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The Components of the system unit

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System Unit is a case that contains

electronic components of the
computer used to process data.
 Made of metal or plastic to protects
the internal components from
damage.
 All computers have a system unit. It
is available in variety of shapes &
sizes.
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System unit

System System
unit unit

System unit
System
unit
Handheld controller
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 Processor interprets & carries out the basic

instructions that operate a computer.
 Memory holds data waiting to be processed &
instruction waiting to be executed.
 Processor & Memory are connected to a circuit
board called the motherboard.
 Adapter cards are circuit boards that provide
connections and functions not built into the
motherboard.
 Devices outside the system unit often attach to
the ports.
 A drive bay holds one or more disk drive.
 The Power supply provide the computer with
the electricity.
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Motherboard , called system board.

It is a main circuit board of the system
unit.
Many electronic components attach to
the motherboard, others are built into it.
Ex: adapter cards, a processor chip and
a memory module.
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Processor, called the central processing unit

(CPU), Microprocessor.

Its contain a control unit & an

arithmetic logic unit (ALU).

These 2 components work together to

perform processing operations.
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Control ALU
Unit

Instructions
Data
Information

INPUT
INPUT OUTPUT
OUTPUT
DEVICES Data MEMORY
MEMORY information DEVICES
DEVICES DEVICES

Instructions
Data
Information

Storage
Storage
Devices
Devices
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The operations typically performed by a CPU are:

1. CPUs control the reading of programs and input files.
1. Its activates input unit to read program and data.
2. Controls the transmission of program & data files from
disk to main memory.
2. CPUs process data according to instructions in a program.
1. Data can be processed arithmetically- number can be
added, subtracted, multiplied and divided.
2. Logical tests can be performed on data. E.g.,
comparison.
3. Data can be transmitted or copied from one area of
primary storage to another.
3. CPUs control the creation of output.
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The Arithmetic Logic Unit performs arithmetic,

comparison and other operations.

The Control Unit

 Handles the transmission of data into and
out of the CPU and supervises its overall
operations.

 Its interprets each instruction issued by a

program & then initiates the appropriate
action to carry out the instruction.
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Registers
The CPU contain special storage areas called registers.
Their function is to hold instructions, data values,
memory addresses of both the instructions and data.
There are 4 basic types of it:
1. Instruction register hold instruction
2. Address register hold address of( data , next
instruction ).
3. Storage register store data retrieved from main
memory prior to processing.
4. Accumulator store the results of arithmetic & logic
operations
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Machine Cycle
For every instruction, a processor repeats a set of four
basic operations:
1. Fetching process of obtaining a program
instruction or data item from memory.
2. Decoding process of translating the instruction
into signals the computer can execute.
3. Executing process of carrying out the
commands.
4. Storing, if necessary. Means writing the result
to storage device.
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The System Clock

 Every CPU has a clock, It’s a small quartz

crystal circuit , which generates regular clock
pulses that control the timing of all computer
operations.

 Processing actions occur at each “tick” of the

electronic clock.

 The Speed of the clock determines the speed

at which the CPU can process data.
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Clock Speed
 Speed is measured in megahertz (MHz) or
(GHz).

 1MHz is a million pulses per second.

 1GHz is a billion pulses per second.

 The faster the clock speed, the more

instruction the processor can execute per
second (hertz).
 Clock speed measure the internal speed.
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Comparison of Personal computer

Processors
The leading processor chip manufacturers
for personal computers are
 Intel
 AMD ( advanced Micro Devices)
 Transmeta
 IBM
 Motorola
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Comparison of Personal computer

Processors

Intel
Pentium M processor used in Notebook &
Tablet Computers .
 Xeon & Itanium processor, are ideal
for workstations and servers.
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Comparison of Personal computer

Processors

AMD is the leading manufacturer of Intel-

compatible processors.
It less expensive than Intel processors.

Transmeta is manufacturer of Intel-compatible

processors, specializes in processors for
mobile computers and devices.
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Comparison of Personal computer

Processors

IBM processor or Motorola processor had a

different design from the Intel-style
processor.

Until recently, Apple computers used only an

IBM processor or Motorola processor.
Today’s Apple use Intel processors.
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How the CPU represents data

 Binary system based on two digits 0 and 1.
0 : off
1 : on
 Bit is a the smallest unit of data the
computer can process.
 Byte a group of 8 bits.
 A byte can be represent characters.
 Characters can be a letter, digit, or symbol.
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How the CPU represents data

The different combinations of 0s and 1s are
defined by patterns called a coding
schema.
There are tow popular coding scheme:

1. ASCII stands for American Standard Code for

Information Interchange.

2. EBCDIC stand for Extended Binary Coded

Decimal Interchange Code.
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Memory
 Memory consist of electronic
components that store instructions
waiting to be executed by the processor,
data needed by those instructions, and
the results of processed data
( information).
 Memory usually consist of one or more
chips on the motherboard or some other
circuit board in the computer.
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Memory
Stores 3 basic categories of items:

1. The operating system and other system

software that control or maintain the
compute and its devices

2. Application programs

3. The data being processed by the

application programs and resulting
information.
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Memory sizes
It’s the number of bytes the chip or
devices has available for storage.
Approximate no. of Exact no. of
Term Abb. byte byte

Kilobyte KB or K 1000 1,024

Megabyte MB 1Million 1,048,576

Gigabyte GB 1Billion 1,073,741, 824

Terabyte TB 1 Trillion 1,099,511,627,776

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Type of Memory
The system unit contains tow types of
memory:
1. Volatile memory -
 Loses its contents .
 Temporary memory.
 Example, RAM.
2. Nonvolatile memory-
 doesn't lose its content when power is
removed form the computer.
 Permanent memory.
 Example, ROM, Flash memory, and CMOS.
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RAM ( Random Access Memory ), Also Called

main memory.

 consists of memory chips that can be read from

and written to by the processor and other
devices.

 The content my changed.

Saving is a process of copying items from RAM

to a storage device such as a hard disk.
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RAM ( Random Access Memory )

Three basic types of RAM chips exist:
 DEAM Dynamic RAM
 Chips must be re-energized constantly or they lost
their contents.
 SRAM Static RAM
 Faster and more reliable than any variation of DRAM
chips.
 They don’t have to be re-energized as often as DRAM
chips.
 MRAM Magnetoresistive RAM
 Stores data using magnetic charges instead of
electrical charges.
 It has greater storage capacity, consumer less
power, and has faster access times than RAM
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RAM ( Random Access Memory )

RAM chips usually reside on a memory
module, which is a small circuit board.

Memory slots on the motherboard

hold memory modules.
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RAM configurations

 The amount of RAM necessary in a

computer often depends on the types of
software you plan to use.

 The more RAM a computer has, the faster

the computer will respond.

 The amount of RAM in computers purchased

today ranges from 256 MB to 16 GB.
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Cache Memory Helps speed the processes of the

computer because it stores frequently used instruction
and data.
There are 2 types of cache:
1. L1 cache
 Is built directly in the processor chip.
 It has small capacity ranging from 8KB to 128KB.

2. L2 cache
 Slower than L1, has a Larger capacity ranging from
64KB to 16 MB.
 Advanced transfer cache, a type of L2 built directly
on the processor chip.
 PC today typically have from 512 KB to 2 MB of
Advanced transfer cache
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Cache Memory

 Cache speeds up processing time because

it store frequently used instructions and
data.

 When the processor needs an instruction

or data, it searches memory in this order :
L1 > L2 > RAM > hard disk or CD.
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ROM ( Read Only Memory)

 The data on most ROM chips cannot be modified.

 Manufacture of ROM chips often record data,

instructions, or information on the chip when
they manufacture the chip.

 Computers almost always contain a small

amount of read-only memory that holds
instructions for starting up the computer.
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 PROM (programmable read-only memory): A PROM

is a memory chip on which you can store a program. But
once the PROM has been used, you cannot wipe it clean
and use it to store something else. Like ROMs, PROMs
are non-volatile.

 EPROM (erasable programmable read-only

memory): An EPROM is a special type of PROM that can
be erased by exposing it to ultraviolet light.

 EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read-

only memory): An EEPROM is a special type of PROM
that can be erased by exposing it to an electrical charge.
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Flash Memory A special type of EEPROM

Is a type of nonvolatile memory that can be
erased electronically and rewritten.

 Most computers use flash memory to hold

their startup instructions because it allows
the computer easily to update its contents.
 Many modern PCs have their BIOS stored
on a flash memory chip so that it can easily
be updated if necessary. Such a BIOS is
sometimes called a flash BIOS.
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CMOS ( Complementary metal-oxide semiconductor.)

 Some RAM chips, flash memory chip and other types

of memory chips use CMOS because it provides high
speeds & consumes little power.

 CMOS technology uses battery power to retain

information even when the power to the computer is
off.

 Personal computers also contain a small amount of

battery-powered CMOS memory to hold the date, time,
and system setup parameters.
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Memory Access Time

 It is the amount of time takes the processor to
read data, instructions, information from
memory.

 It’s affects how fast the computer process data.

 Access time on memory can be more than

200,000 times faster than accessing data on a
hard disk because the mechanical motion of it.
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Memory Access Time

Term Abb. Speed

Millisecond ms One-thousandth of a second

Microsecond μs One-millionth of a second

Nanosecond ns One-billion of a second

Picosecond ps One-trillionth of a second

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Expansion Slot and Adapter Cards

 Expansion slot is a socket on the motherboard

that can hold an adapter card

 Adapter card sometimes called an expansion card

 is a circuit board that enhances functions of a
component of the system unit and/or provides
connections to peripherals.
 Peripheral is a device that connects to a system
unit and is controlled by the processor. Ex:
keyboard, printer.
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Types of adapter cards

Adapter Purpose
Card
Graphics Increases the speed at which
accelerator graphics are displayed
Modem Connect other computers through
telephone or cable TV line
Network Connects other computers and
peripherals
Sound Connects speakers or microphone
Video Connects a monitor
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Expansion Slot and Adapter Cards

 Sometimes all functionality is built into the adapter

card.

 With others, a cable connects the Adapter card to

device.

 Some motherboard include all necessary capabilities

and do not require adapter cards.

 Other motherboard may require adapter cards to

provide capabilities such as sound card & video card.
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Ports and Connectors

Port is the point at which a peripheral
attaches to or communicates with a system
unit so the peripheral can send data to or
receive information from the computer.
 the term jack sometimes is used to identify
audio and video ports.

 Port have a different types of connectors, A

connectors joins a cable to a peripheral.
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Serial Ports is a type of interface that

connects a device to the system unit by
transmitting data one bit at a time.

 Its for device that no need fast data

transmission rate such as mouse,
Keyboard or modem.

 COM Port ( communications port) on

system unit is one type of serial port.
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Parallel Ports is an interface that

connects a device by transferring more
than one bit at a time.

 Can transfer eight bits of data ( one

byte) simultaneously through eight
separate lines in a single cable.

 The printers using a parallel port.

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USB Ports, Short for universal serial bus port.

 Can connect up to 127 different peripherals

together with a single connector.
 The latest version of USB called USB 2.0.
 USB 2.0 is a more advanced and faster USB,
with speeds 40 times higher than that of its
predecessor.
 USB hub is a device that plugs in a USB port
on the system & contains multiple USB ports.
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FireWire Ports Previously called an IEEE 1394 port.

 It is similar to a USB port in that it can connect
multiple type of device that require faster data
transmission speeds to a single connector, such
as digital video camera, color printers,
scanners, .. etc.
 Allow you to connect up to 63 devices together.
 You can use a FireWire hub to attach multiple
devices to a single FireWire port.
 USB and FireWire are replacing all other types of
port.
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Special-Purpose Ports

These ports are not included in typical

computers.
 MIDI Port
 SCSI Port
 IrDA Port
 Bluetooth Port
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MIDI Port, short for musical instrument

digital interface.
 Serial port
 Connect the system unit to keyboard.

SCSI Port
 A special high-speed parallel port.
 Allow you to attach SCSI peripherals
such as disk driver and printers.
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IrDA refers to Infrared Data Association

 A standard for communication between devices
(such as computers, PDAs and mobile phones)
over short distances using infrared signals.
 For these wireless devices to transmit signals
to a computer, both the computer and the
device must have an IrDA port.
 To ensure nothing obstructs the path of the
infrared light wave, you must align the IrDA
port on the device with the IrDA port on the
computer.
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Bluetooth Port ,An alternative to IrDA.

 It is s technology uses radio waves to transmit

data between two devices.

 Unlike IrDA, do not have to be aligned with

each other.

 If your computer not Bluetooth –enable you

can use Bluetooth wireless port adapter or
Bluetooth PC Cards.
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BUSES
a set of electronic signal pathways that allows
information and signals to travel between
components inside or outside of a computer.

Buses transfer bits

 from input devices to memory.
 from the processor to memory, and from memory
to the processor.
 from memory to output devices.
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BUSES
A computer's bus can be divided into two different types,
Internal and External.

 The Internal Bus is part of the motherboard and

connects the processor to main memory. It's also
referred to as the System Bus.

 The External Bus allows the processor to

communicate with peripherals. It is generally
slower than the system bus. Another name for the
External Bus, is the Expansion Bus.

Buses consist of two part: Data bus and Address bus.

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BUSES
 Data bus transfers actual data.
 Address bus transfers information about data location
on memory.

 The size of a bus, called the bus width, determines the

number of bits the computer can transmit at one time.

 Bus Width is indicating how fast data is transmitted within

the CPU.

 Every bus also has a clock speed.

 Most PC today use a 64-bit bus and have a bus clock speed
of 400, 533 or 800 MHz.
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Power Supply
Is a component of the system unit that
supply computer with power.
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Question Time
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- Memory stores 3 basic categories of items ….&…..&…..

- …Helps speed the processes of the computer because
it stores frequently used instruction and data.
- …. is a circuit board that enhances functions of
component of the system unit and/or provides
connections to peripherals.
-…..is the point at which a peripheral attaches to or
communicates with a system unit so the peripheral can
send data to or receive information from the computer.
- ……… is an interface that connects a device by
transferring more than one bit at a time.
- Buses consist of two part: ……… and ……...