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Unit I Fundamentals of Computers CHAPTER

1
Introduction to Computers
Learning Objectives 1.1 Introduction to Computers
Computers are seen everywhere
After learning the concepts in this chapter,
around us, in all spheres of life, in the field
the students will be able of education, research, travel and tourism,
• To know about Computers weather forecasting, social networking,
• To learn about various generations of e-commerce etc. Computers have now
computer become an indispensable part of our lives.
• To understand the basic operations of Computers have revolutionised our lives with
computers their accuracy and speed of performing a job,
• To know the components and their it is truly remarkable. Today, no organisation
functions. can function without a computer. In fact,
• To know about booting of a computer various organisations have become paperless.
Computers have evolved over the years from
a simple calculating device to high speed
Father of Computer portable computers.
Charles Babbage The growth of computer industry started
is considered with the need for performing fast calculations.
to be the The manual method of computing was slow
father of computer, and prone to errors. So, attempts were made
for his invention
to develop fast calculating devices, the journey
and the concept of
Analytical Engine in started from the first known calculating device
1837. The Analytical (Abacus) which has led us today to an extremely
Engine contained an high speed calculating devices.
Arithmetic Logic Unit 1.2 Generations of Computers
(ALU), basic flow
control, and integrated Growth in the computer industry is
memory; which led determined by the development in technology.
to the development of first general-
purpose computer concept. Based on various stages of development,
computers can be categroised into different
generations.
Main Component
SN Generation Period Merits/Demerits
used

• Big in size
First 1940- • Consumed more power
1
Generation 1956 • Malfunction due to overheat
• Machine Language was used
Vacuum tubes

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First Generation Computers - ENIAC , EDVAC , UNIVAC 1

ENIAC weighed about 27 tons, size 8 feet × 100 feet × 3 feet and consumed around 150
watts of power
• Smaller compared to First
Generation
• Generated Less Heat
• Consumed less power
compared to first generation
Second 1956- • Punched cards were used
2
Generation 1964 • First operating system was
developed - Bat ch Processing
Transistors and Multiprogramming
Operating System
• Machine language as well as
Assembly language was used.
Second Generation Computers IBM 1401, IBM 1620, UNIVAC 1108

• Computers were smaller,

Third 1964 faster and more reliable
3 • Consumed less power
Generation -1971 • High Level Languages were
Integrated
used
Circuits (IC)

Third Generation Computers IBM 360 series, Honeywell 6000 series

• Smaller and Faster

• Microcomputer series such
Fourth 1971- as IBM and APPLE were
4 developed
Generation 1980 Microprocessor
• Portable Computers were
Very Large Scale introduced.
Integrated Circuits
(VLSI)
• Parallel Processing
• Super conductors
• Computers size was drastically
reduced.
• Can recognise Images and
Fifth 1980 - till Graphics
5
Generation date • Introduction of Artificial
Intelligence and Expert
Ultra Large Systems
Scale Integration • Able to solve high complex
(ULSI) problems including decision
making and logical reasoning

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• Parallel and Distributed

computing
• Computers have become
Sixth smarter, faster and smaller
6 In future
Generation • Development of robotics
• Natural Language Processing
• Development of Voice
Recognition Software
Table1.1 Generations of computers

The first digital computer Optical Character

Recognition (Optical
The ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Grapheme Recognition) engine
Integrator And Calculator) for the Indus Scripts has been
was invented by J. Presper Eckert and developed using Deep Learning Neural
John Mauchly at Networks (a sub-field of Artificial
the University of Intelligence).
Pennsylvania and Given photographs, scans, or any image
began construction feed of an Indus Valley Civilization
in 1943 and was artifact, the system will
not completed until be able to recognise the
1946. It occupied about 1,800 square feet and inscriptions (the symbol/
used about 18,000 vacuum tubes, weighing grapheme sequences)
almost 50 tons. ENIAC was the first digital from the image. There
computer because it was fully functional. are totally 417 Symbols/
Graphemes/Characters in the Indus
1.3 Sixth Generation Computing
Scripts and just 3700+ text inscriptions
of data for the machine to learn and
In the Sixth Generation, computers
attain expert-level status.
could be defined as the era of intelligent
computers, based on Artificial Neural
Networks. One of the most dramatic
changes in the sixth generation will be the
explosive growth of Wide Area Networking.
Natural Language Processing (NLP) is
a component of Artificial Intelligence
(AI). It provides the ability to develop the 1.4. Data and Information
computer program to understand human
language. We all know what a computer is? It
is an electronic device that processes the
input according to the set of instructions
provided to it and gives the desired output

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at a very fast rate. Computers are very programs or instructions. Both hardware
versatile as they do a lot of different tasks and software together make the computer
such as storing data, weather forecasting, system to function.
booking airlines, railway or movie tickets
and even playing games.
Data: Data is defined as an un-
processed collection of raw facts, suitable
for communication, interpretation or
pro cessing.
For example, 134, 16 ‘Kavitha’, ‘C’
are data. This will not give any meaningful
message.
Information: Information is a Figure 1.2: Computer
collection of facts from which conclusions Let us first have a look at the
may be drawn. In simple words we can say functional components of a computer.
that data is the raw facts that is processed Every task given to a computer follows an
to give meaningful, ordered or structured Input- Process- Output Cycle (IPO cycle).
information. For example Kavitha is It needs certain input, processes that
16 years old. This information is about input and produces the desired output.
Kavitha and conveys some meaning. This The input unit takes the input, the central
conversion of data into information is processing unit does the processing of
called data processing. data and the output unit produces the
output. The memory unit holds the data
and instructions during the processing.
INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

DATA Control Unit

INFORMATION

Figure 1.1 Data and Information Input Unit

ALU
Output Unit

“A Computer is an electronic device that Internal

Memory Data Path
takes raw data (unprocessed) as an input Control Path

from the user and processes it under the Main Memory

control of a set of instructions (called Secondary Storage

program), produces a result (output), and
Figure 1.3 components of a computer
saves it for future use.”
1.5 Components of a Computer 1.5.1 Input Unit
Input unit is used to feed any form
The computer is the combination of of data to the computer, which can be
hardware and software. Hardware is the stored in the memory unit for further
physical component of a computer like processing. Example: Keyboard, mouse,
motherboard, memory devices, monitor, etc.
keyboard etc., while software is the set of

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1.5.2 Central Processing Unit to temporarily store the programs and

CPU is the major component data when the instructions are ready to
which interprets and executes software execute. The secondary memory is used
instructions. It also control the operation to store the data permanently.
of all other components such as memory, The Primary Memory is volatile, that
input and output units. It accepts binary is, the content is lost when the power supply
data as input, process the data according is switched off. The Random Access Memory
to the instructions and provide the result (RAM) is an example of a main memory. The
as output. Secondary memory is non volatile, that is,
The CPU has three components the content is available even after the power
which are Control unit, Arithmetic and supply is switched off. Hard disk, CD-ROM
logic unit (ALU) and Memory unit. and DVD ROM are examples of secondary
memory.
[Link] Arithmetic and Logic Unit
1.5.5. Input and Output Devices
The ALU is a part of the CPU
where various computing functions are Input Devices:
performed on data. The ALU performs (1) Keyboard: Keyboard (wired /
arithmetic operations such as addition, wireless, virtual) is the most common input
subtraction, multiplication, division device used today. The individual keys for
and logical operations. The result of an letters, numbers and special characters
operation is stored in internal memory are collectively known as character keys.
of CPU. The logical operations of ALU This keyboard layout is derived from the
promote the decision-making ability of a keyboard of original typewriter. The data
computer. and instructions are given as input to
the computer by typing on the keyboard.
[Link] Control Unit
Apart from alphabet and numeric keys,
The control unit controls the flow of it also has Function keys for performing
data between the CPU, memory and different functions. There are different set
I/O devices. It also controls the entire of keys available in the keyboard such as
operation of a computer. character keys, modifier keys, system and
GUI keys, enter and editing keys, function
1.5.3. Output Unit
keys, navigation keys, numeric keypad
An Output Unit is any hardware and lock keys.
component that conveys information to
users in an understandable form. Example:
Monitor, Printer etc.
1.5.4. Memory Unit
The Memory Unit is of two types Figure 1.4 Keyboard
which are primary memory and secondary (2) Mouse: Mouse (wired/wireless)
memory. The primary memory is used is a pointing device used to control the
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movement of the cursor on the display Fingerprint Reader / Scanner is a very safe
screen. It can be used to select icons, and convenient
menus, command buttons or activate device for security
something on a computer. Some mouse instead of using
actions are move, click, double click, right passwords, which
click, drag and drop. is vulnerable to
Different types of mouse available fraud and is hard
are: Mechanical Mouse, Optical, Laser to remember. Figure 1.6 Fingerprint
Mouse, Air Mouse, 3D Mouse, Tactile Scanner
Mouse, Ergonomic Mouse and Gaming (5) Track Ball:
Mous e. Track ball is similar to
the upside- down design
Who invented
of the mouse. The user
Mouse?
moves the ball directly,
The computer while the device itself
Figure 1.7 Track
mouse as we know it remains stationary. The
Ball
today was user spins the ball in
invented various directions to navigate the screen
and developed by movements.
Douglas Engelbart, with (6) Retinal Scanner: This performs
the assistance of Bill a retinal scan which is a biometric
English, during the 1960's technique that uses unique patterns on a
and was patented on November 17, 1970. person's retinal blood vessels.

(3) Scanner: Scanners are used to

enter the information directly into the
c o m p u t e r ’s
memory. This
device works like
a Xerox machine.
The scanner Figure 1.8 Retinal Scanner
converts any Figure 1.5 Scanner (7) Light Pen: A light pen is a
type of printed pointing device
or written information including shaped like a pen
photographs into a digital format, which and is connected
can be manipulated by the computer. to a monitor. The
tip of the light
(4)Fingerprint Scanner: Finger pen contains a
print Scanner is a fingerprint recognition l i g h t - s e n s i t i v e Figure 1.9 Light Pen
device used for computer security, element which detects the light from the
equipped with the fingerprint recognition screen enabling the computer to identify the
feature that uses biometric technology. location of the pen on the screen. Light pens
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have the advantage of ‘drawing’ directly onto new approach to input information into
the screen, but this becomes hard to use, and the Computer.
is also not accurate. (11) Digital Camera: It captures
(8) Optical Character Reader: It is images / videos
a device which directly in the digital
detects characters form. It uses a CCD
printed or written (Charge Coupled
on a paper with Device) electronic
OCR, a user can chip. When light falls
scan a page from a on the chip through
book. The Computer the lens, it converts Figure 1.13
will recognise the Figure 1.10 Optical light rays into digital Digital Camera
characters in the Character Reader format.
page as letters and punctuation marks and
(12) Touch Screen: A touch screen
stores. The Scanned document can be
is a display device that allows the user to
edited using a wordprocessor.
interact with a computer by using the
(9) Bar Code / QR Code Reader: A finger. It can be quite useful as an
Bar code is a pattern printed in lines of alternative to a mouse or keyboard for
different thickness. The Bar code reader
navigating a Graphical
scans the information on the bar codes
User Interface (GUI).
transmits to the
Touch screens are used
Computer for
further processing. on a wide variety of
The system gives devices such as
fast and error free computers, laptops,
entry of monitors, smart
information into Figure 1.11 Bar code phones, tablets, cash
the computer. Reader registers and
QR (Quick response) Code: The information kiosks. Figure 1.14 Touch
Some touch screens Screen
QR code is the two dimension bar code
which can be read by a camera and use a grid of infrared beams to sense the
processed to interpert the image. presence of a finger instead of utilizing
(10) Voice Input Systems: touch-sensitive input.
Microphone serves as (13) Keyer : A
a voice Input device. Keyer is a device
It captures the voice for signaling by
data and send it to hand, by way of
the Computer. Using pressing one or
the microphone more switches. Figure 1.15 Keyer
along with speech Modern keyers
Figure 1.12 Voice have a large number of switches but not
recognition software
input System as many as a full size keyboard. Typically,
can offer a completely
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this number is between 4 and 50. A keyer

differs from a keyboard, which has "no
board", but the keys are arranged in a
cluster.
Output Devices:
(1) Monitor: Monitor is the most
commonly used output
device to display the
information. It looks Figure 1.17 Plotter
like a TV. Pictures on (3) Printers: Printers are used to
a monitor are formed print the information on papers. Printers
with picture elements are divided into two main categories:
called PIXELS. • Impact Printers
Monitors may either • Non Impact printers
be Monochrome Impact Printers
which display textFigure 1.16 Monitor T h e s e
or images in Black printers print
and White or can be color, which display with striking of
results in multiple colors. There are hammers or pins
many types of monitors available such as on ribbon. These
CRT (Cathode Ray Tube), LCD (Liquid printers can print
Crystal Display) and LED (Light Emitting on multi-part
Diodes). The monitor works with the (using carbon Figure 1.18 Impact
VGA (Video Graphics Array) card. The papers) by using Printer
video graphics card helps the keyboard mechanical pressure. For example, Dot
to communicate with the screen. It acts Matrix printers and Line matrix printers
as an interface between the computer are impact printers.
and display monitor. Usually the recent
motherboards incorporate built-in video A Dot matrix printer that prints using
card. a fixed number of pins or wires. Each dot is
produced by a tiny metal rod, also called a
The first computer monitor was part of “wire” or “pin”, which works by the power
the Xerox Alto computer system, which of a tiny electromagnet or solenoid, either
was released on March 1, 1973. directly or through a set of small levers. It
generally prints one line of text at a time. The
(2) Plotter: Plotter is an output printing speed of these printers varies from
device that is used to produce graphical 30 to 1550 CPS (Character Per Second).
output on papers. It uses single color or
multi color pens to draw pictures. Line matrix printers use a fixed
print head for printing. Basically, it prints
a page-wide line of dots. But it builds up a
line of text by printing lines of dots. Line
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printers are capable of printing much more

than 1000 Lines Per Minute, resulting
in thousands of pages per hour. These
printers also uses mechanical pressure to
print on multi-part (using carbon papers).
Non-Impact Printers
These printers do not use striking Figure 1.20 Inkjet Printer
mechanism for printing. They use They use the technology of firing
electrostatic or laser technology. Quality ink by heating it so that it explodes towards
and speed of these printers are better than the paper in bubbles or by using
Impact printers. For example, Laser printers piezoelectricity in which tiny electric
and Inkjet printers are non-impact printers. currents controlled by electronic circuits
Laser Printers are used inside the printer to spread ink in
jet speed. An Inkjet printer can spread
Laser printers mostly work with
millions of dots of ink at the paper every
similar technology used by photocopiers.
It makes a laser beam scan back and single second.
forth across a drum inside the printer, Speakers:
building up a pattern. It can produce very Speakers produce
good quality of graphic images. One of voice output
the chief characteristics of laser printer (audio) . Using
is their resolution – how many Dots per speaker along with
inch(DPI). The available resolution range speech synthesise Figure 1.21 Speakers
around 1200 dpi. Approximately it can software, the
print 100 pages per minute(PPM)
computer can provide voice output. This
has become very common in places like
airlines, schools, banks, railway stations,
etc.

Multimedia Projectors:
Multimedia projectors are used to
produce computer output on a big screen.
Figure 1.19 Laser Printer These are used to display presentations in
Inkjet Printers: meeting halls or in classrooms.
Inkjet Printers use colour cartridges
which combined Magenta, Yellow and Cyan
inks to create color tones. A black cartridge
is also used for monochrome output. Inkjet
printers work by spraying ionised ink at a
sheet of paper. The speed of Inkjet printers
generaly range from 1-20 PPM (Page Per
Figure 1.22 Multimedia Projector
Minute).
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1.6 Booting of computer Points to Remember:

An Operating system (OS) is a • Computers are seen everywhere around

basic software that makes the computer us, in all spheres of life.
to work. When a computer is switched • It is an electronic device that processes
the input according to the set of
on, there is no information in its [Link]
instructions provided to it and
the same time, in ROM, the pre-written
gives the desired output at a very fast
program called POST (Power on Self
rate.
Test) will be executed first. This program • Based on various stages of development,
checks if the devices like RAM, keyboard, computers can be divided into six
etc., are connected properly and ready to different generations.
operate. If these devices are ready, then • The computer is the combination of
the BIOS (Basic Input Output System) gets hardware and software.
executed. This process is called Booting. • Hardware is the physical component of
Thereafter, a program called “Bootstrap a computer.
Loader” transfers OS from hard disk into • Input unit is used to feed any form of
main memory. Now the OS gets loaded data to the computer.
(Windows/Linux, etc.,) and will get • CPU interprets and executes software
executed. Booting process is of two types. instructions.
• The ALU is a part of the CPU where
1) Cold Booting various computing functions are
performed on data.
2) Warm Booting • The control unit controls the flow of
Cold Booting: When the system data between the CPU, memory and
I/O devices.
starts from initial state i.e. it is switched
• An Output Unit is any hardware
on, we call it cold booting or Hard Booting.
component that conveys information
When the user presses the Power button,
to one or more people in user
the instructions are read from the ROM to understandable form.
initiate the booting process. • The Memory Unit is of two kinds which
are primary memory and secondary
Warm Booting: When the system memory.
restarts or when Reset button is pressed,
Activity
we call it Warm Booting or Soft Booting.
The system does not start from initial state STUDENT ACTIVITY
and so all diagnostic tests need not be 1. Explain the classification of computers.
carried out in this case. There are chances
2. Give the details of motherboard names,
of data loss and system damage as the data
RAM capacity used in the years 1993,
might not have been stored properly.
1995, 2005, 2008, 2016.
3. Mention two new input and output
devices that are not given in this
chapter.

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8. Expand POST
Evaluation (a) Post on self Test
(b) Power on Software Test
SECTION – A (c) Power on Self Test
Choose the correct answer (d) Power on Self Text
1. First generation 9. Which one of the following is the
computers used main memory?
(a) ROM (b) RAM
(a) Vacuum tubes
(c) Flash drive (d) Hard disk
(b) Transistors
10. Which generation of computer used
(c) Integrated circuits IC’s?
(d) Microprocessors (a) First (b) Second
2. Name the volatile memory (c) Third (d) Fourth
(a) ROM (b) PROM SECTION-B
(c) RAM (d) EPROM
Very Short Answers
3. Identify the output device
1. What is a computer?
(a) Keyboard (b) Memory
2. Distinguish between data and
(c) Monitor (d) Mouse information.
4. Identify the input device 3. What are the components of a CPU?
(a) Printer (b) Mouse 4. What is the function of an ALU?
(c) Plotter (d) Projector 5. Write the functions of control unit.
5. …....… Output device is used for 6. What is the function of memory?
printing building plan. 7. Differentiate Input and output unit.
8. Distinguish Primary and Secondary
(a) Thermal printer
memor y.
(b) Plotter SECTION-C
(c) Dot matrix Short Answers
(d) inkjet printer 1. What are the characteristics of a
6. Which one of the following is used computer?
to in ATM machines 2. Write the applications of computer.
(a) Touch Screen (b) speaker 3. What is an input device? Give two
(c) Monitor (d) Printer e x ampl e s .
7. When a system restarts which type 4. Name any three output devices.
of booting is used. 5. Differentiate optical and Laser
mouse
(a) Warm booting
6. Write shortnote on impact printer
(b) Cold booting 7. Write the characteristics of sixth
(c) Touch boot generation.
(d) Real boot. 8. Write the significant features of
m o n i t o r.
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SECTION - D
Explain in detail
1. Explain the basic components of a computer with a neat diagram.
2. Discuss the various generations of computers.
3. Explain the following
a. Inkjet Printer b. Multimedia projector c. Bar code / QR code Reader
References

(1) Fundamentals of Computers – V. Rajaraman – PHI Publications

(2) Computer Science text book – NCERT, New Delhi

Internet Resources
(1) [Link]
(2) [Link]

Prepare a comparative study of various computers of past and present with respect
to speed, memory, size, power consumption and other features

It is an electronic device that processes the

Computer input according to the set of instructions
provided to it and gives the desired output at a very fast rate.
Vacuum tubes contain electrodes for controlling electron flow
Vacuum tube
and were used in early computers as a switch or an amplifier.
The transistor ("transfer resistance") is made up of semi-
conductors. It is a component used to control the amount of
Transistors
current or voltage used for amplification/modulation of an
electronic signal.
Punch cards also known as Hollerith cards are paper cards
Punched cards containing several punched or perforated holes that were
punched by hand or machine to represent data.
Machine language is a collection of binary digits or bits that the
Machine Language
computer reads and interprets.
Assembly language An assembly language is a low-level programming language.

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