The System Unit
The system unit is a case that contains electronic components of the computer used to process data
The System Unit
The inside of the system unit on a desktop personal computer includes:
Drive bay(s) Power supply Sound card Video card Processor Memory
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The System Unit
The motherboard is the main circuit board of the system unit
A computer chip contains integrated circuits
Processor
The processor, also called the central processing unit (CPU), interprets and carries out the basic instructions that operate a computer
Contain a control unit and an arithmetic logic unit (ALU)
Multi-core processor
Dual-core processor
Quad-core processor
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Processor
Processor
The control unit is the component of the processor that directs and coordinates most of the operations in the computer The arithmetic logic unit (ALU) performs arithmetic, comparison, and other operations
Processor
For every instruction, a processor repeats a set of four basic operations, which comprise a machine cycle
Processor
Most current personal computers support pipelining
Processor begins fetching a second instruction before it completes the machine cycle for the first instruction
Processor
The processor contains registers, that temporarily hold data and instructions The system clock controls the timing of all computer operations
The pace of the system clock is called the clock speed, and is measured in gigahertz (GHz)
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Processor
A processor chip generates heat that could cause the chip to burn up Require additional cooling
Heat sinks Liquid cooling technology
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Processor
Parallel processing uses multiple processors simultaneously to execute a single program or task
Massively parallel processing involves hundreds or thousands of processors
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Data Representation
Analog signals are continuous and vary in strength and quality
Digital signals are in one of two states: on or off
Most computers are digital The binary system uses two unique digits (0 and 1) Bits and bytes
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Data Representation
A computer circuit represents the 0 or the 1 electronically by the presence or absence of an electrical charge Eight bits grouped together as a unit are called a byte. A byte represents a single character in the computer
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Data Representation
ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) is the most widely used coding scheme to represent data
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Memory
Memory consists of electronic components that store instructions waiting to be executed by the processor, data needed by those instructions, and the results of processing the data Stores three basic categories of items:
The operating system and other system software
Application programs
Data being processed and the resulting information
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Memory
Each location in memory has an address Memory size is measured in kilobytes (KB or K), megabytes (MB), gigabytes (GB), or terabytes (TB)
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Memory
The system unit contains two types of memory:
Volatile memory
Loses its contents when power is turned off
Nonvolatile memory
Does not lose contents when power is removed Examples include ROM, flash memory, and CMOS
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Example includes RAM
Memory
Three basic types of RAM chips exist:
Dynamic RAM (DRAM) Static RAM (SRAM) Magnetoresistive RAM (MRAM)
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Memory
RAM chips usually reside on a memory module and are inserted into memory slots
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Memory
Memory cache speeds the processes of the computer because it stores frequently used instructions and data
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Memory
Read-only memory (ROM) refers to memory chips storing permanent data and instructions
Firmware
A PROM (programmable read-only memory) chip is a blank ROM chip that can be written to permanently
EEPROM can be erased
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Memory
Flash memory can be erased electronically and rewritten
CMOS technology provides high speeds and consumes little power
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Memory
Access time is the amount of time it takes the processor to read from memory
Measured in nanoseconds
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Expansion Slots and Adapter Cards
An expansion slot is a socket on the motherboard that can hold an adapter card An adapter card enhances functions of a component of the system unit and/or provides connections to peripherals
Sound card and video card
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Expansion Slots and Adapter Cards
With Plug and Play, the computer automatically can configure adapter cards and other peripherals as you install them
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Expansion Slots and Adapter Cards
Removable flash memory includes:
Memory cards, USB flash drives, and PC Cards/ExpressCard modules
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Ports and Connectors
A port is the point at which a peripheral attaches to or communicates with a system unit (sometimes referred to as a jack) A connector joins a cable to a port
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Ports and Connectors
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Ports and Connectors
A USB port can connect up to 127 different peripherals together with a single connector
You can attach multiple peripherals using a single USB port with a USB hub
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Buses
A bus allows the various devices both inside and attached to the system unit to communicate with each other
Data bus Address bus
Word size is the number of bits the processor can interpret and execute at a given time
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Bays
A bay is an opening inside the system unit in which you can install additional equipment
A drive bay typically holds disk drives
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Power Supply
The power supply converts the wall outlet AC power into DC power Some external peripherals have an AC adapter, which is an external power supply
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