Unit 1Computer Basics

Lesson 4
How a Computer Processes Data

Objectives
Identify

computer system components.

Explain how the CPU works.
Differentiate between RAM and ROM.
Describe how data is represented.

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Computer Systems
A computer

system requires many

components to do its job:
It

requires some device or method to input

data so it can be processed.
It requires circuit boards and programs to
process the data.
It needs some type of output device to
display the result of its processing.
It needs some mechanism for storing data.
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Common System Components

This figure shows

several devices that
are common
components of a
computer system.

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System Motherboard
The

motherboard contains the electronic

circuitry of the computer.
Components found on the motherboard
include
The

primary processing chip (CPU)

The memory chips
Expansion slots for system interface cards

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System Motherboard (cont.)

Components

found on a motherboard

(cont.)
Ports

for connecting external devices

BIOS chips that control system startup
The circuitry that enables all of these
components to communicate

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Example of a Motherboard

This figure shows the

devices inside a PC
case including the
motherboard, the
power supply, and
some storage devices.

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The Central Processing Unit

The

CPU is the brains of a computer

system.
The CPU is housed on a silicon chip that
contains millions of switches and circuits.

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The Central Processing Unit (cont.)

The CPU has two primary sections:

Arithmetic/logic unit (ALU)
This section performs arithmetic and logical operations.
Control unit
This section is the boss of the CPU and coordinates all
activity within the CPU.
It uses programming instructions to control what actions
the CPU performs and when it performs them.

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A CPU Chip
This figure shows a CPU chip for a
small computer.

The CPU determines which of

the millions of switches that it
contains should be turned on
or off by processing program
statements that tell it what to do.

Computer programs are written in

programming languages.

Each program statement causes one or

more actions to occur in the CPU.

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Computer Memory
Data

being processed by a CPU is stored

in system memory.
Memory consists of addressable locations
within the machine that the computer can
access directly.

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Computer Memory (cont.)

Data

stored in memory is volatile.

If

the power fails, everything in memory is

lost.

Data

must be stored on a disk or some

other device when not being processed so
it is not lost each time the computer shuts
down.

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Types of Memory

RAMRandom Access Memory

RAM is short-term memory in which data is processed while a
program is running.
Data stored here can be accessed and modified as needed.
This type of memory loses any data it holds if the computer is shut
down.

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Types of Memory (cont.)

ROMRead-Only Memory
ROM is memory placed on the motherboard by
the manufacturer and contains instructions that
tell the computer how to start itself.
This data cannot be accessed or modified by
application programs.
The contents of this memory are not lost when
the computer is shut down.

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The Instruction and Execution Cycles

This figure illustrates the basic machine cycle involved in
processing a program statement.
The instruction cycle is the
amount of time required to
read and decode the
instruction.

The execution cycle is the

amount of time required to
execute the instruction
and store the results.

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The Machine Cycle

The instruction cycle and one
or more execution cycles create
a machine cycle.

Machine cycles are

measured in microseconds.
The faster your computer
can process machine
cycles, the faster it can
process data.

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Computer System Controllers

A PC

motherboard contains several

controllers.
Controllers are devices that control the
transfer of data between the computer
and peripheral devices.

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Computer System Controllers

(cont.)
Common

peripheral devices include a

mouse, monitor, printer, keyboard, and so
on.
Controllers usually are found on a single
chip that can handle all common devices.

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Ports
Serial

and parallel ports are used to

connect peripheral devices to the
computer circuitry.
Serial

devices (mice/monitors) transmit data

one bit at a time.
Parallel devices (printers) transmit data
several bits at time.

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Ports (cont.)
USB

is a newer, high-speed method of

connecting devices and is beginning to
replace serial and parallel ports.
USB

can connect up to 127 external

devices.

Firewire

is another high-speed method.

Firewire

can connect up to 63 external

devices.

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Expansion Slots
Expansion

slots are electrical connections

in the motherboard that can accept circuit
cards to perform specific functions.
These commonly are used to plug in
sound cards, video cards, scanners, and
other devices.

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A Typical Expansion Card

Electrical prongs along the
bottom are used to plug into the
expansion slot and make an
electrical connection to the main
board.

This port protrudes from the back

of the PC case and is used to
attach the device that this card
controls.

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Data Representation
Data

is stored in a computer in binary

format as a series of 1s and 0s.
Computers use standardized coding
systems (such as ASCII) to determine
what character or number is represented
by what series of binary digits.

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Data Representation (cont.)

Data

is stored in a series of 8-bit

combinations called a byte.
Every letter, number, punctuation mark, or
symbol has its own unique combination of
1s and 0s.

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Summary
Just

about all computers perform the

same general options: input, processing,
output, and storage.
Input, output, and processing devices
grouped together represent a computer
system.
The motherboard is the center of all
processing.
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Summary (cont.)
The

motherboard contains the CPU,

memory, and basic controllers for the
system.
The motherboard also contains ports and
expansion slots.
The central processing unit is the brains of
the computer.
The computer is given instructions
through computer programs.
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Summary (cont.)
The

CPU has two main sectionsthe

arithmetic logic unit and the control unit.
All calculations and comparisons take
place in the ALU.
The control unit coordinates the CPU
activities.
The motherboard contains different
types of memory.
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Summary (cont.)
The

machine cycle is made up of the

instruction cycle and the execution cycle.
Random access memory is volatile and is
used to store instructions, data, and
information temporarily.
Read-only memory is nonvolatile and is
used to store permanent instructions
needed for computer operations.
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Summary (cont.)
A controller

is used to control the transfer of

data between the computer and peripheral
devices.
Expansion slots contain expansion boards.
Expansion boards are used to connect
specialized peripheral devices or to add
more memory to the computer.

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Summary (cont.)
Peripheral

devices are connected to the

computer through serial and parallel ports.
The Universal Serial Bus is a newer
standard expected to replace serial and
parallel ports.
FireWire is a type of external bus that can
connect up to 63 external devices.

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Summary (cont.)
SCSI,

IrDA, and Bluetooth are specialpurpose ports.

The ASCII and EBCDIC codes are standard
codes used to represent the alphabet,
numbers, symbols, and punctuation marks.

Computer Concepts BASICS- -31