Computer literacy Program…Computer Hardware & Software

Chapter-2

Computer Hardware
&
Software

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 Computer literacy Program…Computer Hardware & Software

COMPUTER HARD WARE AND SOFTWARE

Hardware is the physical parts of a computer system that you can see and touch. Besides
the main box of the computer (system Unit), hardware also includes input devices, such as
the keyboard and mouse, and output devices like the monitor and printer

Computer hardware is divides into three main parts

 System unit

 Input devices

 Output devices

SYSTEM UNIT
System unit is a box that contains different electronic component of computer system. It is also
called chassis. It protects internal component from damage. It is made of plastic or metal to
protect the component inside it. Common component of system unit is

1. Mother board

2. Processor/ CPU / microprocessor

3. Memory

4. Adapter cards

5. Ports

6. Drive bays

7. Power supply

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 Computer literacy Program…Computer Hardware & Software

Mother Board
Mother board is also called system board. Mother board is the most important circuit
board in the system unit. Mother board contains different chips.

Microprocessor/Processor/CPU
CPU stands for central processing unit. Microprocessor is the brain of the computer.
CPU is located on motherboard. CPU carries out most of the work of the computer.
Data comes from ram and the other components of the computer to CPU, then it start
processing after processing it send data to the ram. Data may be of
many forms.

CPU consists of two main units.

 ALU (arithmetic logic unit)

 CU (control unit)

 Arithmetic logic unit

ALU is the part of CPU. Actual executions of the instruction take place in this part. All
arithmetic and logical operations are performed in ALU. It has two parts.

Arithmetic unit: Arithmetic unit of ALU performs basic arithmetic functions such as addition,
subtraction, multiplication and division.

Logic Unit: Logic unit of ALU performs logical operations like comparing two data items to find
which data item is <, >, = etc.

 Control Unit
Control unit is an important component of CPU. Control unit controls all activities of
computer system. It is also called supervisor of the computer.

 Register
Register is a small and high speed memory inside the Microprocessor. It is used to store
temporary results or data

Adapter Card
Expansion slot is a socket that is mounted on the mother board t insert circuit board. A circuit
board is identified by different term like Expansion card, Add-in Add-on etc.

Some cards contain built-in features or device like Modem and Graphic card. Some cards are
attached outside the system
There are main four types of adapter cards
 Sound card / Audio card
 Video Card/ Graphic Card
 NIC /LAN card
 Modem card

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 Computer literacy Program…Computer Hardware & Software

 Sound card / Audio card

It enhances the sound generating capabilities of computer. It allow sound to be input
through microphone and output through speakers

 Video Card/ Graphic Card

It enhances the video capabilities of computer. It convert data into video signals and
send to monitor for display.

 NIC /LAN card

It is also called communication device that allows a computer to communicate via
network

 Modem card
Modem stands for Modulation and Demodulation. It is also called internal modem. It
enables a computer to communicate via telephone line or other means

Ports A port is an interface or point to attachment. It is used to

connect peripheral device with computer such as keyboard, mouse,
printer etc.

Different types of ports are;

 Serial port

 Parallel port

 USB port

 Serial port
A serial port is used to connect the device that transmits one bit data a time. It is usually
used to connect devices which requires slow data transmission e.g mouse.

 Parallel port
Parallel ports are used to connect devices that transfer many bit data at a time. e.g
printer, scanner etc

 USB port
USB stands for Universal serial bus. USB port can connect up to 127 different peripheral
devices. Many computers have one or two USB ports

Multiple devices can be attached to USB port through daisy chain.

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 Computer literacy Program…Computer Hardware & Software

Drive Bays
Bay is an open area inside the system unit to install
additional equipment.

Different types of drive bays are

 External/ Exposed drive bays

 Internal / Hidden drive bays

 External/ Exposed drive bays

It is used to access the drive from outside the
system examples are CD-ROM Drive, Floppy
Drive, and ZIP Drive etc

 Internal / Hidden drive bays

It is hidden inside the system unit examples are Hard disk Drive.

Power supply
Power supply of a computer is a simple electronic system used to supply
correct voltage that a device requires.

Memory
The memories are can be classified on the basis of speed, volatility and their
usage.

Classification based of the speed.

i. Main memory/semi conductor memory/primary memory

ii. Secondary memory/ back up memory/ permanent memory
iii. Cache memory

i. Primary Memory
It is called main memory. It holds data and programs those are currently in use. A primary
memory section is basic to all computers.

Generally primary memory is of two types.

a. Ram(random access memory)

b. ROM(read only memory)
a. RAM (Random Access Memory)
It stands for random access memory. It is called main memory or direct
access memory. Ram is a temporary memory. When the power is turned off
information in this memory is lost. Thus it is called volatile memory. Ram
play important role in the processing speed of a computer. A bigger ram size
provides larger amount of space for processing. So the processing speed is
increased5 .CPU can read data from ram and write data to ram. That is why it
is also known as read/write memory. It is used to store data and instruction
while it is being executed.

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 Computer literacy Program…Computer Hardware & Software

There are two types of ram.

 Static ram (SRAM)

 Dynamic ram (DRAM)
i. Static ram
Static ram is more expensive than dram. It does not need to be power refreshed. CPU
does not wait to access data and that is why it is faster.

ii. Dynamic ram

It is a type of memory that is used in most computers. Dram requires an electrical Current
to maintain its electrical state. Dram is recharged or refreshed again and again to maintain its data.
The processor cannot access the data of dram when it is being refreshed. That is why it is slow.

ROM (read only memory)

ROM stands for read only memory. The instruction in ROM prepares the
computer for use. ROM stores data and instructions permanently when power is
switched off, the instructions stored in ROM are not lose, and therefore ROM is
called non volatile memory. The information in ROM is stored by manufacturer.
When the computer is switched on, the instructions in the ROM are automatically
loaded into (ram) memory of computer.

Different types of ROM are as follow.

a. PROM
b. EPROM
c. EPROM
a. PROM
PROM stands for Programmable Read Only Memory. It is a blank chip. The user or
manufacturer can write data on it by using special devices. The user can write data or
instructions on it only once.

b. EPROM
EPROM is stands for Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory.
User can erase instructions or data stored in EPROM chip and write new program
c. EEPROM.
Electronically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory. In this memory user can
erase and write instructions with the help of electrical pulses .if there is any error in writing the
instruction .the user can erase the contents electrically

Secondary Memory
Secondary memory or storage holds data, instruction and information for features use.
This storage is limited in size and it is a volatile memory. Secondary it is also called external
memory, backup memory, auxiliary memory or mass storage. Storage devices are widely use to
storage large amount of data for further use.
Type of secondary storage devices are as follows.
 Magnetic tape
 Magnetic disk
 Optical disk

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Magnetic tape
Magnetic tape is a flexible tape coated with magnetic material. It is
widely used when large amount of data is to be processed sequentially. It is
cheap and economical. It is very slow and sequential.

Magnetic Disk
Magnetic disk is the most widely used storage media. A magnetic disk is a thin
circular metal/ platter coated with magnetic material information can be recorded on or
read from the magnetic surface. The magnetic disk is a random access
storage media. It means that any part of the disk is directly accessible.
Types of magnetic disks are as follow
 Floppy disk
 Hard disk
 Zip disk
 Super disk
 HiFD disk

 Floppy disk
Floppy disk is also called diskette. It was introduced by IBM in early
1970’s. It can store small amount of data. It is in expensive. It is a
portable storage medium. The standard size of floppy disk is 3 ½
inch. The capacity of floppy disk is 1.44 MB.

 Hard disk
Hard disk is type of magnet disk. The hard disk in most personal
computers is fixed inside the system unit. It provides large storage
capacity. It is reliable, faster medium than floppy disk.

 Zip disk
Zip disk is portable disk. It has more storage capacity than floppy
disk. Its storage capacity is up to 100MB. Zip disk can be read/ written by using
Zip drive. It is used for taking the backup of large data

 Super disk
Super disk is produced by Imitation. It capacity is 120MB. It can also
read the standard 1.44MB floppy disk

 HiFD disk
HIFD disk is produced by sony corporation it capacity is
200MB.HIFD disk can also read the standard 1.44MB floppy disk.

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 Optical Disk
Optical disk uses laser technology to read and write data. The
LASER stands for LIGHT AMPLIFICATION THROUGH STIMULATED
EMISSION OF RADIATION. The amount of space required to record an optical
bit is much less than a magnetic bit. Optical disk storage capacity is from 600 MB
to over 1 GB. The optical storage is much safer than magnetic media. CD ROM .DVD .WORM
disks .Rewritable optical disks.

 CD ROM
` CD-ROM stands for compact disk read-only memory. The data stored
on CD-ROM can be Read. It can cannot be deleted or changed. CD-ROM is a portable
storage device. The data can be transferred easily by using CD-ROM. It can store about
650MB of data.

 DIGITAL VIDEO DISK (DVD)

DVD stands for Digital Video Disk. It is similar to CD-
ROM. It uses a laser beam with short wave length. The short wave length
reads smaller holes on the disk. Data storage capacity of the disk is
increased if the whole size is small. So the storage capacity of DVD-ROM
is much greater than CD-ROM. It can store up to 17GB of data.

 WORM Disks
WORM stands for Write Once Read Many. We can only read
data but cannot update or change it. WORM disk can store greater volumes of
information than a CD-ROM. It has a capacity of 200GB.

 Rewritable Optical Disks

It uses several technologies to combine optical and
magnetic disk technology to enable read-and Write storage. A 5 4/5 inch
rewritable disk can store up to 5GB. These are normally used for
applications using large volumes of storage with little update activity.

INPUT DEVICES
 Any data or instruction entered into the computer is known as INPUT.
 An input device helps you to communicate with the computer.
 To enter information and issue commands, input devices are used.

Examples of input devices:

 Keyboard
 Mouse
 Scanner
 Microphone

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 Digital Camera and Web Camera

Keyboard
Most common and very popular input device is keyboard.
T he keyboard helps in inputting the data to the computer’s he
layout of the keyboard is like that of traditional typewriter,
although there are some additional keys provided for performing
some additional functions. Keyboards are of two sizes 84 keys or 101/102 keys, but now 104 keys
or 108 keys keyboard is also available for Windows and Internet.

Mouse
Mouse is most popular Pointing device. It is a very famous cursor-control
device. It is a small palm size box with a round ball at its base which senses the
movement of mouse and sends corresponding signals to CPU on pressing the buttons.
Generally it has two buttons called left and rig ht button and scroll bar is present at
the mid. Mouse can be used to control the position of cursor on screen, but it cannot
be used to enter text into the computer.It is easy to use, Not very expensive, Moves
the cursor faster than the arrow keys of keyboard.

Joystick
Joystick is also a pointing device which is used to move cursor position on a
monitor screen. It is a stick having a spherical ball at its both lower and upper ends. T
he lower spherical ball moves in a socket. The Joysticks can be moved in all four
directions he function of joystick is similar to that of a mouse. It is mainly used in
Computer Aided Designing (CAD) and playing computer games.

Light Pen
Light pen is a pointing device which is similar to a pen. It is used to select
a displayed menu item or draw pictures on the monitor screen. It consists of a
photocell and an optical system placed in a small tube.
When light pen's tip is moved over the monitor screen and pen button is
pressed, its photocell sensing element detects the screen location and sends the
corresponding signal to the CPU.

Track Ball
Track ball is an input device that is mostly used in notebook or laptop computer,
instead of a mouse. T his is a ball which is half inserted and by moving fingers on ball,
pointer can be moved. Since the whole device is not moved, a track ball requires less space
than a mouse. A track ball comes in various shapes like a ball, a button and a square.

Scanner
Scanner is an input device which works more like a photocopy machine. It is
used when some information is available on a paper and it is to be transferred to the hard
disc of the computer for further manipulation.
Scanner captures images from the source which are then converted into the dig
ital form that can be stored on the disc. These images can be edited before they are
printed.

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Digitizer
Digitizer is an input device which converts analog information into a dig ital form.
Digitizer can convert a signal from the television camera into a series of numbers
that could be stored in a computer. T hey can be used by the computer to create a
picture of whatever the camera had been pointed at.
Digitizer is also known as Tablet or Graphics Tablet because it converts
graphics and pictorial data into binary inputs. A graphic tablet as digitizer is used
for doing fine works of drawing and images manipulation applications.

Magnetic Ink Card Reader(MICR)

MICR input device is generally used in banks because of a large number of
cheques to be processed every day. T he bank's code number and cheque number are
printed on the cheques with a special type of ink that contains particles of magnetic
material that are machine readable.
This reading process is called Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR).
T he main advantages of MICR is that it is fast and less error prone.

Optical Character Reader (OCR)

OCR is an input device used to read a printed text. OCR scans text optically
character by character, converts them into a machine readable code and stores the text
on the system memory.

Bar Code Readers

Bar Code Reader is a device used for reading bar coded data (data in form of
light and dark lines). Bar coded data is generally used in labeling goods, numbering the
books etc. It may be a hand held scanner or may be embedded in a stationary scanner.
Bar Code Reader scans a bar code image, converts it into an alphanumeric value which is
then fed to the computer to which bar code reader is connected.

Output devices
Output devices return processed data that is information, back to the user. Some of the commonly
used output devices are:
1. Monitor (Visual Display Unit)
2. Printers
3. Plotter
4. Speakers

Monitor
Out of all the output devices, monitor is perhaps the most important output
device because people interact with this device most intensively than others.
Computer information is displayed, visually with a video adapter card and monitor.
Information processed within the CPU, that needs to be visually displayed,
is sent to video adapter. The video adapter converts information from the format
used, in the same manner as a television displays information sent to it by a cable
service.
Two basic types of monitors are used with microcomputers, which are as follows:
1. CRT
2. LCD

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Cathode Ray Tube (CRT):

CRT or Cathode Ray Tube Monitor is the typical monitor that you see on a desktop
computer. It looks a lot like a television screen, and works the same way. This type uses a large
vacuum tube, called cathode ray tube (CRT).
Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD):
These types of monitors are also known as flat panel monitor. Most of these employ
liquid crystal displays (LCDs) to render images. These days LCD monitor are very
popular.
When people talk about the capabilities of various monitors, one critical
statistic is the resolution of the monitor. Most monitors have a resolution of at least
800 x 600 pixels. High-end monitors can have resolutions of 1024 x 768 pixels or
even 1280 x 1024 pixels. Thus monitors are available either in low resolution or in
high resolution.

Printer
After a document is created on the computer, it can be sent to a printer for a hard copy
(printout). Some printers offer special features such as colored and large page formats. Some of
the most commonly used printers are:
1. Laser Printer
2. Ink Jet Printer
3. Dot Matrix Printer
4. Line Printer

Laser Printer:
A laser printer produces high quality print that one normally finds
in publishing. It is extremely fast and quiet. Moreover, the operation of a
laser printer is easy with automatic paper loading and no smudging or
messing up of ink ribbons. The fastest laser printer can print up to 200
pages per minute in monochrome (black and white) and up to 100 pages per
minute in colour.

Ink-Jet Printer:
An ink-jet printer creates an image directly on paper by spraying ink through as many as
64 tiny nozzles. Although the image it produces is not generally quite as sharp as the output of a
laser printer, the quality of ink-jet images is still high. In general, ink-jet printer offers an
excellent middle ground between dot matrix and laser printer. Like laser printer, an ink-jet printer
is quiet and convenient, but not particularly fast. Typically, an ink-jet printer is more expensive
than a dot-matrix printer, but costs only half as much as a laser printer.

Dot Matrix Printer:

The dot matrix printer was very popular at one point of time. It is a very versatile and
inexpensive output device. In dot matrix printer the print head physically "hits" the paper through
the ribbon and produces text (or images) by combinations of dots; hence the name dot matrix
printer. Its speed is measured in characters per second (CPS). Although it is less expensive, it is
louder, slower and produces lower print quality.

Line Printer:
A line printer is generally used with large computer systems to
produce text based data processing reports. Line printers are high-speed
printers with speeds ranging anywhere from 100 to about 3800 lines per
minute.

Plotter
A plotter is a special kind of output device that, like a printer,
produces images on paper, but does so in a different way. Plotters are
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designed to produce large drawings or images, such as construction plans for buildings or
blueprints for mechanical objects. A plotter can be connected to the port normally used by a
printer.

Plotters usually come in two designs:

Flat Bed: Plotters of small size to be kept on table with restriction of paper size.

Drum: These plotters are of big size using rolls of paper of unlimited length.

Speaker
Speakers are another type of output device, which allow you to listen to voice like
music, and conversation with people.

SOFTWARE
Computer cannot do anything on its own. It is the user who instructs computer; what to do, how to
do and when to do. In order to perform any task, you have to give a set of instructions in a
particular sequence to the computer. These sets of instructions are called Programs. Software
refers to a set of programs that makes the hardware perform a particular set of tasks in particular
order. Software can be classified mainly into following categories and sub-categories

System Software

System software’s are sets of programs, responsible for running the computer, controlling
various operations of computer systems and management of computer resources. Operating
System (OS) falls under this category.
An operating system is system software that provides an interface for a user to communicate with
the computer, manages hardware devices (disk drives, keyboard, monitor, etc), manages and
maintains disk file systems and supports application programs. Some popular Operating systems
are UNIX, Windows and Linux.
Utilities soft wares. These are programs that bridge the gap between the functionality of an OS
and the needs of users.
Utility programs are a broad category of software such as compress (zip)/uncompress (unzip) files
software, anti virus software, split and join files software, etc.

Application Software
Application software is a set of programs, which are written to perform specific tasks, for
example: An application package for managing library known as library information system is
used to manage information of library such as: keeping book details, account holder details, book
issue details, book return details etc. Another application package for managing student details is
called student’s information system, manages student’s roll no, name, parents name, address,
class, section, processing of examination results etc. Application software can be broadly
classified into two types:

(a) Generalized packages

(b) Customized packages

Generalized Packages
These are user friendly software’s written to cater to user’s very general needs such as
preparing documents, drawing pictures, database to manage data/information, preparing
presentations,

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play games etc. It is a group of programs that provide general purpose tools to solve specific
problems. Some of the generalized packages are listed below:
 Word Processing Software(for preparing documents): Word Perfect, MS-Word,
OpenOffice.org Writer
 Spreadsheets (Data Analysis): Lotus Smart suites, MSExcel, OpenOffice.org Calc, Apple
Numbers
 Presentations : Presentation Graphics, MS-PowerPoint, OpenOffice.org Impress
 Database Management System: MS-Access, OpenOffice.org Base, MS-SQL Server,
ORACLE
 Graphics Tools: Paint shop pro, Adobe Photoshop

Customized Packages
These are the applications that are customized (or developed) to meet the specific requirements of
an organization/institution. For Example: Student information details, Payroll packages, inventory
control etc.
These packages are developed using high-level computer language.

Computer Viruses
A computer virus is a potentially damaging computer program designed to affect, or infect, your
computer negatively by altering the way it works without your knowledge or permission. More
specifically, a computer virus is a segment of program code that implants itself in a computer file
and spreads systematically from one file to another. Viruses can spread to your computer if an
infected floppy disk is in the disk drive when
you boot the computer, if you run an infected
program, or if you open an infected data file
in a program.

Computer viruses, however, do not generate

by chance. Creators, or programmers, of
computer virus programs write them for a
specific purpose – usually to cause a certain
type of symptom or damage. Some viruses
are harmless pranks that simply freeze a
computer temporarily or display sounds or
messages. When the Music Bug virus is
triggered, for example, it instructs the
computer to play a few chords of music.
Other viruses, by contrast, are designed to
destroy or corrupt data stored on the infected computer. Thus, the symptom or damage caused by
a virus can be harmless or cause significant damage, as planned by its creator.

Viruses have become a serious problem in recent years. Currently, more than 45,000 known virus
programs exist and an estimated six new virus programs are discovered each day. The increased
use of networks, the Internet, and e-mail has accelerated the spread of computer viruses, by
allowing individuals to share files – and any related viruses – more easily than ever.

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Types of Viruses

Although numerous variations are known, four main types of viruses exist: boot sector viruses,
file viruses, Trojan horse viruses, and macro viruses

Boot sector
A boot sector virus replaces the boot program used to start a computer with a modified, infected
version of the boot program. When the computer runs the infected boot program, the computer
loads the virus into its memory. Once the virus is in memory, it spreads to any disk inserted into
the computer.

File virus
A file virus attaches itself to or replaces program files; the virus then spreads to any file that
accesses the infected program.

Trojan horse
A Trojan horse virus (named after the Greek myth) is a virus that hides within or is designed to
look like a legitimate program.

Macro virus
A macro virus uses the macro language of an application, such as word processing or
spreadsheet, to hide virus code. When you open a document that contains an infected macro, the
macro virus loads into memory. Certain actions, such as opening the document, activate the virus.
The creators of macro viruses often hide them in templates so they will infect any document
created using the template.

Logic and time bombs

A logic bomb is a computer virus that activates when it detects a certain condition. One
disgruntled worker, for example, planted a logic bomb that began destroying files when his name
appeared on a list of terminated employees.

A time bomb is a type of logic bomb that activates on a particular date. A well-known time bomb
is the Michelangelo virus, which destroys data on a hard disk on March 6, Michelangelo’s
birthday.

WORM

Another type of malicious program is a worm. Although often it is called a virus, a worm, unlike
a virus, does not attach itself to another program. Instead, a worm program copies itself repeatedly
in memory or on a disk drive until no memory or disk space remains. When no memory or disk
space remains, the computer stops working. Some worm programs even copy themselves to other
computers on a network.
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Anti virus programs

An antivirus program protects a computer against viruses by identifying and removing any
computer viruses found in memory, on storage media, or on incoming files. Most antivirus
programs also protect against malicious ActiveX code and Java applets that might be included in
files you download from the Web. An antivirus program scans for programs that attempt to
modify the boot program, the operating system, and other programs that normally are read from

but not modified.

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Q1. Fill in the Blanks

(i) -----------is the brain of the computer.

(ii) RAM is a ---------memory.
(iii) The capacity of HIFD is------------
(iv) Keyboard are of two sizes -------Keys or -----------Keys.
(v) ------------are designed to produce large drawing or images.

Q2. M.C.Q

(i) Joystick is used in ------------

(i) CAD (ii)Scanning (iii)Read code

(ii) Laser Printer can print up to ---------pages per min.

(i)500 (ii)200 (iii)300

(iii) A Computer--------- is a potentially damaging computer program.

(i) Virus program (ii) bios program (iii)None

(iv) An operating System is ----------Software.

(i)System (ii)Application (iii)Dumb

(v) Optical Character Reader is an----------- device.

(i)Input (ii)Output (iii)None

Q3. Short Answer Questions.

1. Write the name of Input Devices?

2. Define Hardware?
3. Write the name of popular operating system?
4. Types of viruses?
5. Define system unit with types?

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