TU170: Computing Essentials

Session 4

Chapter 5: The System Unit

Chapter 6: Input and Output

Prepared by
Amal Naji
Ahmad Khalaf

The contents of this presentation have been prepared from the study book of the TU170 course, Computer
essentials 2017.
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Chapter 5: The System Unit

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Why should I read this chapter?
 System units are getting smaller, faster, cheaper, and more
powerful. These staggering improvements are resulting in
microchips integrating with all aspects of our lives. For example, in
the future we will see everything from microchips embedded in
the brain that improve mental capacity to sensors that can literally
read your mind.
 This chapter covers the things you need to know to be prepared for
this ever-changing digital world, including:
◦ Types of personal computers—learn the strengths and
weaknesses of desktops, laptops, tablets, smartphones, and
wearable computers.
◦ Computer components—understand the impact
microprocessors and memory have on the power of a computer.
◦ Peripherals and upgrades—expand your computer’s abilities and
speed.
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Learning Objectives
After you have read this chapter, you should be able to:
1. Differentiate between the five basic types of system units.
2. Describe system boards, including sockets, slots, and bus lines.
3. Recognize different microprocessors, including microprocessor
chips and specialty processors.
4. Compare different types of computer memory, including RAM,
ROM, and flash memory.
5. Explain expansion slots and cards.
6. Describe bus lines, bus widths, and expansion buses.
7. Describe ports, including standard and specialized ports.
8. Identify power supplies for desktop, laptop, tablet, and mobile
devices.
9. Explain how a computer can represent numbers and encode
characters electronically.
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 System Unit
 The system unit (system chassis) is a container
that houses most of the electronic components
that make up a computer system.
 There are five types of personal computers:
◦ Desktop
◦ Laptop
◦ Tablet
◦ Smartphones
◦ wearable computers
• Each has a unique type of system unit.

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 System Unit: Desktops
 Desktop computer is the most powerful type of
personal computer.
 Most desktops have their system unit in a
separate case.
 This case is called system unit which contains the
system’s electronic components and selected
secondary storage devices.
 Input and output devices, such as a mouse,
keyboard, and monitor, are located outside the
system unit.
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 This type of system unit is designed to be
placed either horizontally or vertically.
 Desktop system units that are placed vertically
are sometimes referred to as a tower unit or
tower computer.

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 Some desktop computers, like Apple’s iMac,
have their monitor and system unit housed
together in the same case. These computers are
known as an all-in-one.

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System Unit: Laptops
 Laptops are not as powerful as desktops, and
they are portable and much smaller.
 There are several specialized laptops:
 Two-in-one laptops, which include a touch
screen and the ability to fold flat like a tablet
computer.
 Gaming laptops, which include high-end
graphics hardware and very fast processors.
 Ultrabooks, also known as ultraportables or
mini notebooks, which are lighter and thinner
with longer battery life than most laptops
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System Unit: Tablets
 Tablets, also known as tablet computers, are
the newest and one of the most popular types
of computer.
 Tablets are smaller, lighter, and generally less
powerful than laptop computers.
 Tablets do not have a standard keyboard.
Instead, most tablets use a virtual keyboard
that appears on the screen and is touch-
sensitive.

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 Inputting information can be difficult using
Tablets’ virtual keyboard. Some ways to
overcome this limitation are with:
◦ Keyboard attachments
◦ Digital pens
◦ Speech recognition
 Mini tablets are a type of tablet with a smaller
screen.
 Their most significant advantage is that they are
easier to transport in pockets and purses.

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Mini tablet

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System Unit: Smartphones
 Smartphones are by far the most popular
mobile device.
 They greatly extend the capabilities of a cell
phone by providing:
◦ computing power
◦ capturing and sending audio and video
◦ run apps
◦ connect to the Internet

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System Unit: Wearable Computers
 Wearable computers, also known as wearable
devices, are one of the first evolutionary steps
to the IoT.
 These devices contain an embedded computer
on a chip that is typically much smaller and less
powerful than a smartphone’s.
 The most common wearable computers are
smartwatches and activity trackers.

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System Unit: Components
 Personal computers come in a variety of
different sizes, shapes, and capabilities.
However, they share similar components:
◦ System boards
◦ Microprocessors
◦ memory

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System Board
 The system board (main board or mother board)
The system board controls communications for
the entire computer system. Every component
within the system unit connects to the system
board.
 All external devices including the keyboard,
mouse, and monitor connect to the system
board.
 On a desktop computer, it is a large flat circuit
board covered with a variety of different
electronic components including sockets, slots,
and bus lines.
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◦ Sockets provide a connection point for small
specialized electronic parts called chips.
◦ Slots provide a connection point for specialized
cards or circuit boards. These cards provide
expansion capability for a computer system.
◦ Bus lines provide pathways to support
communication.

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Microprocessor
 The microprocessor is a single chip that contains
the central processing unit (CPU) or processor.
 The Microprocessor is the brain of the computer
system.
 It has two basic components:
◦ Control unit: tells the computer system how to
carry out program instructions.
◦ Arithmetic-logic unit (ALU): performs arithmetic
and logical operations.

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 Microprocessor: Microprocessor Chips
 Chip processing capacities are often expressed in word
sizes.
 A word is the number of bits (such as 16, 32, 64) that can
be accessed at one time by the CPU.
 The more bits in a word, the more data a computer can
process at one time. Eight bits group together to form a
byte. (1 byte = 8 bits).
 The processing speed of a microprocessor is represented
by its clock speed.
 Clock speed represents the number of times the CPU can
fetch and process data and instructions in a second.

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 Nowadays , many personal computers have
multicore processors that can provide two or
more separate and independent CPUs.
 For multicore processors to be used effectively,
computers must understand how to divide tasks
into parts that can be distributes across each
core (Parallel Processing ).
 Parallel Processing is the ability to carry out
multiple operations or tasks simultaneously.

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Microprocessor: Specialty Processors
 In addition to microprocessor, more specialized
processing chips have been developed:
 Coprocessors like graphics coprocessor and
Graphic Processing Unit (GPU) which are
designed to handle specialized tasks such as
displaying 3-D images and encrypting data.
 Many cars have more than 70 separate specialty
processors.

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Memory
 Memory is a holding area for data, instructions
and information.
 Memory is contained on chips connected to the
system board.
 Three types of memory chips:
◦ Random Access Memory (RAM).
◦ Read Only Memory (ROM).
◦ Flash Memory.

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Memory: RAM
 RAM chips hold the program and data that the
CPU is presently processing.
 RAM is called temporary or volatile memory
because its content is lost when the computer is
turned off.
 Cache memory is a high speed memory for
frequently used data and information.
 It improves processing by acting as a temporary
high-speed holding area between the memory
and CPU.

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Memory: ROM
 ROM chips have information stored in them by the
manufacturer.
 They are not volatile and cannot be changed by the
user.
 CPU can read or retrieve data and programs written
on ROM but the computer cannot write on the ROM
chips.
 ROM chips contain special instructions for basic
computer operation.
◦ For example, ROM instructions are needed to start a
computer, to access memory and to handle keyboard
input.
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Memory: Flash Memory
 Flash Memory offers a combination of the features
of RAM and ROM.
◦ Like RAM, it can be updated to store new information.
◦ Like ROM, it doesn’t lose that information when the
computer is turned off.
 It can be used to store the startup instructions for a
computer.

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 concept check
 What is the system unit?
 Describe and compare the five most common types of personal
computers.
 What are tower units? What is an all-in-one? What is an ultrabook?
What is a mini tablet?
 What is the system board, and what does it do?
 Define and describe sockets, slots, and bus lines.
 What are chips? How are chips attached to the system board?
 Name and describe the two components of a microprocessor.
 Define word, clock speed, multicore chip, and parallel processing.
 What are specialty processors? Describe coprocessors.
 What is memory? Name and describe three types.
 What are cache memory, DIMM, and virtual memory?
 Define ROM and flash memory.
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Chapter 6: Input and Output

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Why should I read this chapter?
 Input and output devices have seen staggering advances in recent
years. A typical cell phone now has dozens of input sensors and
display options. In the future, input devices such as tiny
attachments to clothes or eyewear will be as common as cell
phones. Augmented reality displays or wearable glasses will
integrate what you see with extensive databases of relevant
information.
 This chapter covers the things you need to know to be prepared for
this ever-changing digital world, including:
◦ Keyboard design—discover how wireless and virtual keyboards improve
the speed and ease of typing.
◦ Intuitive input devices—learn about advances in touch screens and
voice recognition systems.
◦ Display technology—discover how webcams and digital whiteboards
can create videos and share presentations.
◦ Evolving output devices—learn about advances in UHDTVs, 3D printers,
and e-books.

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Learning Objectives
After you have read this chapter, you should be able to:
1. Define input.
2. Describe keyboard entry including types and features of
keyboards.
3. Identify different pointing devices including game controllers and
styluses.
4. Describe scanning devices including optical scanners, RFID
readers, and recognition devices.
5. Recognize image capturing and audio-input devices.
6. Define output.
7. Identify different monitor features and types including flat
panels and e-books.
8. Define printing features and types including inkjet and cloud
printers.
9. Recognize different audio and video devices including portable
media devices.

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What is Input?
 Input is any data or instructions used by a
computer.
 Input devices are hardware used to translate
words, numbers, sounds, images, and gestures
that people understand into a form that the
system unit can process.
 Some hardware input devices include:
◦ Keyboards.
◦ Pointing devices.
◦ Scanning devices.
◦ Image capturing devices.
◦ Audio input devices.
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 Keyboard Entry
 Keyboards are the most common way to input data.
 keyboards convert numbers, letters, and special
characters that people understand into electrical signals.
These signals are sent to, and processed by, the system
unit.
 Common types of keyboards:
◦ Traditional keyboards—these keyboards are widely used on
desktops and larger computers.
◦ Laptop keyboards—these keyboards are smaller than traditional
keyboards and are widely used on laptop computers.
◦ Virtual keyboards—these keyboards are used primarily with
mobile devices and tablets.
◦ Thumb keyboards—these keyboards are widely used on
smartphones and other small mobile devices.
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Keyboard Entry

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Keyboard Entry

Traditional keyboard
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Pointing Devices
 Pointing devices accept pointing gestures and
convert them into machine-readable input.
 Pointing devices:
◦ Mouse
◦ Touch screen
◦ Game controllers
◦ Stylus

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Pointing Devices: Mouse
 A mouse controls a pointer that is displayed in
the monitor and usually appears in the shape of
an arrow.
 Three basics mouse types:
◦ optical mouse is the most widely used. It emits
and senses light to detect mouse movement.
◦ cordless or wireless mouse uses radio waves or
infrared light waves to communicate with the
system unit.
◦ Device similar to mouse is touch pad.

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Pointing Devices

Wireless mouse
Optical mouse

Touch pad
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Pointing Devices: Touch screen
 A touch screen allows users to select actions or
commands by touching the screen with a finger
or pen-like device.
 Multitouch screens can be touched by more than
one finger, such as rotating graphics or zooming
in and out.
 Multitouch screens are commonly used with
tablets and smartphones, as well as some laptop
computers and desktop monitors

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Pointing Devices: Game controllers
 Game controllers are devices that provide input
to computer games.
 The four most popular and specialized game
controllers are:
 Joysticks
 gaming mice
 Gamepads
 motion-sensing devices.

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Pointing Devices: Stylus
 A stylus is a penlike device typically used
with tablets and mobile devices.
 Often, a stylus interacts with the
computer through handwriting
recognition software.
 Handwriting recognition software
translates handwritten notes into a form
that the system unit can process.

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Scanning Devices
 Scanning devices convert scanned text and
images into a form that the system unit can
process.
 Five types of scanning devices:
◦ Optical scanners
◦ Card readers
◦ Bar code readers
◦ RFID Readers
◦ Character and mark recognition devices

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Scanning Devices: Optical scanners
Three basics types of optical scanners:
 Flatbed scanners
◦ Looks like a copy machine. The image to be scanned is
placed on glass surface and the scanner records the
image.
 Document scanners
◦ Can quickly scan multiple documents.
 Portable scanners
◦ Handheld device that slides across the image making
direct contact.
 3D scanners use lasers, cameras, or robotic arms to
record the shape of an object.
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Flatbed scanners 3 Document scanners 4

Portable scanners 5 3D scanners

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Scanning Devices: Card Readers
 Some cards like credit card, debit card, access
(parking or building) card, and some type of
identification card have the user’s name, some type
of identification number, and signature on the card.
 Card Readers interpret these coded information.
 Example:
◦ Magnetic card readers: Read magnetic strips.

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 Scanning Devices: Bar Code Readers
 Bar code readers are used in supermarkets.
 These devices are either handheld wand readers or
platform scanners.
 They contain photoelectric cells that scan (read) bar
codes or the vertical zebra-striped marks printed on
product containers.

Wand reader Bar code reader 45

 Scanning Devices: RFID Readers

 RFID (radio-frequency identification) tags are tiny chips

that can be embedded in most everything.
 These chips contain electronically stored information that
can be read using an RFID reader located several yards
away.

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Scanning Devices: Character and mark
recognition devices
 Character and mark recognition devices are scanners that
are able to recognize special characters and marks.
 Three types of Character and mark recognition devices:

 Magnetic ink character

recognition (MICR): used
by banks to read the
unusual numbers on the
buttons of checks.

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Scanning Devices: Character and mark
recognition devices
Optical-character recognition (OCR):
uses special preprinted characters
that can be read by a light source
and changed into machine-readable
code

Optical-mark recognition (OMR):

senses the presence or absence of a
mark, such as a pencil mark. Used to
score multiple-choice tests.

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Image Capturing Devices
 Two types of Image Capturing devices:
◦ Digital cameras: capture images digitally and store the
images on a memory card or in the camera’s memory.
◦ Webcams are specialized digital video cameras that
capture images and send them to a computer for
broadcast over the Internet.

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Audio input devices
 Audio input devices convert sounds into a form
that can be processed by the system unit.
 The most widely used audio input device is the
microphone.
 Voice recognition systems use a microphone, a
sound card, and special software.
 These systems allow users to operate computers
and create documents using voice commands.

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What is Output?
 Output is processed data or information.
 Output takes the form of text, graphics, photos,
audio and video.
 Output devices translate information that has
been processed by the system unit into a form
that humans can understand.
 The most widely used output devices are:
◦ Monitors.
◦ Printers.
◦ Audio-output devices.
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Monitors
 Monitors (display screens) present visual images of
text and graphics.
 Monitors output is referred to as soft copy.
 The most importance characteristic of a monitor is
clarity.
 Clarity refers to the quality of and sharpness of the
displayed images. It is a function of several monitor
features:
◦ Resolution
◦ Dot pitch
◦ Contrast ratios
◦ Size
◦ Aspect ratio 52
Types of monitors:
 Flat-panel monitors are the most widely used
type of monitor today.
 Compared to other types, they are thinner, are
more portable, and require less power to
operate. Example: LCD, LED, OLED.
 Curved monitors
 E-books readers

Other monitors:
 Digital or interactive whiteboards
 Ultra-high-definition television (UHDTV)
 Digital projectors
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Printers
 Printers translate information that has been
processed by the system unit and present
information on papers.
 Printer output is referred to as hard copy.
 Features
◦ Resolution
◦ Color capability
◦ Speed
◦ Memory
◦ Duplex printing
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Types of Printers:
 Ink-jet printer.
 Laser printer.
◦ Personal laser printers.
◦ Shared laser printers.
 3D printers

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Other printers:
 Cloud printers connected to the Internet that
provide printing services to others on the
Internet.
 Thermal printers use heat elements to produce
images on heat-sensitive paper.
 Plotters are special-purpose printers for
producing a wide range of specialized output.

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Audio-Output Devices
 Audio-Output Devices translate audio
information from the computer into sounds that
people can understand.
 The most common devices are:
◦ Speakers
◦ Headphones
 These devices are connected to a sound card in
the system unit.

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