2 Main compnents of computer system

Types and components of
computer systems.
Main components of computer systems
Main components of computer
systems
• a typical computer system is made up of hardware and
software. The diagram in Figure 1.6 shows an example
of a computer system consisting of input devices,
output devices and secondary storage. These will be
discussed in more detail in Chapter 2, but some
examples are listed in Table 1.1.
Main components of computer system
• The internal hardware devices were shown in Figure 1.2 –
these consist of four key components:
• » the central processing unit (CPU) (contained on the
motherboard)
• » internal hard disk drive or solid-state drive
• » random access memory (RAM)
• » read-only memory (ROM).
CPU
The central processing unit (CPU) is the part of the computer
that interprets and executes the commands from the computer
hardware and software. It is normally part of the computer
motherboard.
CPUs used to be made up of discrete components and numerous
small integrated circuits; these were combined together on one
or more circuit board(s). However, due to modern
manufacturing techniques, the CPU is now referred to as a
microprocessor. This is a single integrated circuit which is at the
heart of most PCs and is also found in many household devices
and equipment where some control or monitoring is needed (for
example, the engine management system in a car).
CPU
The CPU/microprocessor is made up of a control
unit, which controls the input and output devices;
an arithmetic and logic unit (ALU), which carries
out calculations and makes logical decisions, and
small memory locations called registers.
Internal memory
Random access memory (RAM) is an internal chip where
data is temporarily stored when running applications. This
memory can be written to and read from. Because its
contents are lost when power to the computer is turned
off, it is often referred to as a volatile or temporary
memory.
Read-only memory (ROM) is a memory used to store
information that needs to be permanent. It is often used to
contain, for example, configuration data for a computer
system. Chips used for ROM cannot be altered and can only be
read from (hence their name). One of the main advantages is
that the information stored on the ROM chip is not lost, even
when power is turned off to the computer. They are often
referred to as non-volatile memories.
Internal memory continuation…
• It is worth noting that that ROM also contains some
coding known as the boot file. This code tells the
computer what to do when it first starts up; it is often
referred to as the BIOS (basic input/output system).
• When the computer is turned on, the BIOS carries out
a hardware check to find out if all the devices are
present and whether they are functional. Then it loads
the operating system into the RAM.
• The BIOS stores the date, time and system
configuration in a non-volatile chip called a CMOS
(complementary metal oxide semiconductor) – this is
usually battery powered.
Input and output devices
Input devices are hardware that allows data to
be entered into a computer (these are covered
in detail in Chapter 2). They use either manual
entry (such as a keyboard or a mouse) or direct
data entry (such as sensors or optical character
readers). Essentially, these devices turn input
into a form the computer can understand – for
example, a mouse turns hand movements into
cursor movements on the screen. As mentioned
earlier, sometimes the data has to go through
an ADC before the computer can make any
Input and output devices
When a computer processes data, and the human
operator wants to see the results of the
processing, then the computer sends the data to
an output device. An output device shows the
computer’s output in a form that is understood by
a human – for example, as text on a printer or
moving images on a monitor.
Some devices can act as both input and output.
For example, a touch screen can do both, as can a
DVD writer/player; but most devices are only
capable of either inputting data into a computer
or displaying the results of computer processing
Backing storage
The main memories in a computer are RAM and
ROM. However, to permanently store large
amounts of data it is necessary to use backing
storage. This normally takes the form of the
internal hard disk drive (HDD) or solid-state drive
(SSD). This is the computer’s main internal
storage where the applications software, disk
operating system and files (for example, text,
photo or music) are stored. A key feature of a
backing store is that it must store data
permanently – that is, it must be non-volatile.
Backing storage
Unlike RAM and ROM, backing storage is not directly addressable
(that is, it cannot be read directly by the CPU). The data access
time for RAM and ROM is much shorter than it is for backing
storage. Backing storage is considerably larger than RAM because
it is considerably less expensive per byte.
Backing storage can either be fixed (very often internal to the

computer) or removable. The advantage of removable backing
storage is that it can be used as a backup in case of data loss or
corruption. Data from the main HDD or SSD can be copied onto
another device (such as a pen drive or portable HDD) and then
stored in a separate location. If the original data on the HDD/SSD
has been lost or corrupted, it can be restored from the backup
device.
Backing storage
Examples of removable storage include external hard disk drives
(HDD), external solid-state drive (SSD) and Blu-ray discs.
Operating system
» control of the operation of the input, output and
backing storage devices
» supervising the loading, running and storage of
applications programs
» dealing with errors that occur in application
programs
» maintaining security of the whole computer system
» maintaining a computer log (which details
computer usage)
» allowing communication between user and the
computer system (user interface).
User interfaces
Operating systems offer various types of user
interface. We will consider four different types:
» command line interface (CLI)

» graphical user interface (GUI)
» dialogue-based user interface
» gesture-based user interface.
Command line interface (CLI)
A command line interface (CLI) requires a user
to type in instructions to choose options from
menus, open software, etc. There are often a
number of commands that need to be typed in,
for example, to save or load a file. The user has
to learn a number of commands just to carry out
basic operations. It is also slow, having to key in
these commands every time an operation has to
be carried out. However, the advantage of a CLI
is that the user is in direct communication with
the computer and is not restricted to a number
Command line interface (CLI)
For example, Windows has a CLI called the ‘command
prompt’. The following command opens the desktop
folder in Windows Explorer:
Graphical user interface (GUI)
A graphical user interface (GUI) allows the user
to interact with a computer (or MP3 player,
gaming device, mobile phone, etc.) using
pictures or symbols (icons) rather than having
to type in a number of commands. For example,
the whole of the CLI code in Figure 1.7 could
have been replaced by clicking on the Desktop
icon within
Simply Windows
selecting thisExplorer.
icon would automatically
execute all the commands shown in Figure 1.7
without the need to type it in.
Graphical user interface (GUI)
GUIs use various technologies and devices to
provide the user interface. One of the most
common is WIMP (windows icons menu and
pointing device) which was developed for use on
personal computers (PC). Here, a mouse is used
to control a cursor and icons are selected to
open/run windows. Each window 11 1 Types and
componenTs of compuTer sysTems contains an
application and modern computer systems allow
several windows to be open at the same time.
An example is shown in Figure 1.8 (here, a
number of icons can be seen on the on the
A window manager looks after the interaction between
windows, the applications and window system (which
handles the pointing devices and the cursor’s position).
In recent years, devices such as touch screen smartphones
and tablets use post WIMP interaction, where fingers are in
contact with the screen allowing actions such as pinching
and rotating, which would be difficult to do using a single
pointer and device such as a mouse.
Who would use each type of
interface?
CLI: a programmer, analyst or technician;
basically, somebody who needs to have direct
communication with a computer to develop new
software, locate errors and remove them,
initiate memory dumps (contents of the
computer memory at some moment in time),
GUI:so
and the end-user who does not have to (or does
on.
not need to) have any great knowledge of how
the computer works; a person who uses the
computer to run software, play games or
store/manipulate photographs, for example.
Dialogue-based user
interfaces
Dialogue-based user interfaces use the human
voice to give commands to a computer system.
An example of its use is in some luxury modern
cars, where voice activation is used to control
devices such as the in-car entertainment
system or satellite navigation system. By
speaking certain commends, such as ‘Hey BMW,
drive me to the nearest airport’, the system
allows natural speech to enable the driver to
intuitively interact with the car.
Dialogue-based user
interfaces
The satellite navigation system will
automatically direct the driver to their chosen
destination (in this case, the nearest airport).
This type of interface could also be used in the
home; by using voice commands, it is possible
to switch on/off lights, operate electronic
equipment and so on. In recent years, devices
such as Amazon Alexa, Google Now, Apple Siri
and Microsoft Cortana have all been developed
to interact with a human by recognising verbal
commands. These devices act as a personal
Dialogue-based user
interfaces
Gesture-based interfaces
Gesture-based interfaces rely on
human interaction by the moving of
hands, head or even the feet. Gesture
recognition allows humans to interface
with a computer in a more natural
fashion without the need for any
mechanical devices. This type of
interface uses techniques known as
computer vision and image
For example, using our car example again, the
following gestures can be used to carry out
certain functions:
» rotating a finger clockwise near the radio will
increase the sound volume (rotating the finger
anti-clockwise will reduce the sound volume)
» opening the thumb and next finger will change
the track being listened to (for example, in a
playlist)
» moving the foot under the rear bumper of the
car automatically opens the boot lid
There are many other examples. Either a sensor or a
camera is used to pick up the gesture and a signal is
sent to an on-board computer to carry out the required
action. It eliminates the need for an array of buttons
and dials on the dashboard.
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Types and components of

Backing storage can either be fixed (very often internal to the

» command line interface (CLI)

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