone to add the numbers 3 to 5 together and record
the answer, we might say please add 3 and 5.
However the system unit, is electronic circuitry and
CANNOT directly process such a request because it
CANNOT UNDERSTAND.

Therefore
Before any process can occur within the system unit, a
conversion must occur from what we understand to what
the system unit can ELECTRONICALLY process.

What is the most fundamental statement you can

make about ELECTRICITY ???
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 Electronic data and

instructions

It is simply this:
It can be either on or of. Indeed, there are many
forms of technology that can make use of this twostate on/off, yes/no, present/absent arrangement.
For instance, a light switch may be on or of, or an
electric circuit open or closed.
This is the reason, then, that a two-state or binary
system is used to represent data and instructions.

What is the BINARY SYSTEM ???

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Binary coding schemes

The decimal system that were all familiar with has 10

digits (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9).
The binary system, however consists of only two digits (0
and 1). Each 0 or 1 is called a bit (short for binary digit).
In the system unit, the 0 can be represented by electricity
being of, and the 1 by electricity being on.
In order to represent numbers, letters, and special
characters, bits are combined into groups of eight called
bytes. Each byte typically represents one character.

Now, let us consider an important question

HOW ARE CHARACTERS REPRESENTED AS 0s AND 1s

(off and on electrical states) IN THE COMPUTER ???

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 Binary coding schemes

The answer is
by using of Binary Coding Scheme
Code

The most popular,

use 8 bits (1 byte)

Uses

ASCII
(pronounced as-key)

stands for American Standard

Code for Information
Interchange.
most widely used for
Microcomputers

EBCDIC

stands for Extended Binary

When
you press key on the keyboard, a character is
(pronounced eb-see- Coded Decimal Interchange
automatically
converted
into a series of electronic pulses
dick)
Code.
that the system can recognize.
developed by IBM and is used
primarily for large computers
Unicode

a 16-bit code originally

designed to support International
languages like Chinese and
Japanase.

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System board

The system board is also known as the main board or

motherboard.

It is the communications medium for the entire computer

system. Every components of the system unit connects to
the system board.

It acts as a data path allowing the various components to

communicate with one another.

For example, external devices such as the keyboard, mouse

and monitor could not communicate with the system unit
without the system board.

It is a large flat circuit board covered with a variety of

different electronic components including sockets, slots and
bus lines.

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Microprocessor

In a microcomputer system, the central processing unit (CPU)

or processor is contained on a single chip called
microprocessor.
The microprocessor is brains of the computer system.
It has two basic components:
1. Control unit :
Tells the rest of computer system how to carry out a programs instructions.
It directs the movement of electronic signals between memory, which
temporarily holds data, instructions, and processed information, and the
arithmetic logic unit.
It also directs these control signals between the CPU and input/output devices.

2. Arithmetic logic unit :

Usually called ALU, performs two types of operations: arithmetic and logical.
Arithmetic operations as you might expect, are the fundamental math
operation (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division).
Logical operations consist of comparison of two pieces of data (=, <, >)

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Microprocessor chip

Chip capacities are often expressed in word sizes. A word is

the number of bits (such as 16, 32, or 64) that can be
accessed at one time by the CPU.

The more bits in a word, the more powerful and faster the
computer is.

Eight bits group together to form a byte. So, a 32-bit-word

computer can access 4 bytes at a time. Then, a 64-bit-word
computer can access 8 bytes at a time. (Therefore, the
computer designed to process 64-bit-word is faster).

The two most significant recent developments in

microprocessors are:
1. 64-bit processor
powerful and faster microcomputer.

2. Dual-core chip
provides two separate and independent CPUs
allows a single computer to run two programs at the same
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time parallel processing

Memory

Memory is a holding area for data, instructions, and

information.

Like microprocessors, memory is contained on chips

connected to the system board.

There are three well-known types of memory chips:

1. Random-access memory (RAM)
Hold the program (sequence of instructions) and data that
the CPU is presently processing.
Called as temporary or volatile storage everything in
most types of RAM is lost as soon as the microcomputer is
turned off (also lost if there is a power failure or other
disruption of the electric).
Cache memory or RAM cache improves processing by
acting as a temporary high-speed holding area between
the memory and the CPU computer detects which
information in RAM is most frequently used. It copies that
information into the cache. When needed, the CPU can
quickly access the information from the cache.
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 Memory
2. Read-only memory (ROM)
ROM chips have programs built into them at the factory.
Unlike RAM chip, ROM chips are not volatile and cannot be
changed by the user.
Read only means that the CPU can read, or retrieve data and
programs written on the ROM chip. However, the computer
cannot write (encode or change) the information or
instructions.
Typically contain special instructions for detailed computer
operations. For example: instructions to start a computer.
3. Complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS)
CMOS chip provides flexibility and expandability for a computer
system.
It contains essential information that is required every time the
computer system is turned on - current date and time, amount
of RAM, type of keyboard, mouse, monitor and disk drive.
Unlike RAM, it is powered by a battery and does not lose its
contents when the power is turned off. Unlike ROM, its contents
can be changed to reflect changes in the computer system
such as increased RAM and new hardware devices.
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System clock

The system clock is located on a small specialized chip

that produces precisely timed electrical beats or impulses.
The system clock emits a beat or pulse that sets the
operating pace for all of the components in the system
unit.
A computers system clock has a fixed speed that cannot
be varied. For that reason, a computer systems clock
speed is an important measurement indicating the speed
of processing or power of a computer system.
The clock speed or clock rate for powerful microcomputers
is measured in gigahertz (GHz) or billions of beats per
second the faster the clock speed, the faster the
computer can process instructions.

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Expansion slots and cards

Most microcomputers have open architecture allow users

to expand their systems by providing expansion slots on
the system board.

Users can insert optional devices known as expansion cards

into these slots.

There are a wide range of different types of expansion cards.

Some of the most commonly used expansion cards are:
1. Video cards: also known as graphics cards. These cards connect
the system board to the computers monitor. The cards convert the
internal electronic signals to video signals so they can be displayed
on the monitor.
2. Sound cards: accept audio input from a microphone and convert
it into a form that can be processed by the computer. These cards
convert internal electronic signals to audio signals so they can be
heard from external speakers.
3. Modem cards: also known as internal modem. These cards
allow distant computer to communicate with one another by
converting electronic signals from within the system unit into
electronic signals that can travel over telephone lines and other
types of connection.

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 Expansion slots and

cards
3. Network interface cards (NIC): also known as network
adapter cards, are used to connect a computer to one or
more other computers users can share data, programs
and hardware. NIC typically connects the system unit to a
cable that connects to the network.
4. TV tuner cards: can watch television, capture video, and
surf the internet at the same time.

Expansion cards fit into slots on the system board

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Bus lines

Figure 8: Bus

A bus line also known simply as a bus connects the parts of the
CPU to each other.

Buses also link the CPU to various other components on the

system board.

A bus is a pathway for bits representing data and instructions. The

number of bits that can be travel simultaneously down a bus is
known as the bus width.

A bus is similar to a multilane highway that moves bit rather than

cars from one location to another. The number of traffic lanes
determines the bus width.

A highway (bus line) with more traffic lanes (bus width) can move
traffic (data and instructions) faster is an important factor
relating to the speed and power for a particular computer. For
example, a 64-bit bus is twice as fast as a 32-bit bus.

Every computer system has two basic categories of buses:

1. System buses: connect the CPU to the memory on the
system board.
2. Expansion buses: connect the CPU to other components27on
the system board.

Ports

A port is socket for external devices to connect to the system unit.

Some ports connect directly to the system board while other

connect to cards that are inserted into slots on the system board.

Many ports, like the mouse, keyboard, and video ports, are for
specific devices. Others, like those listed below, can be used for a
variety of different devices.
1. Serial ports:
are used for a wide of purposes. They are often used to
connect a mouse, keyboard, modem, and many other
devices to the system unit.
Send data one bit at a time and very good for sending
information over a long distance.
2. Parallel ports:
are used to connect external devices that need to send or
receive a lot of data over a short distance.
Typically send eight bits of data simultaneously across eight
parallel wires.
Mostly used to connect printers to the system unit.
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 Ports
3. Universal serial bus (USB) ports:
gradually replacing serial and parallel ports.
Faster, and one USB port can be used to connect
several devices to the system unit.
4. FireWire ports:
also known as high-performance serial bus (HPSB)
ports.
As fast as USB 2.0 ports and provide connections to
specialized FireWire devices such as camcorders.

Ports

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Summary

A computer (or computer system) is a set of tools that

helps you perform information-processing tasks.

Your computer tools are either hardware or software.

Software
System software: for technology-specific and essential tasks.
Application software: for specific tasks such as writing a
paper or managing inventory.

Hardware
Input devices: such as a mouse for capturing information.
Output devices: such as a printer for presenting information.
CPU and RAM: your computers brain, for creating new
information.
Storage devices: such as a disk for storing information.
Telecommunication devices: such as a modem for
communicating information to other people.
Connecting devices: such as a port for moving information
around all your hardware.

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 Summary

System unit contains electronic components.

Four basic types are: desktop, notebook, tablet PC, and handheld.

Data and instructions can be represented electronically with a twostate or binary system of numbers (0 and 1). Each 0 or 1 is called a
bit. A byte consists of eight bits and represents one character.

Binary coding schemes convert binary data into characters. Three

such schemes are:
ASCII the most widely used for microcomputers.
EBCDIC developed by IBM; used primarily by larger
computers.
Unicode 16-bit code; originally designed to support
international languages like Chinese and Japanese.

To be a competent end user, you need to understand how data and

programs are represented electronically.

Additionally, you need to understand the functionality of the basic

components in the system unit: system board, microprocessor,
memory, system clock, expansion slot and cards, bus lines and
ports.
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