The Components of the system unit

The Components of the system unit

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.
 The Components of the system unit
System unit

System System
unit unit

System unit
System
unit
Handheld controller
The Components of the system unit
 The Components of the system unit
1. Processor interprets & carries out the basic instructions
that operate a computer.
2. Memory holds data waiting to be processed & instruction
waiting to be executed.
3. Processor & Memory are connected to a circuit board
called the motherboard.
4. Adapter cards (expansion slots): are circuit boards that
provide connections and functions not built into the
motherboard.
5. Devices outside the system unit often attach to the ports.
6. A drive bay holds one or more disk drive.
7. The Power supply provide the computer with the
electricity.
 The Components of the system unit

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.

http://www.howstuffworks.com/microprocessor.htm
 Central Processing Unit (CPU)

Processor, called the central processing unit (CPU),

Microprocessor.
CPU

Control Unit Arithmetic/

Logic Unit
(ALU)

Its contain a control unit & an arithmetic logic unit

(ALU).
These 2 components work together to perform
processing operations.
 Processor

Control Unit
ALU

Instructions
Data
Information

INPUT OUTPUT
Data MEMORY information
DEVICES DEVICES

Instructions
Data
Information

Storage
Devices
 Central Processing Unit (CPU)

The operations typically performed by a CPU are:

1. CPUs control the reading of programs and input files.
2. CPUs process data according to instructions in a
program.
3. CPUs control the creation of output.
 The Components of the system unit

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.
 Central Processing Unit (CPU)

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
 Central Processing Unit (CPU)

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.
 Speed is measured in megahertz (MHz) or (GHz).
 Central Processing Unit (CPU)

Comparison of Personal computer Processors

The leading processor chip manufacturers for
personal computers are
 Intel (used in PCs)
 AMD ( advanced Micro Devices) (used in PCs)
 Motorola ( used in Apple)
 Alpha (used in workstations and high-end servers)
 Central Processing Unit (CPU)
How the CPU represents data
 Binary system based on two digits 0 and 1. 0 :
off Binary
Digit (bit)
Electronic
Charge
Electronic
State

1 : on

 Bit is a the smallest unit of data the computer can

process.
 Byte a group of 8 bits.
 A byte 8-bit
canbyte
beforrepresent
the number 3characters.

 Characters can be a letter, digit, or symbol.

 Central Processing Unit (CPU)

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.
 Data Representation

8-bit byte for the number 3

8-bit byte for the number 5

8-bit byte for the capital letter T

 Memory

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.
 Memory

Memory
Stores 3 basic categories of items:

1. The operations
2. Application programs
3. The data being processed by the application
programs and resulting information.
 Memory

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

 Type of Memory

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.
 RAM (Main Memory)

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.
 RAM

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.
 ROM

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.
 Types of ROM

Types of ROM:
 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.
 Memory Access Time

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.
 Memory Access Time Units

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

 Expansion Slot and Adapter Cards

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 .
 Expansion Slot and Adapter Cards

Types of adapter cards

Adapter Card Purpose
Graphics Increases the speed at which graphics are
accelerator 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
 Ports and Connectors

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.
 Ports and Connectors

Serial Ports is a type of interface that connects a

device to the system unit by transmitting data
one bit at a time.
 Ports and Connectors

Parallel Ports is an interface that connects a device

by transferring more than one bit at a time.

 The printers using a parallel port.

 Ports and Connectors

USB Ports, Short for universal serial bus port.

 Can connect up to 127 different peripherals

together with a single connector.
 USB hub is a device that plugs in a USB port on
the system & contains multiple USB ports.
 Ports and Connectors

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.
 Ports and Connectors

Special-Purpose Ports

These ports are not included in typical computers.

 MIDI Port
 SCSI Port
 IrDA Port
 Bluetooth Port
 Ports and Connectors

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.
Ports and Connectors
 Ports and Connectors

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.
 Power Supply

Power Supply
Is a component of the system unit that supply computer
with power.