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WHAT IS A COMPUTER?
À A digital computerȂ is a fast electronic calculating machine
that :
* accepts digitized input information
* process according to a set of instructions
* and produces the resulting output information.

À Computer Program Ȃ List of internally stored instructions

that perform a task.
À Computer Memory Ȃ Internal storage.
’UNCTIONAL UNITS

À A computer consists of five functionally independent

parts. They are :
* Input unit
* Memory unit
* Arithmetic and logic unit
* Output unit
* Control unit.
ñASIC ’UNCTIONAL UNITS O’ A COMPUTER -’IGURE

ARITHMETIC
INPUT
AND LOGIC

MEMORY

OUTPUT CONTROL

I/O Processor
OPERATION O’ A COMPUTER
À Input unit G accepts coded information from human
operators from electromechanical devices.

À The information received is either :

G stored in computer Memory unit for later reference
G or immediately used by ALU to perform desired
operations.

À ’inally processed information are sent back to outside

world through Output unit.

À Control unit controls all activities inside the machine.

CATEGORIES O’ IN’ORMATION
Ô. Instructions or machine instructions
Instructions are explicit commands that :
À ^overn the transfer of information within a computer

as well as between computer and its i/o devices.

À Specify the arithmetic and logic operations to be

performed.

2. Data
À are numbers and encoded characters that are used as

operands by the instructions.

REPRESENTATION O’ IN’ORMATION

À ©umbers are encoded in Binary notation called Binary

Coded ©otation (BCD).
G ach decimal digit is encoded by 4 bits.

À Alphanumeric characters are also encoded in Binary

codes. Schemes used are:
ASCII (American Standard Code for Information
Interchange)
ach character represented as 7 bit code.

EñCDIC ( xtended Binary Coded Decimal

Interchange Code)
ach character represented as D bit code.
INPUT UNIT
À Accepts coded information from electromechanical
devices over digital communication lines.
À Used to read data.

À xamples are: Keyboard,mouses,trackballs etc.

OUTPUT UNIT
À Counterpart of input unit.
À ’unction is to send processed result to the outside
world.
À xamples are:Monitors,printers etc.
MEMORY UNIT
À ’unction is to store programs and data.
À Classes of storage are:

Ô.Primary storage.
2. Secondary storage.
PRIMARY STORAGE OR MAIN MEMORY
À ’ast memory that operates at electronic speeds.
À Programs must be stored in memory while they are being
executed.
À Memory contains large no. of semiconductor storage cells .
À ach cell is capable of storing one bit of information.
À These cells are processed in groups of fixed size called words.
À Contents of one word, containing n bits, can be stored or
retrieved in one basic operation.
À ^iven word can be accessed by specifying
*its address
* issue a control command.
À Word length :GThe number of bits in each word. It
ranges from Ô
to
4 bits.

À Data are manipulated within a machine in units of

words, multiple words or parts of words.

À When the main memory is accessed, usually one word

of data is read from the memory or written to it.

À Memory Access Time :GThe time required to access one

word.
À This time is independent of the location of word being
accessed.
À Ranges from Ô to Ô nanoseconds.
À Disadvantage:Guite expensive.
SECONDARY STORAGE
Is used when large amounts data have to be stored.
In this ,information is accessed infrequently.
Access to the data stored in secondary storage in slower.
Secondary storage devices are cheaper.
xamples are:GMagnetic disks
Tapes
Optical disks(CDGROMs).
ARITHMETIC AND LOGIC UNIT (ALU)
À Most computer operations are executed in ALU.

À All arithmetic and logical operations are carried out in

ALU.

À xample, To add 2 numbers:G

Ô.The operands are brought to the processor.
2.Addition is performed by ALU.
3. Results are stored in memory or retained in
processor for immediate use.
À Operands are stored in highGspeed storage elements
called registers.

À ach register can store one word of data.

À Access time to registers are very faster.

À The control & ALU are many times faster than other
devices connected to the computer system.

À Therefore, a single processor can handle a number of

external devices such as keyboards, displays etc.
CONTROL UNIT
À The control unit serves as a coordinator of the memory,
arithmetic and logic, and input/output units.

À Sends control signals to other units and senses their

status.

À Timing signals are generated by control unit.

À Timing signals are signals that determine when a given

action is to take place.

À A large set of control line (wires) carries the signals used

for timing and synchronization of events in all units.