TOPIC 1 :

Introduction to Computer
System

CSC121 - INTRODUCTION TO ALGORITHM DESIGN AND

DEVELOPMENT
Lesson Outcome

Computer Definition

Overview and History of Computers

Basic Components of the Von Neumann Architecture

Electronic Data and Instructions

System Unit: System board, microprocessor, RAM & ROM

Input/Output devices
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 Introduction

• People are using computers everywhere: at work, at

school, and at home.

• Example streaming videos, teaching, and learning using

computers.

• Computers technology changes rapidly, and users must

keep up with the changes to remain digitally literate.

• Computer literacy or Digital literacy involves having a

current knowledge and understanding of computers,
mobile devices, the web, and related technologies.
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Computer Definition

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Computer Definition

• Is an electronic device, operating under the control of instructions

stored in its own memory, that can accept data, process the data
according to specified rules, produce results, and store the results
for future use.

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Computer Definition

• A computer consists of two major components which are hardware

(electronic devices) and software (instructions/programs). The
software is stored in the computer’s own memory.

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Computer Definition

Hardware Software Computer

• Device that processes • Step-by-step instructions that tell

data to create the computer how to do its work.
information (ex: • It is also called a program.
input, output, storage • It’s purpose to convert data to
and processing useful information
devices)

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Computer Definition
• Computer receives data, processes, produce output, and store information

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Computer
Computers are categorized into several types:
• A personal computer can perform all its input, processing, output, and
storage activities by itself.
• Characteristics:
1. Smallest size
2. Designed for personal use
3. Easy to use
4. Limited number of software can be used
• Ex:- laptop, desktop computer

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• A mainframe is a large, expensive, powerful computer that can
handle hundreds or thousands of connected users simultaneously
• Characteristics:
1. Expensive
2. High storage capacity and great performance
3. Can process huge amount of data very quickly
4. Run smoothly for a long time and has a long life

• Ex:- computer use for big organization like banking and telecom sector

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• A midrange computers or servers are computers with processing
capabilities less powerful than a mainframe computer yet more
powerful than a personal computer.
• Characteristics:
1. Multiple processors, large amount of RAM and hard drives
2. Designed for personal use
3. Easy to use
4. Limited number of software can be used
• Use in business, computer gaming, complex real-time image processing
computer, network server (small or medium no of client systems.)

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• A supercomputer is the fastest, most powerful computer and capable of
processing more than one quadrillion instructions in a single second
• Characteristics:
1. Fastest, biggest and very expensive
2. Calculate up to 10 trillion individual calculation per second (huge data)
3. Thousands of interconnected processors.
• Use in stock market and big organization for managing the online
currency.
• Use in scientific and engineering applications such as weather forecasting,
scientific simulation, nuclear energy research, exploring solar system and
satellites.
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Overview and History of Computers

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0th Generation
Period Technology Inventor/invention
1642 - Mechanical Era Blaise Pascal (1623-1662)
1940 was the son of a tax collector and a mathematical genius. He designed the
first mechanical calculator (Pascaline) based on gears. It performed “+”
and “-”.
Gottfried von Leibnitz (1646-1716)
was a German mathematician and built the first calculator to do “*” and “/”
(Stepped Reckoner). It was not reliable due to accuracy of contemporary
parts.
Charles Babbage (1792-1872)
“Analytical Engine”
Had 4 components – the store (memory), the mill (computation unit), the
input section (punched card reader), the output section (punched & printed
outputs)
John V.Atanasoff and Clifford Berry
ABC (Atanasoff-Berry Computer)
First totally electronic digital computer

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Blaise Pascal Gottfried von Leibnitz

Charles Babbage John V.Atanasoff and Clifford Berry

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1st Generation
Period Technology Inventor/invention Main Features Types of
computer
1940 - Vacuum tube • ENIAC (Electronic • Vacuum tube • ENIAC
1955 • Use vacuum tubes for Numerical Integrator technology • EDVAC
circuitry & magnetic and • Unreliable • IAS
drums for memory Computer) • Supported machine • UNIVAC
• Vacuum tubes • John W.Mauchly and J. language only • IBM-701
• Size is bulky/very large Presper Eckert • Very costly • IBM-650
• Made from glass • First programmable, • Generated lot of heat
• Fragile all-electronic digital and • Slow input and output
• Short-lived (heat- general purpose devices
burned out) computer • Huge size
• Use a great deal of • EDVAC, IAS and • Need of A.C.
electricity–very UNIVAC I (first (Alternating current)
expensive commercially • Non-portable
• Computers relied on machine available computer) • Consumed lot of
language & could only solve electricity
one problem at a time
• Input: punched cards & paper
tape
• Output: displayed on
printouts

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ENIAC EDVAC
UNIVAC IAS Machine

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2nd Generation
Period Technology Inventor/invention Main Features Types of computer
1955- Transistor • Made of specially treated • Use of transistors • IBM 1620
1965 silicon which • Reliable in comparison to first • IBM 7094
controlled the flow of generation computers • CDC 6600
electric current • Smaller size as compared to first • CDC 3600
• Generated less heat & generation computers • UNIVAC 1108
wouldn’t burn out • Generated less heat as
• Allow computers to become compared to first generation
smaller, faster, computers
cheaper, & more energy- • Consumed less electricity as
efficient than before compared to first generation
∴ more reliable than computers
vacuum tubes • Faster than first generation
• Use assembly languages - computers
allow • Still very costly
programmers to specify • A.C. needed
instructions • Supported machine and
in words assembly languages

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 19
IBM 7094 CDC 6600
3rd Generation
Period Technology Inventor/invention Main Features Types of computer
1965 - Integrated • The computers of third generation • More reliable in • IBM-360 series
1980 Circuit based used comparison to • Honeywell-6000
integrated circuits (IC's) in place previous two series
of transistors. A single IC has many generations • PDP(Personal
transistors, • Smaller size Data Processor)
resistors and capacitors along with • Generated less • IBM-370/168
the associated circuitry. The IC was heat • TDC-316
invented by • Faster
Jack Kilby. This development made • Lesser
computers smaller in size, reliable maintenance
and efficient. In • Still costly
this generation remote processing, • A.C needed
time-sharing, multi-programming • Consumed lesser
operating electricity
system were used. High-level • Supported high-
languages (FORTRAN-II TO IV, level language
COBOL, PASCAL PL/1,
BASIC, ALGOL-68 etc.) were used
during this generation.

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 4th Generation
Period Technology Inventor/invention Main Features Types of computer
1980 - Very Large Scale • Microprocessors *(VLSI) • VLSI technology • DEC 10
Present Integration (VLSI) • Thousands of ICs built onto a used • STAR 1000
microprocessor single chip • Very cheap • PDP 11
based • Could be mass produced • Portable and reliable • CRAY-1(Super
- thousands of (PCs) • Use of PC's Computer)
transistors were • Computers become even smaller & • Very small size • CRAY-X-MP(Super
integrated into one more powerful • Pipeline processing Computer)
single chip • GUIs, mouse, handheld devices • No A.C. needed
• Open architecture • Concept of internet
• The hardware design was was introduced
made available to anyone • Great developments
• Anyone could write software in the fields of
or build hardware networks
• Computers became
easily available

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5th Generation
Period Technology Inventor/invention Main Features Types of computer
Present - Ultra Large 1) Artificial Intelligence • (ULSI) technology • Desktop
Beyond Scale • Goal: to develop devices that • Development of true • Laptop
Integration respond to natural language artificial intelligence • NoteBook
(ULSI) input & are capable of learning & • Development of Natural • UltraBook
Technology self-organize language processing • ChromeBook
- integrating or • Robotics • Advancement in Parallel
embedding • Nano-technology Processing
millions of • Anything smaller than • Advancement in
transistors on Microtechnology Superconductor
a single silicon technology
semiconductor 2) Age of Connectivity • More user friendly
microchip • Release of WWW standards in interfaces with
1991 ∴possible to connect multimedia features
computers all over the world • Availability of very
• Shift towards technology powerful and compact
that focuses on mobility computers at cheaper
(wireless revolution) rates

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Basic Components of the Von
Neumann Architecture

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Von Neumann Architecture

 John Von Neumann proposed Von Neumann Architecture.

 A genius who spoke many languages, was an expert in the physical sciences &
mathematics, & had a total recall of everything he ever heard, saw, or read

 A consultant on the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC) project

 Proposed significant improvements over the ENIAC design

 EDVAC and IAS (Institute for Advanced Study)

 Create a computer system that would be much easier to re-program

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Von Neumann Architecture
THE PRINCIPLES :

 Data & instructions are both stored in the main memory while being
processed

 Sequential processing of instructions

 Binary data processing

 Consists of CPU, memory, & I/O system

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Basic components of Von Neumann
Architecture
 A more complete view of the computer system architecture that
integrates interaction (human or otherwise) consists of:

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Basic components of Von Neumann
Architecture
 A central processing unit (CPU); it contains the control unit
(CU), arithmetic/logic unit (ALU) and Interface unit

• ALU: arithmetic/logic unit

• Performs arithmetic and Boolean logical calculations
• CU: control unit
• Controls processing of instructions
• Controls movement of data within the CPU
• Interface unit
• Moves instructions and data between the CPU and other hardware components
• Bus: bundle of wires that carry signals and power between different components

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Basic components of Von Neumann
Architecture
 Memory: Short-term storage for CPU calculations, holds both
instructions and data of a computer program
 Input devices: keyboard, mouse, scanner, punch cards
 Output devices: monitor, printer, fax machine
 Storage: hard drive, optical media, diskettes, magnetic tape
 Bus: a bundle of wires that carry signals and power between different
components

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Basic components of Von Neumann
Architecture
• In the von Neumann architecture, a small set of circuits can be
driven to perform very different tasks, depending on the
software program, which is executed.

• The primary function of a CPU is to execute the instructions fetch from

the main memory.
• An instruction tells the CPU to perform one of its basic operations.
• The CU is the one which interprets the instruction to be executed and
which ‘tells’ the different other components of what to do.
• The CPU includes a set of registers, which are temporary storage
devices typically used to hold
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Electronic Data and Instructions

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Electronic Data and Instructions
• Data can be analog or digital.

• Analog data are continuous and take continuous values.

• Example: the sounds made by a human voice, take on continuous values. When
someone speaks, an analog wave is created in the air. This can be captured by a
microphone and converted to an analog signal or sampled and converted to a digital
signal.

Analog Data Digital Data

11010011

ADC
ADC Converts Analogue
Data To Signal
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Electronic Data and Instructions
• Digital data have discrete states and take discrete values.
• Example, data are stored in computer memory in the form of 0s and 1s. They can be
converted to a digital signal or modulated into an analog signal for transmission across
a medium.

Digital Data Analog Data

11010011

DAC
DAC Converts digital data to
analog
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Electronic Data and Instructions
• Digital electronic signals
• in one of two states: on(1) or off(0)
• Recognized by computers

• Analog signals
• Continuous signals vary in strength and quality
• Created by voices

• Conversion must take place from analog to

digital before processing can occur

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Numeric Representation
• Two-state binary system consists
of only two digits called bits
• On = 1; negative charge
• Off = 0; no charge

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Numeric Representation
• Binary code forms the basis for all
digital information processing and
data transfers.
• Byte = 8 bits grouped together as a
unit. A byte represents a single
character in the computer
• Hexadecimal system
• Uses 16 digits to represent binary
numbers
(0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, A, B, C, D, E, F)

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Character Encoding
• Character encoding standards – a unique sequence of the binary representation of a particular letter,
number, or special character.
• It is used to facilitate communication among computers by using a common language code.
• Types of Character Encoding:

ASCII
• American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII)
• the most widely used coding scheme to represent data
• Used by personal computers
EBCDIC
• Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code (EBCDIC)
• Used by mainframe computers
Unicode
• New encoding due to explosion of the Internet
• Uses 16 bits
• Recognized by virtually all computer systems 37
Character Encoding
• ASCII
• American Standard Code for Information
Interchange (ASCII)
• the most widely used coding scheme to
represent data
• Used by personal computers
• ASCII is a 7-bit character set containing 128
characters
• It contains the numbers from 0-9, the upper
and lower case English letters from A to Z, and
some special characters.
• The character sets used in modern computers,
in HTML, and on the Internet, are all based on
ASCII
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Character Encoding
• EBCDIC
• Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange
Code (EBCDIC) (pronounced “ebb see dick”)
• is an 8-bit characters, allows 256 (2 to the
power of 8) possible bit combinations.
• mainly used on IBM
mainframe and IBM midrange
computer operating systems.
• It descended from the code used
with punched cards and the corresponding 6-
bit binary-coded decimal code used with most
of IBM's computer peripherals of the late
1950s and early 1960s.
• It is supported by various non-IBM platforms

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Character Encoding
• Unicode
• New encoding due to explosion
of the Internet
• is an information
technology standard for the
consistent encoding,
representation, and handling
of text expressed in most of the
world's writing systems.
• Uses 16 bits
• Recognized by virtually all
computer systems

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System Unit: System board,
Microprocessor, RAM & ROM

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System Unit

System Chassis
• Container that houses most of the electronic
components that make up a computer system

System Unit
• Part of computer that houses the primary
devices that perform operation and result for
complex calculations.
• Contains system’s electronic components and
selected secondary storage devices

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System Unit Types
• Desktops
• System unit is in a separate case
• Parts: computer case, monitor, keyboard, mouse and power
code.
• Computer case is the metal and plastic box that contains
main components – cpu, motherboard and power supply
• Desktop case – lies flat on desk, monitor sits on top of it
• Tower Units – tall, sits next to monitor
• All-in-Ones - All components including internal components built
into the monitor
• Laptops
• Portable and much smaller
• Ultrabooks – laptop and tablet in one
• Gaming – high-end graphics
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System Unit Types

• Tablets
• Mini tablet
• Smartphone
• Most popular device – handheld computer
• Extend the capabilities of cell phones
• Wearables
• Contain embedded computers

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Components
Although all devices come in many
shapes and sizes they have
similarities such as :

• System boards
• Microprocessors
• Memory

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 System Board
• System board or main board or
motherboard controls communication for
the entire computer system
• All components and devices connect to the
system board
• Data path and traffic monitor
• Allows various components to
communicate efficiently with one another

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Sockets and Chips

The system board contains a variety

of electronic components
• Sockets – the connection
point for chips
• Chips
• Tiny circuit boards etched onto squares
of silicon
• Also called silicon chip, semiconductor,
or integrated circuit
• Mounted on chip carriers

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Slots and Bus Lines
Additional system board components:
• Slots
• Provide a connection point for specialized cards or circuit boards
• Provide expansion capabilities for the computer
• Bus lines
• Connecting lines that provide pathways to support communication among electronic
components

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Microprocessor
• Central Processing Unit (CPU) or Processor
• Contained on a single chip called a Microprocessor
• Brains of the computer

• Two Basic Components of the CPU

• Control unit
• Tells the computer system how to carry out a program’s instruction
• Arithmetic-logic unit (ALU)
• Performs arithmetic and logical operations

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 Relationship between
Memory, Processor, Storage, Input, and
Output Devices
When a user starts a program, its instruction
is transferred from a storage device to
memory.
Data needed by programs enters memory
from either an input device or a storage
device.
The control unit interprets and executes
instructions in memory, and the ALU
performs calculations on the data in
memory.
Resulting information is stored in memory,
from which it can be sent to an output
device or a storage device for future access,
as needed.

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Processor Machine Cycle
For every instruction, a processor repeats a set of four basic operations,
which comprise a machine cycle.

FETCH

DECODE

EXECUTE

STORE

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 Microprocessor Chips
• Chip capacities are expressed in word size
• Word is the number of bits that can be processed at one time: 16, 32 or
64
• Clock Speed
• Processing speed or the number of times the CPU fetches and processes
data or instructions in a second
• Also called clock rate.
• It is measured in gigahertz(GHz),
or billions of beats per second.
• The faster the clock speed,
the faster the computer can
process information and execute
instructions 52
Multicore Chips
• Multicore Processors
• Two or more separate and independent CPUs within a system unit
• Quad-core supports 4 core processes

• Parallel Processing
• Computer’s ability to divide tasks into parts that can be distributed
across each core
• Windows 8 and Mac OS X support parallel processing

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Memory
• Holding area for data, instructions, and information
• Contained on chips connected to the system board
• Stores three basic categories of items:

 The operating system and other system software

 Application programs
 Data being processed and the resulting information

• Three well-known types 1. Random Access Memory(RAM)

of memory chips: 2. Read Only Memory (ROM)
3. Flash Memory
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Memory
• The system unit contains two types of memory:

Volatile memory Non volatile memory

Loses its contents when Does not lose contents when
power is turned off power is removed

Example includes RAM, Examples include ROM

cache memory and and flash memory
virtual

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Random Access Memory (RAM)

• Random Access Memory (RAM) chips hold programs and data that
the CPU is presently processing
• Volatile or temporary – contents are lost when the computer is
powered off

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Random Access Memory (RAM)

• Cache memory – temporary, high-

speed holding area between the
memory and CPU
• Additional RAM can be added
using an expansion module
called a DIMM (Dual in-line
memory module)

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 Random Access Memory (RAM)
• Virtual Memory
• a memory management capability that uses hardware and software to allow a
computer to compensate for physical memory shortages by temporarily transferring
data from Random Access Memory (RAM) to disk storage.

Less used data HARD DISK

RAM

Data needed by the CPU VIRTUAL MEMORY

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 Random Access Memory (RAM)
• Each location in memory has an address
• Memory is expressed in bytes - memory size is measured in kilobytes (KB
or K), megabytes (MB), gigabytes (GB), or terabytes (TB)

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Read-only Memory(ROM)

• Read-only memory (ROM)

• Information stored by the manufacturer
• Non-volatile and cannot be changed
• CPU can read, or retrieve data and programs in ROM but the
computer cannot change ROM
• Contain special instructions
• Start the computer
• Access memory
• Handle keyboard input

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Flash Memory
• Flash memory combines of the
features of:
• RAM, it can be updated
• ROM, it is non-volatile
• Contains startup information(BIOS -
basic input/output system)
• Amount of RAM
• Type of keyboard, mouse, and secondary
storage devices connected.
• Can be electrically erased and
reprogrammed

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Input / Output devices

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Input Output Devices
Data that gets into the computer is called
Input and information comes out in the form
of output

• Input devices are hardware

components that allow users to enter
data and instructions into a computer
or mobile devices

• Output devices are any hardware

components that convey information
from a computer or mobile device to
one or more people
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Input Devices
• Allows you to enter data and instructions into a computer
• Users allow to input data such as text, images, graphics, sound,
audio, and video
• Examples:
• Keyboard
• Pointing devices
• Gaming controller
• Scanning devices
• Readers devices
• Character and Mark Recognition Readers
• Image Capturing devices
• Audio Input devices
• Biometrics Authenticates Devices 64
Keyboard Entry
• Keyboards
• Traditional keyboards
• Laptop keyboards
• Virtual keyboards
• Thumb keyboards

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Pointing Devices
Provide an intuitive interface by accepting pointing
gestures and converting them into machine-
readable input. Examples of devices are:
• Mouse
• Touch Screen – smartphone & computers screen
• Stylus / Tablet - Uses handwriting recognition
software

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 Gaming Controllers

• Provide input to computer games

• Joysticks use pressure and direction of the stick
• Gaming mice are similar to a mouse but high
precision
• Game pads use both hands
• Motion sensing device control games by user
movement

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Scanning Devices

Scanners convert scanned data into a form the system unit can
process
• Optical scanners
• Flatbed scanners
• Document scanners
• Portable scanners
• 3D scanners

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Readers Device

• Magnetic card reader

• Information read from the strip when swiped
through a reader
• Smart cards hold additional security information
• Interpret encoded information that is stored on
debit, credit, and identification cards

• Bar code reader

• Contain photo-electric cells that scan or read bar
codes, or the zebra-striped marks printed on
product containers

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Character and Mark Recognition Readers

Recognize special characters and marks

• Character and mark recognition devices
• Magnetic-ink character recognition (MICR)
• Used by banks to read encoded characters on
checks
• Optical-character recognition (OCR)
• Reads preprinted characters such as wand
scanners
• Optical-mark recognition (OMR)
• Sense the presence of absence of marks used
for test scoring

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Image Capturing Devices

Create or capture original images

• Digital Camera
• Capture images digitally and store in memory
• Web Cams
• are specialized digital video cameras that capture
images and send them to
a computer for broadcast over the Internet.

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Audio-Input Devices
• Voice recognition systems
• Use a microphone, sound card, and special software
• Users can operate computers and create documents using voice commands
• Included in many smart phones
• Siri in iPhones
• Cortana in Windows phones
• Google Now in Google phones

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Biometrics Authenticates
Devices
• A biometric device authenticates a person’s identity by translating a
personal characteristic into a digital code that is compared with a digital
code in a computer or mobile device verifying a physical or behavioral
characteristic
• Biometrics scanner can scan a person's fingerprint, voice, face, hand, iris, and
retina.

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Output Devices
• Hardware component that conveys information to one or more
people
• Display processed data or information
• Examples:
• Monitors
• Interactive whiteboard
• Data projector
• Printers

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Monitors
Known as screens or display screens and present visual images of text
and graphics
• Output referred to as soft copy
• Features
• Clarity
• Resolution/pixels
• Dot pitch
• Contrast ratios
• Size
• Aspect ratio
• Example : Flat–panel monitors and curve monitor
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 Monitors

High-definition television (HDTV)

• Advance form of digital television, which work
with digital broadcast signals, transmits digital
sound, support wide screen and provide high
resolution.

Smart Television
• Is an internet-enabled HDTV form which enable
you to connect to the Internet and/or watch
television shows.

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Interactive Whiteboard & Data
Projector
Interactive whiteboard
• An interactive whiteboard is a touch-
sensitive device, resembling a dry-erase
board, that displays the image on a
connected computer screen

Data Projector
• A data projector is a device that
projects the text and images displayed
on a computer or mobile device screen
on a larger screen so that an audience
can see the image clearly 77
Printers
• Translates information that has been processed by the
system unit
• A printer produces text and graphics on a physical
medium
• Output referred to as hard copy
• Features
• Resolution
• Color
• Speed
• Memory
• Duplex printing

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Printers
PRINTER
TYPE

NONIMPACT IMPACT OTHERS

Impact printers form characters and
A nonimpact printer forms graphics on a piece of paper by striking a
characters and graphics on a piece mechanism against an inked ribbon that
of paper without actually striking physically contacts the paper
the paper All in one printer
3D printer
Ink-jet printers Dot-matrix printer Cloud printer
Photo printers Line printer Braille Printer
Laser printers Daisy-wheel printer
Thermal printers
Mobile printers
Plotters
Large-format printers
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 Combination Input and Output
Devices
• Headsets
• Combine a microphone and headphones

• Drones or unarmed aerial vehicles

• Take input from a controller and send back video and
sound to the user

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Summary
This topic explains
• The definition of computers
• The overview and history of computer generations from 0th Generation
to 5th Generation(present).
• The basic components of the Von Neumann Architecture.
• Electronic data and instructions in computers.
• The system unit in computers; the system board, microprocessor, RAM,
and ROM.
• The input and output devices of computer hardware.

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Exercises

1. Define the term computer.

2. List three (3) types of characters encoding

3. Describe the roles of the processor and memory.

4. Identify methods for typing on a smartphone.

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