INTRODUCTION TO
INFORMATION SYSTEMS
Lecture 2: Introduction to Computer Hardware
Presenter – Jennifer Gachukia
(
[email protected])
Introduction
1. System unit
Has standard external connections called ports which are used to connect a
variety of hardware devices/ peripherals eg monitor, printer, adapter card,
modem, fax card, radio card, TV card etc.
The system unit also contains the CPU (central processing unit),
memory, disk drives (used for backing of information).
2. Monitor/ Screen, VDU (Visual Display Unit) e.g. CRT (Cathode Ray Tube),
LCD (Liquid Crystal Display),
3. Keyboard
4. Mouse
Some of the ports include:
Serial port
Connects serial devices (mouse, modem, plotter, digitizer) to
your computer
Serial ports send 1 bit of data at a time along a single data
pathway, waiting for acknowledgment before sending additional
data.
In this way, very accurate transfer of data can take place.
Serial ports are male connectors on the back of your computer,
and have either 9 or 25 gold or silver pins in the connector.
Parallel port
Connects parallel devices like a printer to computer
Send 8 bits of data (1 byte) at a time, rather than one bit of data
at a time.
Standard parallel ports (SPPs) transmit data unidirectionally from
the PC to the printer (or other device) enhanced parallel ports
(EPPs) transmit data in both directions.
Parallel ports are female connectors on the back of your
computer, and have a 25-socket connector.
Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports
USB is a built-in feature of most current motherboard PC chip
sets, as well as operating systems.
Many PCs now use the USB interface as the primary way to
connect both the keyboard and mouse.
By eliminating add-in cards and separate power supplies, USB
can help make PC peripheral devices more affordable than they
otherwise would be.
In addition, USB's "hot-swapping" capability allows business
users to easily attach and detach peripherals.
PCI-USB add-in cards provide an independent USB bus to which
even more peripherals can be connected.
PS/2 port
Typical PC systems use PS/2-style connectors for both the
keyboard and for the mouse, or they use USB connectors for
these devices.
IBM designed this type of interface for their PS/2 computer
systems, all of which are now obsolete.
Only the style of keyboard connector remains today. Many of
these connectors are now color-coded, so as to ensure that the
keyboard is installed in the keyboard plug and the mouse into
the mouse plug.
Plugging a mouse into a keyboard port (or vice versa) will cause
an error message to display on the computer at power-up, even
though the plug is firmly connected to the (wrong) connector.
Input Hardware
Input unit sends data to the CPU for the sole purpose of processing. The devices
include:
Keyboard
Mouse
Joystick
Scanners
Trackball
Optical Character Readers (OCRs)
Magnetic Ink Character Readers (MICR)
Microphone
Touch pen
Barcode reader
Processing Hardware
Processes data and instructions that have been entered into the
computer. It is often referred to as the CPU (central processing
unit) and contains 3 elements which are:
1. Control unit (CU) – Directs and controls computer systems
activities
2. Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) – Tackles mathematical
problems
3. Registers – Temporary storage location within the CPU for
holding data/ instructions undergoing processing or that is
to be processed ie holds transient data to or from main
memory. They include instruction register, memory
buffer register, address register, program counter
register and input output register.
Storage Hardware
Computer storage may be classified into 2:
1. Main Memory
2. Backing Storage
1. Main Memory
Every computer has a main memory where data and instructions
which are currently being processed are stored. The main
memory is wholly executive, fast and reliable.
Its nearness to the CPU and great speed at which it can be
accessed means that it is often called the working area.
Memory is installed onto typical motherboards by snapping
Single In-line Memory Modules (SIMMs) or Dual In-line Memory
Modules (DIMMs) into sockets on the motherboard.
Types of main memory
1. ROM (Read Only Memory)
ROM is constructed using the semi-conductor technology. The
information is build into the chip during the manufacturing stage.
The information is permanent and cannot be changed except
under special circumstances. ROM is non-volatile memory ie
retains information even when power is switched off.
Other types of ROM are:
PROM – Programmable ROM
EPROM – Erasable Programmable ROM
EEPROM – Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM
Cont….
2. RAM (Random Access Memory)
It is a semi-conductor memory.
Unlike ROM, data may be entered or written into memory as well as
being read from it.
An extra circuit is required to allow for writing to the memory and
reading from it.
RAM is volatile hence information stored is lost when power is switched
off.
There are 2 types of RAM:
Dynamic RAM
Static RAM - SRAM is a type of memory that is faster and more
reliable than the more common DRAM (dynamic RAM). The term
static is derived from the fact that it doesn't need to be refreshed
like dynamic RAM
2. Backing Storage (Secondary/ Auxiliary Storage)
Although main memory can be expanded within limits, it is expensive
and does not provide storage for all data used.
Backing storage is cheaper and has greater storage capacity than
main memory.
Although the access time is slower depending on the type of device,
it is used for data and programs not currently needed in the main
memory.
Backing storage is permanent and information stored cannot be lost
even when the power goes off.
They include:
CDs
Hard-disks
Flash disks
Output Hardware
Output unit receives processed data from the CPU and produces
them to you through a suitable device. Output devices include:
1. Printer e.g impact/ dot-matrix, ink jet, thermal and laser
printers
2. Monitor e.g CRT (Cathode Ray Tube), LCD (Liquid Crystal
Display)
3. Speakers
4. Projector
