Chapter 2

Computer System

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The Basic units of a computer system
 System is a group of components, consisting of

subsystems or procedures that work in a coordination

fashion to achieve some objective.

 A computer system composed of components that are

classified as:-

A. Computer Hardware

B. Computer software
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 Input Devices Application
System Software
Software
Output Devices Operating System Software

CPU Utility Software

Primary Memory Language Translator

Secondary Storage
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 Computer Hardware

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 Computer Hardware
 Computer hardware is the physical part of the computer that you see,

you use to and the parts you can touch.

 The hardware part of a computer system is composed of a number of

interacting physical parts such as:- keyboard, mouse, CPU, Memory.

 Basically computer Hardware Is classified into five categories:-

 Input Device

 Output Device

 CPU

 Primary Memory

 Storage Device
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 1. Input Unit
 It is the unit used to enter data into the computer so that it can be
processed.
 It converts information from a form suitable to human beings to
one understandable by the computer.
 Examples of input devices:
 Keyboard
 Disk derives (floppy and hard-disk derives)
 Mouse
 Scanner
 Joystick
 Digital camera
 Touch screen
 Light pen
 Voice synthesizer;
 CD-ROM Drive, etc.
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Keyboard
 Keyboard is an input device consisting of a set of
typewriter-like keys that enable one to enter data into a
computer.
 The keys on the keyboard are often classified as follows
 Alphanumeric keys - Letters and numbers
 Punctuation keys - comma, period, semicolon, etc.
 Special keys- function keys, control keys, arrow keys, caps
lock, etc.

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 Mouse
 Mouse is a hand-operated device that controls the
movement of the cursor or pointer on a display screen.
 It is a small object that can be rolled along a rough flat
surface.
 Mouse can have three buttons whose function depends on
what program is running:
➢ Left-button: for left click. Example, selecting text
➢ Right-button: for right click. Example, see property of file
➢ Middle button: for scrolling purpose.
➢ This button is sometimes missing.

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Image Scanner
 We sometimes want to use our
previously taken images into computer.
 In such cases, we need a device that converts the image on
paper into computer format.
 This device is called image scanner.
Speech Recognition Systems
 Speech recognition is the ability of computers to recognize
human speech.
 We use microphone to enter the speech into computer.
 The computer then processes the speech and performs the
action ordered by speech.

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Light Pen
 Light pen is a light sensitive pen like
device that is used in conjunction with computer monitor.
 It is used by touching the screen with this device to create or
modify graphics.
 A light cell in the tip of the pen senses light from the screen
to determine the pen’s location on the screen.
Touch Screen
 Touch screen allow you to use fingers instead of mouse or
related input device.
 It lets you to enter data or command (e.g. button click) by
touching areas of the screen.
 It enables you perform activities you perform with mouse
using your finger.
 It is not used to enter large amounts of data.
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 Barcode Reader:
 An input device that converts a pattern of printed

bars into a number that a computer can read.

 They are often used by businesses to quickly input

price and product information.

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 2. Output Unit
 Used to get data out of a computer so that it can be
examined, analyzed or distributed to others.
 Convert the result of the only-machine understandable form
to a form understandable by human beings.
 The outputs are of two types:
 Softcopy: displayed on monitor, projector, or similar devices
 Hardcopy: printed on paper. Examples printer, plotters and etc.

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 Examples of output devices
 The Visual Display Unit (VDU) or monitor or
screen
 Printers (dot matrix, desy wheel, laser printers)
 Plotters
 Voice (audio) response unit
 Disk drives
 Projector

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 Monitors
 Monitor is the most frequent used type of output device.
 It consists of a display surface called screen which displays
output to the user.

 CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) – monitors that look like

traditional TV sets
 Flat-panel display – thin, lightweight monitors that take
up much less space than CRTs

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 Printers
It is a device that enables us to produce a
hardcopy of data/information.

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 Plotters
 Plotters are used to produce high-quality drawings such

as bar charts, maps, architectural drawings, and three-

dimensional drawings.

 Can print on large size papers, which most printers can’t

handle.

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  Audio Response Units- is an output media which
produces either verbal or audio responses from the
computer system.

 Projector-is an output device which is used to display

information from a computer on to a large screen.

 Disk Derives –is used to write data from the

computer to the disk.

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 3. The Central Processing Unit (CPU)
 The CPU is a single chip (microprocessor) or a series of
chips that performs Arithmetic and Logical operations and
controls the operations of the other elements of the
system
 Consists of the Control Unit & the Arithmetic Logic Unit
and main memory (Register)
 The different parts are interconnected by a cable like
device called BUS, which is used to facilitate
communications between the parts.
 Buses are used to transfer data, address and control code (signal).
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 The Control Unit
 It performs all the control functions of the computer.

 It retrieves the instruction from memory.

 Translates those instructions into computer functions and

sends signals to other computer hardware units to carry
out those functions.
 It is also responsible for determining the next instruction
to be executed by the computer.
 In general it serves as the computer traffic cope.

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 The Arithmetic Logical Unit (ALU)
 It carries out arithmetic and logical operations.

 Arithmetic operations include:-

 Addition

 Subtraction

 multiplication

 division

 Perform logical comparisons.

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The Registers
 are temporary storage areas that hold data, and hold the

location & results of the operations.

 It is thought as CPU’s working memory.

 ALU works on data held in register along with the

instruction on which it acts.

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4. Primary Memory
 It is the main memory inside the computer system.

 CPU or processor directly stored or retrieve

information from it and access in random fashion.

 It is implemented in two types of technology.

A. RAM (Random Access Memory)

B. ROM (Read-Only Memory)

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 A. RAM
 It is the memory which is directly accessible by the
control unit and ALU
 Usually referred as Random Access Memory (RAM),

 Each memory location can be referred by its memory

location (address)
 Holds instructions and data elements which are currently
being used by the computer
 The data in the main memory will be lost when the power

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is off (volatile)
 B. ROM - Read only memory
 This type of memory is integrated into the circuitry of

the computer and can not be altered without altering

the computer circuitry;

 Once data is written in ROM it cannot be erased

 It is non-volatile i.e. the data written on ROM exist even

if the power is turned off.

 Used to store programs and data that are used

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frequently and permanently;
 5. Secondary Storage Device
 Secondary storage or auxiliary storage-storesinformation
permanently and have large storage capacity
 Based on information access, secondary storage devices are
divided into two:
1. Sequential Access: information is accessed sequentially.
 To access information on such media, it start from the beginning
and read through to the end.
 Jumping to some part is not possible. E.g. tape recorder cassette
2. Random Access: information can be accessed in any order.
 You can access the first or the last part of information by jumping
others. E.g. floppy disk, Optical Storage Media

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 Random Access Medias
 Magnetic disks

 Optical Storage Media

 Flash Memory Cards

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 Capacity of Storage Devices
 1 Kilobyte (1KB) is 210 or 1024 bytes

 1 Megabyte (MB) is 220 bytes or 210 kilobytes

 1 Gigabyte (GB) is 230 bytes or 220 kilobytes or 210 megabytes

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 Magnetic Storage Devices and Media

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 Magnetic Storage Media
 Magnetic disk is the most widely used storage medium on

all computers.

 High storage capacity

 Reliability

 Fast date access during reading or writing to disk.

 Examples: hard disk

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 Hard Disk.
 A high capacity magnetic disk made up of metal which

can be fixed in the system unit of the computer.

 It can store more than 500GB of data

 It enables very fast accessibility of data.

 The amount of time it takes to retrieve (or store)

data from (or to) disk is called the disk access time.

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 Optical Storage Media

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 Optical (or Laser) Storage Media

 Optical storage media – plastic discs on

which information is stored, deleted, and

changed using laser technology
 Optical disks use laser light to read or write
data from optical disk.
 Two types

 CDs

 DVDs
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 CDs
 CD can store 700BM of information.

 Data is stored only on one side of the disc.

 There are three basic types of CDs:

1. CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory) - This kind

of cd is read only
 you can’t write data to such CDs or you can’t erase from
them.
 Data is only accessed/read from these CDs.
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 Cont…
2. CD-R (Compact Disc Recordable) - It is also called
WORM (Write Once and Read Many).
 These CDs can be written on once.
 But then after, you can’t rewrite on it or erase data
from it.
3. CD-RW (Compact Disc Read-Write) - They are also
called erasable optical discs.
 You can write data as many times as you want on
such CDs.
 You can also erase the content of such CDs.

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 DVDs
 DVD stands for Digital Versatile Disc.

 It is similar to CD except that it can store large

amounts of data than CD.

 It can store 4 -17GB of information.

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 Flash Memory Devices and Cards

 Flash memory device – very small storage device

that plugs into USB port.

 Flash memory card – high capacity storage laminated

inside a small piece of plastic.

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 Common Types of Flash Memory

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 Computer Software
 The finite set of instructions (steps) that the

computer follow to perform a given job is called a

program.

 Software:- is a collection of programs that support

the operations of performing a task using a computer.

 Software makes the interface between the user and

the electronic components of the computer.

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 Classification of Computer Software

 System software

 Application software

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 System software
 Provide basic functionality needed by the user and other
application software
 Constitutes those programs which facilitates the work of
the computer hardware.
 It organizes and manages the machine’s resources, handles
the input/output devices.
 It enables the computer understand programming languages
i.e. it serves as means of communication between user and
a computer.
 The important categories of system software are:-
a) Operating system
b) Utility software
c) Language translator

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 A. Operating system
 Operating system coordinates the activity between the user
and the hardware component of a computer including the
CPU, I/O units, secondary storage devices, and
communication and network equipments.
 Mange and organize computer resources
 Provide common service for users and other software run
on the computer
✓ Main functions:
➢ Process management: controls all processes that are being
executed and waiting for execution
➢ Input/output management: coordinate the computer
communication with the outside world, flow of data and
process of preparing the disc for use.
➢ Memory management: allocate/assign memory for storing
operating system instructions, application program instructions
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 Types of Operating Systems
 Operating systems can be classified by:
 The number of programs they can handle at a
time and
 The number of users they serve at once

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 1.Single tasking operating
systems
 With single tasking operating systems: only one
program can be run on a computer at a time.
 In order to run another program, one must
remove the first program loaded in the computers
main memory and load the other one(i.e. it can’t
handle two or more programs at a time)
 These types of operating systems are single user
or can serve only one user at a time.

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 2. Multi-tasking operating
systems
 on such systems you can run as many programs as you
like.
 You can work on Word and Excel at the same time.
 Such systems can handle more than one program at a
time.
 Examples include Windows 2000, Windows XP,
Macintosh, etc.

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  Based on the number of users they can serve at a
time, we divide operating systems into two:

1. Single User: they can serve only one user at a time.

E.g. Windows 95, Windows 98/XP, etc

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 2. Multi user operating system
 lets more than one user to access the computer at
one time.
 A number of users can use the resources of one high
capacity computer by the help of terminals.
 E.g., UNIX. This is done via network that connects
terminals to the multi user computer.

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 B. Utility Software:
 Perform specific tasks related to managing computer
resources/files
 Help to analyze, configure, optimize and maintain a computer
resource
 Example:-
 Troubleshooting Programs: used to find, recognize and correct
computer problem before they become serious.
 Anti-Virus Programs: protect computers against viruses or
malicious programs that damage computer
 File compression programs
 Uninstall programs
 Backup software

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 C. Language Translators
 Convert the programming instruction written by users
into binary code
 Such software are used by programmers to develop
application software’s and translate programs to machine
code.
 Translator:-is a program that converts one or more
languages to another language.
 There are three types of translators assemblers,
Compilers & interpreters.
 Assemblers:- is a program that translates assembly languages into
machine code.
 Compiler:-is a program that translates a high level language into
machine code. (Pascal, Fortran Cobol)
 Interpreter:-is a program that translates each instruction of high
level language & executes the instruction before translating the next
instruction.

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 Application Software
 It is a software that is designed to perform tasks
for the specific area.
 Examples of Application software Word
processing program, Spreadsheet Program,
Database Management Program

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 Word processing
 It is a computerized typewriter which permits the
electronic creation, editing, formatting, filing and
printing text.
 It Is the most common application of a computers.
 Example: WordStar, WordPerfect, Microsoft word

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 Word Processing Program

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 Spreadsheet Program
 It is an electronic worksheet display on the computer
monitor, which is manly used for accounting purpose:-such
as preparing payroll, for financial analysis and to perform
mathematical calculation
 Example: Lotus 1-2-3, Microsoft Excel,

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 Spreadsheet Program…

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 Database Management system
 Allow you to store information on a computer,
retrieve it when you need it and update it when
necessary.

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 Database Program

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 End of Chapter Two

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