Introduction to

Computers

Introduction
Computers are used for a variety of
purposes,
starting
from
simple
arithmetic calculations to a very
complex data analysis.

Overview of Computers
A computer is an electronic machine that takes
input form the user, processes the given input
and generates output in the form of useful
information.
Input: Data, programs and user reply
Data: Raw details
Program: Set of instructions
User reply: Input provided by the user

Components of Computer
Central Processing Unit (CPU):
Processor of the computer.
Responsible for controlling
instructions in the computer.
Brain of the computer.

and

executing

Monitor:
Displays information in visual form.

Keyboard and Mouse:

Used by the computer for receiving input from
the user.

Components of Computer

APPLICATION OF
COMPUTERS

Busine
ss

Educati
on

Medica
l
Engineer
ing

Entertainm
ent

Applicati
on

Architect
ure

Scienc
e
Publishi
ng

Bankin

Communica
tion

Characteristics of
Computers

Speed: Fast electronic device that can solve

complex problems in few seconds.
Storage capacity: Store huge amount of data.
Storage area of computer is divided into two
categories main memory and secondary
storage.
Accuracy: Calculations are carried out at
great accuracy.
Reliability: A computer produces results
without any error.
Versatility: Perform different tasks and can be
used for different purposes.
Diligence: Can perform repetitive calculations
any number of times with same accuracy.

Characteristics of
Computers
Computers do not suffer from human
traits such as tiredness, fatigue, lack
of concentration, etc.
Garbage-In, Garbage-Out (GIGO).

Generation of
Computers

08/11/16

Generation of Computers

10

Generation of Computers
Generation Technological Evolution
First Generation (1940 1956)
Second Generation (1956 1963)
Third Generation (1964 Early 1970s)
Fourth Generation (Late 1970 Till Date)
Fifth Generation (Present and Beyond)

08/11/16

Generation of Computers

11

First Generation (1940

1956)
Electronic Circuits Vacuum Tubes

08/11/16

Thermion Valves

Generation of Computers

Vacuum Tubes

12

First Generation (1940

1956)
Vacuum tubes used.
Computers called as vacuum tubes or
thermo ionic valves.
A vacuum tube is made up of glass and
contain filaments inside it.
Filaments when heated generate electrons
which helps in amplification and deamplification of electronic signals.

08/11/16

Generation of Computers

13

First Generation (1940 1956)

Memory Manetic Drum

Magnetic Drum Memory

This magnetic drum unit was the memory in the
IBM 650 computer, introduced in 1954. It held
two thousand 10-digit words. That much
memory today would fit on the head of a pin, and
a08/11/16
very thin pin to be sure. See650.(Image
Generation
courtesy of the Hagley Museum and Library.)

of Computers

14

First Generation (1940

1956)
Input Device Punched Card

08/11/16

Generation of Computers

15

First Generation (1940

1956)
Output Printouts

08/11/16

Generation of Computers

16

First Generation (1940

1956)
Language Machine Language

08/11/16

Generation of Computers

17

First Generation (1940

1956)

Example systems

ENIAC
EDVAC
UNIVAC
EDSAC

08/11/16

Generation of Computers

18

First Generation (1940

1956)

08/11/16

Generation of Computers

19

First Generation (1940

1956)
Characteristics
Vacuum tubes were used basic arithmetic
operations took few milliseconds

Bulky
Consume more power with limited
performance
Generated Large
amount of Heat
Non Portable, very slow, unreliable prone
to frequent hardware failures
Machine language Difficult to program
Main usage Scientific computations
08/11/16

Generation of Computers

20

Second Generation (1956

1963)
Electronic Circuits Transistor

Transistor
08/11/16

Generation of Computers

21

Second Generation (1956

1963)
Transistors are used.
Transistors are the building block of logical
circuits.
A transistor is a semiconductor device.
It is used to increase the power of the incoming
signals by preserving the shape of the original
signals.
A transistor have three pins:
Base (B)
Collector (C)
Emitter (E)
08/11/16

Generation of Computers

22

Second Generation (1956

1963)

Base (B):

The base is the gate through which the signal

needed to be amplified is sent.
The signal sent through the base is a small flow
of electrons.
The base terminal also acts as the input gate
for the transistor.

Collector (C):
It is used to collect the amplified signal.

Emitter (E):
Acts as the output gate for emitting the
amplified signals to the external environment.
08/11/16

Generation of Computers

23

Second Generation (1956

1963)
Primary Memory
Magnetic Core

08/11/16

Secondary Memory
Magnetic Disks

Generation of Computers

24

Second Generation (1956

Input1963)
Device Punched Card

08/11/16

Generation of Computers

25

Second Generation (1956

1963)
Output Printouts

08/11/16

Generation of Computers

26

Second Generation (1956

1963)

Language Assembly Language

Early high level languages COBAL, FORTRAN

08/11/16

Generation of Computers

27

Second Generation (1956

1963)

Example systems

PDP -8
IBM 1401
IBM 7090
IBM 1920
CDC 3600

08/11/16

Generation of Computers

28

Second Generation (1956

1963)
Characteristics

Transistors were used in place of vacuum tubes

Small in size
Lesser power consumption and better performance
Lower cost
Relatively faster than the first generation computers
Generated lower level of heat
More reliable
Higher capacity of internal storage
1000 fold increase in speed
Increasingly used in business, industry and commercial
organizations for preparation of payroll, inventory control,
marketing, production planning, research, scientific &
engineering analysis Generation
and design
etc
08/11/16
of Computers
29

Third Generation (1964 Early

1970s)
Electronic Circuits IC

IC Integrated Circuits
08/11/16

Generation of Computers

30

IC Integrated Circuits

08/11/16

Generation of Computers

31

Third Generation (1964 Early

1970s)
Uses Integrated Circuits (ICs).
IC technology or microelectronics
technology.
ICs are the circuits that combine various
electronic components such as:
Transistors
Resistors
Capacitors

Onto a single small silicon chip

08/11/16

Generation of Computers

32

Third Generation (1964 Early

1970s)
Early
Stage

Primary Memory
Later
Stage

Magnetic
Core
08/11/16
Cache and Virtual Memories were
introduced
Generation
of Computers

RAM

33

Third Generation (1964 Early

1970s)
Input Device Keyboard

08/11/16

Generation of Computers

34

Third Generation (1964 Early

1970s)
Output Monitor

08/11/16

Generation of Computers

35

Third Generation (1964 Early

1970s)
Language Highlevel Language

High level languages ANSI FORTRAN,

ANSI COBOL
Microprogramming, Parallel Processing,
Multiprogramming, Multi user system
were introduced

08/11/16

Generation of Computers

36

Third Generation (1964 Early

1970s)
Example systems

NCR 395
B6500
IBM 360
ICL 1900
IBM 370
VAX 750
Computers became accessible to mass
audience

08/11/16

Generation of Computers

37

Third Generation (1964 Early

1970s)
Characteristics
ICs were used
Small Scale Integration and Medium Scale Integration
technology were implemented in CPU, I/O processors etc
Smaller & better performance
Comparatively lesser cost
Faster processors
Easily portable
More reliable
Database management, multi-user application, online
systems like closed loop process control, airline
reservation, interactive query systems, automatic
08/11/16
of Computers
38
industrial control etcGeneration
emerged
during this period

Fourth Generation (Early 1970s

Till Date)

Electronic Circuits Microprocessor

Microprocessor

08/11/16

Generation of Computers

39

Fourth Generation (Early 1970s

Till Date)
Invention of LSI and VLSI led to IV generation.
LSI:
Large scale Integration
Thousands of transistors are fitted onto one small
silicon chip

VLSI:
Very large scale Integration
Hundreds of thousands of transistors are fitted
onto a single chip.

The progress in LSI and VLSI technologies led

to the development of the microprocessor.
08/11/16

Generation of Computers

40

Fourth Generation (Early 1970s

Till Date)
Primary Memory

RA
M
08/11/16

Generation of Computers

41

Fourth Generation (Early 1970s

Till Date)
Secondary Memory

Hard Disk
08/11/16

Floppy
Disk
Generation of Computers

42

Fourth Generation (Early 1970s

Till
Date)
Input & Output Device

08/11/16

Scanner

Generation of Computers

43

Fourth Generation (Early 1970s

Till Date)
Language Highlevel Language

High level languages C

Unix OS

08/11/16

Generation of Computers

44

Fourth Generation (Early 1970s

Till Date)

Significant Development computer Net

08/11/16

Generation of Computers

45

Fourth Generation (Early 1970s

Till Date)
Example systems

Apple II
Altair 8800
CRAY -1
Intels 8088,80286, 80386,80486
Motorolas 68000,68030,68040

08/11/16

Generation of Computers

46

Fourth Generation (Early 1970s

Till Date)
Characteristics
Microprocessors were introduced as CPU Complete
processors and large section of main memory could be
implemented in a single chip
Tens of thousands of transistors can be placed in a
single chip (VLSI design implemented)
Introduced Graphical User Interface
Less power consumption
High performance, lower cost and very compact
Much increase in the speed of operation
08/11/16

Generation of Computers

47

Fifth Generation (Present &

Beyond)

Artificial Intelligence

Expert
08/11/16

Systems

IBM notebooks
Pentium PCs-Pentium
1/2/3/4/Dual core/Quad
core..
SUN work stations
Origin 2000
PARAM 10000
IBM SP/2)

Generation of Computers

48

Fifth Generation (Present &

Beyond)
Based on Ultra large scale
Integration (ULSI) technology.
ULSI Ten million components to be
fabricated on one small chip.

08/11/16

Generation of Computers

49

Fifth Generation (Present &

Beyond)
Characteristics
Use extensive parallel processing, multiple pipelines,
multiple processors etc
Massive parallel machines and extensively distributed
system connected by communication networks fall in this
category.
Introduced ULSI (Ultra Large Scale Integration) technology
Intels Pentium 4 microprocessor contains 55 million
transistors millions of components on a single IC chip
Superscalar processors, Vector processors, SIMD
processors, 32 bit micro controllers and embedded
processors, Digital Signal Processors (DSP) etc have been
developed.
Memory chips up to 1 GB, hard disk drives up to 180 GB
and optical disks up to 27 GB are available (still the
08/11/16
Generation of Computers
50
capacity is increasing)

Fifth Generation (Present &

Beyond)
Characteristics
Object oriented language like JAVA suitable for internet
programming has been developed
Portable note book computers introduced
Storage technology advanced large main memory and
disk storage available
Introduced World Wide Web. (and other existing
applications like e-mail, e Commerce, Virtual
libraries/Classrooms, multimedia applications etc.)
New operating systems developed Windows 95/98/XP/
, LINUX, ..
Got hot pluggable features
Grid technology which is still in its upcoming stage
Quantum mechanism and nanotechnology will radically
08/11/16
Generation of Computers
51
change
the phase of computers