McGraw-Hill Technology Education Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

McGraw-Hill Technology Education Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
 Chapter 5

Transforming Data Into

Information

McGraw-Hill Technology Education Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
 How Computers Represent Data
• Number systems
– A manner of counting
– Several different number systems exist
• Decimal number system
– Used by humans to count
– Contains ten distinct digits
– Digits combine to make larger numbers

5A-3
 How Computers Represent Data
• Binary number system
– Used by computers to count
– Two distinct digits, 0 and 1
– 0 and 1 combine to make numbers

5A-4
 How Computers Represent Data
• Bits and bytes
– Binary numbers are made of bits
– Bit represents a switch
– A byte is 8 bits
– Byte represents one character

5A-5
 How Computers Represent Data
• Text codes
– Converts letters into binary
– Standard codes necessary for data transfer
– ASCII
• American English symbols
– Extended ASCII
• Graphics and other symbols
– Unicode
• All languages on the planet

5A-6
 How Computers Process Data
• The CPU
– Central Processing Unit
– Brain of the computer
– Control unit
• Controls resources in computer
• Instruction set
– Arithmetic logic unit
• Simple math operations
• Registers

5A-7
 How Computers Process Data
• Machine cycles
– Steps by CPU to process data
– Instruction cycle
• CPU gets the instruction
– Execution cycle
• CPU performs the instruction
– Billions of cycles per second
– Pipelining processes more data
– Multitasking allows multiple instructions

5A-8
 How Computers Process Data
• Memory
– Stores open programs and data
– Small chips on the motherboard
– More memory makes a computer faster

5A-9
 How Computers Process Data
• Nonvolatile memory
– Holds data when power is off
– Read Only Memory (ROM)
– Basic Input Output System (BIOS)
– Power On Self Test (POST)

5A-10
 How Computers Process Data
• Flash memory
– Data is stored using physical switches
– Special form of nonvolatile memory
– Camera cards, USB key chains

5A-11
 How Computers Process Data
• Volatile memory
– Requires power to hold data
– Random Access Memory (RAM)
– Data in RAM has an address
– CPU reads data using the address
– CPU can read any address

5A-12
 Components affecting Speed

5A-13
 Affecting Processing Speed
• Registers
– Number of bits processor can handle
– Word size
– Larger indicates more powerful computer
– Increase by purchasing new CPU

5A-14
 Affecting Processing Speed
• Virtual RAM
– Computer is out of actual RAM
– File that emulates RAM
– Computer swaps data to virtual RAM
• Least recently used data is moved

5A-15
 Affecting Processing Speed
• The computer’s internal clock
– Quartz crystal
– Every tick causes a cycle
– Speeds measured in Hertz (Hz)
• Modern machines use Giga Hertz (GHz)

5A-16
 Affecting Processing Speed
• The bus
– Electronic pathway between components
– Expansion bus connects to peripherals
– System bus connects CPU and RAM
– Bus width is measured in bits
– Speed is tied to the clock

5A-17
 Affecting Processing Speed
• External bus standards
– Industry Standard Architecture (ISA)
– Local bus
– Peripheral control interface
– Accelerated graphics port
– Universal serial bus
– IEEE 1394 (FireWire)
– PC Card

5A-18
 Affecting Processing Speed
• Peripheral control interface (PCI)
– Connects modems and sound cards
– Found in most modern computers

5A-19
 Affecting Processing Speed
• Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP)
– Connects video card to motherboard
– Extremely fast bus
– Found in all modern computers

5A-20
 Affecting Processing Speed
• Universal Serial Bus (USB)
– Connects external devices
– Hot swappable
– Allows up to 127 devices
– Cameras, printers, and scanners

5A-21
 Affecting Processing Speed
• PC Card
– Used on laptops
– Hot swappable
– Devices are the size of a credit card

5A-22
 Affecting Processing Speed
• Cache memory
– Very fast memory
– Holds common or recently used data
– Speeds up computer processing
– Most computers have several caches
– L1 holds recently used data
– L2 holds upcoming data
– L3 holds possible upcoming data

5A-23
 Commonly Used Printers
• Impact printers
– Generate output by striking the paper
– Uses an inked ribbon
• Non-impact printers
– Use methods other than force
– Tend to be quiet and fast

4B-24
 Commonly Used Printers
• Dot matrix printers
– Impact printer
– Used to print to multi-sheet pages
– Print head strikes inked ribbon
– Line printers
– Band printers
– Speed measured in characters per second

4B-25
 Dot Matrix Print Head

4B-26
 Commonly Used Printers
• Ink-jet printers
– Non-impact printer
– Inexpensive home printer
– Color output common using CMYK
• Cyan, magenta, yellow, black
– Sprays ink onto paper
– Speed measured in pages per minute
– Quality expressed as dots per inch

4B-27
 Dots Per Inch

4B-28
 Commonly Used Printers
• Laser printer
– Non-impact printer
– Produces high quality documents
– Color or black and white
– Print process
• Laser draws text on page
• Toner sticks to text
• Toner melted to page
– Speed measured in pages per minute
– Quality expressed as dots per inch
4B-29
 Commonly Used Printers
• All-in-one peripherals
– Scanner, copier, printer and fax
– Popular in home offices
– Prices are very reasonable

4B-30
 Comparing Printers
• Determine what you need
• Determine what you can spend
• Initial cost
• Cost of operating
• Image quality
• Speed

4B-31
 High-Quality Printers
• Special purpose printers
– Used by a print shop
– Output is professional grade
– Prints to a variety of surfaces

4B-32
 High-Quality Printers
• Photo printers
– Produces film quality pictures
– Prints very slow
– Prints a variety of sizes

4B-33
 High-Quality Printers
• Thermal wax printers
– Produces bold color output
– Color generated by melting wax
– Colors do not bleed
– Operation costs are low
– Output is slow

4B-34
 High-Quality Printers
• Dye sublimation printers
– Produces realistic output
– Very high quality
– Color is produced by evaporating ink
– Operation costs are high
– Output is very slow

4B-35
 High-Quality Printers
• Plotters
– Large high quality blueprints
– Older models draw with pens
– Operational costs are low
– Output is very slow

4B-36
 Chapter 4B

End of Chapter

McGraw-Hill Technology Education Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.