1.

Introduction to Computer Hardware and Software

Hardware : Computer hardware refers to the physical parts of a computer and related
devices.
Software : Computer software consists of the programs and applications that run on
computers.
 I/O Devices

Communication between a computer and outside the world

 Input Devices
Keyboard
Mouse
Joystick
Scanner
Light Pen
Touch Screen
Track Ball
The Speech Input Device
Bar Code Reader
Magnetic Ink Card Reader(MICR)
Optical Character Reader(OCR)
Optical Mark Reader(OMR)
Speech recognition devices
 Keyboard
Text based input device which allows user to input alphabets, numbers and characters

1. Alphanumeric keypad – English alphabets, 0-9 numbers, special

characters +, - ,(),etc

2. Function Keys – F1,F2,--------,F12

3. Special Function keys – enter, spacebar, backspace,

delete, insert, shift, tab, etc

4. Numeric keys – numbers 0 to 9, mathematical operators

5. Cursor movement keys - arrow keys

 Mouse
Left click, Double click, Right click, drag and drop

1. Left click - select an item

2. Right Click – display a set of commands

3. Double Click – open a file

4. Drag and Drop – select and move item

 Joystick
Vertical stick which moves the graphic cursor.

1. Vertical stick which moves the

graphical cursor

2. Used for video games, training

simulation and controlling robots
 Scanner
Scanner is an input device used for direct data entry from the source
document into the computer system.

1. Convert document image into digital

form
 Light Pen
It is a pen shaped device used to select objects on a display screen.

1. Like a mouse but uses pen to move

the pointer
 Track Ball
Input device that is mostly used in notebook or laptop

1. Half inserted and by moving fingers on

the ball the pointer can be moved
The speech input device

1. Microphone – speech input device

2. Sound card digitizes audio input to 0/1’s

3. Process the input and convert into

machine recognizable commands
 Bar Code Reader
Used to input data from bar code

1. Work by shining a beam of light on the

lines(bar codes)

2. Bar codes – alphanumeric data by a

combination of adjacent vertical lines
Magnetic Ink Card Reader(MICR)

1. Used in banks where checks are

have code numbers printed in
special type of ink that contains
particles of magnetic material
readable by machine
Optical Character Reader(OCR)

1. Read printed text

2. Reads texts optically character by

character and convert into machine
readable code

3. Stores text on system memory

Optical Mark Reader(OMR)

1. Recognize the type of mark

made by pen or pencil

2. Used where one out of few

alternatives is to be selected
 Output
Devices
Types of Outputs

1. Soft Copy Output – not produce on paper

2. Hard Copy Output – produce on paper

Monitors

Most popular output device for producing soft copy output

Display output on television like screen

Monitor associated with keyboard is VDT (video display terminal )

 Printers

Most popular output device for producing soft copy output

Types of Printers

1. Dot Matrix

2. Inkjet

3. Laser
Dot Matrix Printer

1. Form all types of characters, special

characters ,charts and images

2. Slow in speed

3. Cheaper than other printers

Inkjet Printer

1. Form characters, images, charts,etc

2. Spray small drops of ink on the paper.

3. Contain tiny nozzles that can be heated

by integrated circuits register

4. Monochrome and colour

5. Expensive than dot matrix

Laser printer

1. Form characters, charts, graphs

2. Laser beam is focussed on electrostatically

charged drum by spinning multisided mirror

3. Produce very high quality output

4. More expensive
Plotters

1. For architects, engineers , city planners

2. Generate high precision hard copy of

various sizes

3. Drum Plotters and Flatbed plotters

Voice response system

1. Enables computer to talk to a user

2. Produce audio as a output

3. Automatic answering machine, video

games
Computer Hardware

Motherboard
Connects all components inside
the computer case

Processor
Brain of the computer(CPU)
Computer Hardware

Memory
RAM – primary memory
Holds all programs and data

Power supply
Feeds electric power to every
Single part in PC
Computer Hardware

Hard drive
Hard disk –primary storage memory

Video card
Control the information you see on monitor
Computer
Hardware

Sound Card
Enables to generate sounds
Computer Hardware

CPU (Central processing Unit)

CPU converts data input to information
output.
Highly complex , extensive set of electronic
circuit
Executes program instructions
Speed measured in megahertz or gigahertz
Has two parts –
CU – Control Unit
ALU - Arithmetic Logic Unit
CU (Central Unit)

Regulates and integrates the operations of the computer

Retrieves instructions from main memory
Instructions are in proper sequence
Uses PC to fetch the instructions
PC – program counter
Holds the address of next instruction
ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit )

Divided into 2 parts – AU and LU

Carries arithmetic and logical operations
Input to ALU are instruction word (machine instructions)
Instruction contains the operation code – arithmetic (+, -, *, /), logical (AND,
OR)
Results are placed in registers.
Instruction Set

Provide commands to processor what to do

Set of machine language instructions
Computer performs task basis of instructions
Types of instructions –
1. arithmetic , logical, shift
2. move information to and from memory and registers
3. check program status
4. input and output instructions
Registers and Flags

Registers are type of computer memory used to quickly accept ,store and
transfer data
Known as processor registers which stores instructions, storage address and
any data
Also used for manipulating data
e.g. AC, BR, CR, DR, AR, IR
Flags are the status register that contain current status
Reflects the arithmetic operations
e.g. PF, ZF, CF, SF
 Memory

Divided into two parts – Primary Memory and Secondary Memory

 RAM

Random Access Memory.

Also called as main memory

RAM is used to store data and instructions that are currently being
processed by a computer’s CPU.

Data is temporarily stored in the RAM till it is saved to the hard disk.

The data in RAM is erased when power is switch off.

The more RAM a computer has, the more things a computer can
access at the same time. So more the RAM, the faster a computer
performs tasks.

Volatile
ROM

Read Only Memory

The information is stored permanently
non-volatile
A ROM stores such instructions that are required to start a computer. This
operation is referred to as bootstrap
ROM

PROM
1. Read-only memory that can be modified only once by a user.
2. Programmable Read Only Memory
3. It can be programmed only once and is not erasable.

EROM
1. Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory
2. EPROM can be erased by exposing it to ultra-violet light

EEROM
1. Electrically Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory
2. EEPROM is programmed and erased electrically
Secondary Memory

Secondary storage is where the information is stored permanently till

explicitly deleted
Information is moved between main memory and secondary memory as
and when needed.
On power off of a computer, data on hard disk and other secondary
storage devices is not erased.
Memory
System Software

System Software is closer to the system.

Generally written in a low-level language.
The system software is difficult to design and understand.
Fast in speed
Less interactive
Smaller in size
Hard to manipulate
Application Software

Perform more specialized tasks like word processing, spreadsheets, email,

photo editing, etc.
It needs more storage space as it is bigger in size
Easy to design and more interactive for the user
Generally written in a high-level language