Introduction To Computers

Vani Agrawal
What is a computer ?
A computer is an electronic
device capable of performing
arithmetic and logical
operations. It can also store a
large volume of information.
Arithmetic operations involve the
general mathematical calculations like
addition, subtraction, multiplication and
division.
Logical operations involve comparisions

like > < = etc.
How does a computer work?
INPUT  PROCESS  OUTPUT
INPUT consists of DATA & INSTRUCTION.
PROCESS is a set of instructions stored in the

computer to carry out the instructions given by
the user. The process is also called a
PROGRAM.
OUTPUT is the set of results generated after

processing the Input.
DATA & INFORMATION
DATA is described as some FACTS, FIGURES
and STATISTICS about a particular instance.
For example : MARKS in individual subjects.
INFORMATION is some FACTS, FIGURES

and STATISTICS which help us in decision
making. Generally information is the result of
data processing.
For example : PERCENTAGE & GRADE.

HARDWARE
Hardware are the PHYSICAL COMPONENTS
of the Computer System.
Examples :
All the electronic parts.
All cables.
All accessories.
SOFTWARE
SOFTWARE are the logical components of the

computer system. These are basically the
programs and information stored in the
computer.
The hardware and software can be better
explained with the help of a music system.
Hardware :
The device, cassette, tape, wires etc.
Software :
The music stored in the tapes.
Characteristics of Computer
SPEED
STORAGE
ACCURACY
VERSATILITY
AUTOMATION
DILIGENCE
SPEED
The speed with which the computer works can
be understood by the units of measurement of
time within a computer. They are :
MILLI SECOND – 1/1000TH OF A SECOND

MICRO SECOND – 1/1000TH OF A MILLI SECOND
NANO SECOND – 1/1000TH OF A MICRO SECOND
PICO SECOND – 1/1000TH OF A NANO SECOND
STORAGE
A computer can store a large volume of
information.
ACCURACY
The accuracy of the computers is consistently
high. Errors in the machinery may occur, but due
to efficient error-detecting techniques, these very
seldom lead to wrong results. Errors in
computing are due to human rather than
technological weaknesses.
So, we can say that

A COMPUTER NEVER MAKES
ANY MISTAKE
VERSATILITY
Computers seem capable of performing any task, provided
the task can be broken to a series of logical steps.
The computer actually performs only four basic operations :

•Exchanges information with the outside world via INPUT /
OUTPUT devices
•Transfers data within the computer to the different units
•Performs basic arithmetical operations
•Performs operations of comparison
We can reduce the daily activities into steps of the above

operations with the help of Programming.
AUTOMATION
Once a program to perform a particular
task is stored in the computer, the
individual instructions in the program
are carried out one after the other
automatically to complete the task.
Hence the user requires to just press

certain keys and give the data input. The
data is automatically processed to
produce the output.
DILIGENCE
Being a machine, a computer does not suffer
from the human traits of tiredness and lack of
concentration. If 5 million calculations are to be
performed, it will perform all of them, even the
last one with exactly the same accuracy and
speed.
In fact, there are some computers which are

constantly on for hours, days, months and years
are never switched off.
BASIC STRUCTURE
The computer receives input, processes it and
delivers output.
To perform these tasks it has different units and
each unit is responsible for a specific task.
The units are INPUT, MEMORY, CONTROL
UNIT (CU), ARITHMETIC & LOGIC UNIT
(ALU) AND OUTPUT.
The CU and ALU together are called CENTRAL
PROCESSING UNIT (CPU).
INPUT DEVICE
It is used for transferring data from
the users’ end to the computer.
OUTPUT DEVICE
It is used to transfer processed
information from the computer to
the user in a way required by the
user.
MEMORY UNIT
It stores instruction and data and provides
them to the various other units as and when
required. It is basically the working memory
of the computer system. This memory unit is
volatile, i.e. it is temporary memory and
nothing can be stored here permanently. The
information is stored in the main memory as
long the computer is switched on or as long
as it is required by the computer.
CONTROL UNIT
Controls the various operations
within a computer. It basically
manages all the other units and
devices of the computer system. It
does so by transmitting timing and
control signals to the various devices
and units.
ARITHMETIC & LOGIC UNIT
It performs the various arithmetic
and logical operations on the data
stored in memory, as dictated by the
instruction.
There are various basic circuits to
perform these operations.
SECONDARY STORAGE
It stores the various data, information
and programs permanently for future
retrieval. The information is
organised in such a way to retrieve it
in minimum time whenever required.
The stored information remains as
long the user wants it.
BUS
These are a set of connecting wires
used for setting interconnection
between the various devices in the
system. Each set of bus has a specific
function to perform like carrying
data, carrying control signals and
addresses.
BLOCK DIAGRAM
DATA FLOW CONTROL FLOW
SECONDARY
STORAGE
INPUT MEMORY OUTPUT

DEVICE UNIT DEVICE
CONTROL
UNIT
ARITHMETIC
& LOGIC UNIT CPU
HARDWARE
Input devices :
KEYBOARD : It is an input device to

give character based inputs to the
computer. All types of data,
instruction and information can be
given through the keyboard.
Compiled by : S. Agarwal, Lecturer & Systems Incharge, St. Xavier's College, Kolkata.
Although the typing portion of the
computer keyboard is identical to a
standard typewriter, computers have
several additional keys that perform
different functions.
MOUSE : It is used for graphics
based inputs. It can mainly select
some graphical icons and select
some options from a menu. It can
not be used for giving data to the
computer.
SCANNER : It is
used for graphical
inputs.
Pictures, images,
drawings etc. can
be scanned and
stored in the
computer.
Operation of the SCANNER :
On the simplest level, a scanner is a device which converts
light (which we see when we look at something) into 0s and
1s (a computer-readable format). In other word, scanners
convert analogue data into digital data.
DIFFERENT INPUT TYPES
MICR : Magnetic Ink Character
Recognition.
This system uses highly stylized
character shapes printed in an ink
containing magnetic particles.
These characters pre-printed in
magnetic ink are recognised by a
device called MICR reader.
Mainly used in Bank Cheques.
MICR CHEQUE NUMBER
OMR : Optical Mark Reading
Forms and cards are pre-printed for
special purposes so that a mark can be
made in a specified position. Each
mark at a position has a specific
meaning and after scanning, the data
gets transferred to computer.
Mainly used in correcting answers to
Multiple Choice Question Papers.
BAR-CODE RECOGNITION : Lines or
bars can be arranged in a code and
are used particularly for labelling
goods etc. Bar-code reading is
performed by a scanner. A sequence
of bits is generated and the
information is recorded.
BAR CODE FOR PRODUCT CODE
VOICE INPUT : This system accepts
spoken input. The waveform
created by the input is analysed,
patterns are extracted and matched
against pre-stored patterns to
identify the input. The words and
phrases the system is to recognise,
are spoken with the system and the
patterns are created for future
matching. For the voice of more
than one person, training with the
system must be done separately.
OUTPUT DEVICES
VDU : Visual Display Unit. Also

called a monitor or a screen. It a
device similar to a TV screen. The
output on a VDU is temporary.
The technology behind monitors and televisions is
The cathode-ray tube, or CRT, A CRT is an sealed
glass bottle with no air inside. It begins with a slim
neck and tapers outward until it forms a large base.
The base is the monitor’s ‘screen’ and is coated on
the inside with a matrix of thousands of tiny
phosphor dots. Phosphors are chemicals which emit
light when excited by a stream of electrons: different
phosphors emit different coloured light.
Each dot consists of three

blobs of coloured phosphor:
one red, one green, one blue.
These groups of three
phosphors make up what is
known asCompiled
a single pixel.
by : S. Agarwal, Lecturer & Systems Incharge, St. Xavier's College, Kolkata.
PRINTER : A printer produces
output on paper which can be
permanently kept.
TYPES OF PRINTERS :
•DOT MATRIX
•INK JET PRINTER
•LASER PRINTER
Operation of Ink Jet Printer :
Inkjet printing, like laser printing, is a non-impact

method. Ink is emitted from nozzles as they pass
over a variety of possible media, and the operation
of an inkjet printer is easy to visualise: liquid ink in
various colours being squirted at the paper to build
up an image. A print head scans the page in
horizontal strips, using a motor assembly to move it
from left to right and back, as another motor
assembly rolls the paper in vertical steps. A strip of
the image is printed, then the paper moves on, ready
for the next strip. To speed things up, the print head
doesn’t print just a single row of pixels in each pass,
but a vertical row of pixels at a time.
Most inkjets use thermal technology, whereby heat
is used to fire ink onto the paper. There are three
main stages with this method. The squirt is initiated
by heating the ink to create a bubble until the
pressure forces it to burst and hit the paper. The
bubble then collapses as the element cools, and the
resulting vacuum draws ink from the reservoir to
replace the ink that was ejected.
Operation of a LASER printer :
Where the image to be printed is communicated to it via a
page description language, the printer’s first job is to convert
the instructions into a bitmap. This is done by the printer’s
internal processor, and the result is an image (in memory) of
which every dot will be placed on the paper.
At the heart of the laser printer is a small rotating drum - the

organic photo-conducting cartridge (OPC) - with a coating
that allows it to hold an electrostatic charge. A laser beam
scans across the surface of the drum, selectively imparting
points of positive charge onto the drum's surface that will
ultimately represent the output image. The area of the drum is
the same as that of the paper onto which the image will
eventually appear, every point on the drum corresponding to
a point on the sheet of paper. In the meantime, the paper is
passed through an electrically charged wire which deposits a
negative charge onto it.
DOT MATRIX INK-JET
LASER
DOT INK LASER
MATRIX JET
CHARACTER YES YES YES

BASED
OUTPUT
GRAPHICS NO GOOD EXCELLENT
BASED
OUTPUT
OUTPUT OK GOOD EXCELLENT
QUALITY
COST LOW HIGH VERY HIGH

EFFECTIVE RECURRIN RECURRING RECURRING
G COST COST COST
COLOR NO OK EXCELLENT
PLOTTER : It is a special kind of
printer for printing drawings on
large sheets of paper.
STORAGE DEVICES
HARD DISK : It a device fixed to a

computer and can store large
volumes of information. It uses
magnetic media and electro
magnetic theory to read and store
information.
The standard capacity : 10 – 20 GB
FLOPPY DISK : It is a cassette like
device to store information. It is
external to a computer and can be put
into a floppy disk drive (FDD) attached
to a computer for reading and writing
information. It also uses electro
magnetic theory.
Since it is not fixed to a computer,
information can be copied from the hard
disk of a computer to a floppy and can
be used in another computer.
Standard capacity : 1.44 MB
CD : It stands for COMPACT DISK. It is
the same as any other music or video
CD. It is also external to a computer and
can be put into a CD drive attached to a
computer for reading information. It
uses OPTICAL technology to read
information.
Information once written into a CD can
not be erased or changed. Hence it is
called a ROM (Read Only Memory).
Standard capacity : 650 MB
FLOPPY DISK HARD DISK
CD ROM
Hard drives are magnetic storage devices that
contain several discs inside called "Platters" that
are attached to a spindle motor. The number of
platters varies depending on the capacity of the
drive. Platters are coated with a film of
magnetically sensitive substance that is primarily
made of iron oxide. Another important ingredient is
a thin layer of cobalt alloy.
The read/write heads are

responsible for reading and
writing to the platters and
are attached to the head
actuator which is in charge
of moving the heads around
the platters.
There’s a read/write head for each
side of each platter, mounted on
arms which can move them
towards the central spindle or
towards the edge. The arms are
moved by the head actuator, which
contains a voice-coil - an
electromagnetic coil that can move
a magnet very rapidly. Loudspeaker
cones are vibrated using a similar
mechanism.
The heads are designed to touch the platters when the disk
stops spinning - that is, when the drive is powered off.
During the spin-down period, the airflow diminishes until it
stops completely, when the head lands gently on the
platter surface - to a dedicated spot called the landing zone
(LZ). The LZ is dedicated to providing a parking spot for
the read/write
Compiled by heads, and& never
: S. Agarwal, Lecturer contains
Systems Incharge, data.
St. Xavier's College, Kolkata.
When a disk undergoes a low-level format, it is divided it into
tracks and sectors. The tracks are concentric circles around
the central spindle on either side of each platter. Tracks
physically above each other on the platters are grouped
together into cylinders which are then further subdivided into
sectors of 512 bytes apiece. The sector is a disk's smallest
accessible unit. To improve performance, data sectors are
allocated in groups called clusters.
Floppy drives are the slots on the front
of your computer that you insert disks
into, copy files to, and install
programs from. These drives accept
3½" disks. These diskettes come in
different densities. The standard disks
of today are called high-density. They
usually hold 1.44 MB of data. The
newest disks are called extended-
capacity and they hold 2.88 MB.
Floppy disks are also a form of
magnetic storage that function
similarly to hard drives. There is a
spring loaded metal cover that is
moved aside during operation that
exposes a mylar disk that is coated
with a ferro-magnetic substance.
The drive's read/write heads access
the disk as it turns on a spindle.
The Compact Disc itself is a thin
plastic disk some 12 cm. in diameter.
Information is encoded in a plastic-

encased spiral track contained on the
top of the disk.
The spiral track is read optically by a

noncontact head which scans
approximately radially as the disk
spins just above it.
MEMORY : There are two types of
memory : RAM & ROM.
RAM : Random Access Memory. It is

the main memory of the computer.
It is volatile memory and the
information gets erased whenever
the power supply is switched off.
There are different types of RAM:
Static RAM (SRAM) This RAM will maintain its

data as long as power is provided to the memory
chips. It does not need to be rewritten periodically.
SRAM is very fast but much more expensive than
DRAM. SRAM is often used as cache memory due to
its speed. (CACHE memory is the memory used
directly by the CPU).
Dynamic RAM (DRAM) DRAM, unlike SRAM,

must be continually rewritten in order for it to
maintain its data. This is done by placing the
memory on a refresh circuit that rewrites the data
several hundred times per second. DRAM is used for
most system memory because it is cheap and small.
ROM : Read Only Memory
Information is burnt into the ROM
chip at the time of manufacturing.
It can not be erased or altered and
fresh information can not be
written into the ROM. The BIOS is
stored on ROM because the user
cannot disrupt the information.
BIOS : Basic Input Output System.
It contains some instructions
required internally by the computer.
There are different types of ROM.
Programmable ROM (PROM) This is basically a blank

ROM chip that can be written to once. It is much like a CD-R
drive that burns the data into the CD. Some companies use
special machinery to write PROMs for special purposes.
Erasable Programmable ROM (EPROM) This is just like

PROM except that you can erase the ROM by shining a special
ultra-violet light into a sensor atop the ROM chip for a certain
amount of time. Doing this wipes the data out, allowing it to
be rewritten.
Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM (EEPROM)

(Also called Flash BIOS) This ROM can be rewritten through
the use of a special software program. Flash BIOS also
operates this way, allowing users to upgrade their BIOS.
ROM is slower than RAM, which is why some try to shadow it

to increase speed.
CPU : Central Processing Unit. It is
also called the micro processor.
There are CPUs with varying

efficiency and the quality of the
computer depends mainly on the
CPU present on the main board.
Example of some CPUs by Intel.
•8088 1985
•80386 1987
•80486 1988
•Pentium – I 1990
•Pentium – II 1994
•Pentium - III 1995
•Pentium – IV 2001
SOFTWARE :
A set of programs that utilises the
hardware and uses its’ capabilities
to perform various tasks.
Program : A program is a set of

instructions stored in the computer
to solve specific problems.
CLASSIFICATION OF SOFTWARE
SOFTWARE
SYSTEM APPLICATION
OPERATING SYSTEM TRANSLATORS READY-MADE CUSTOMISED
INTERPRETER COMPILER
SYSTEM SOFTWARE : The system
s/w are a set of programs specially
designed for performing tasks such
as, controlling the computer
hardware, and utilising the
resources to help the application
software solve specific problems.
OPERATING SYSTEM : Programs to
control the hardware and provide
user interface. It is essential for
every computer.
Functions :
•Memory management
•CPU management
•Input / Output management
•Storage / File management
•Provide user interface
TRANSLATOR : Translates high level
language to low level language and
vice-versa.
LOW LEVEL LANGUAGE : The

language of bits understood directly
by the computer. It is also called
the machine language.
HIGH LEVEL LANGUAGE : The

language of users understood by
the computer only after translation.
A computer language comprises of
key words and syntax. Using the
key words and following the syntax,
commands and instructions are
written step by step to develop the
program.
The program is then translated into

machine language by using the
translators.
There are many languages and any
one can be used to develop
programs.
Each language has it’s capabilities
and limitations.
COBOL Commercial applications

BASIC Beginners’ language
FORTRAN Mathematical and scientific applications
C System level programming
There are two types of translators :
INTERPRETER & COMPILER.
An interpreter takes one instruction
at a time, translates it and moves
on to the next statement in the
program. Hence, executing the
entire program step by step.
Each time we execute a program
the source program and the
interpreter, both are required.
A compiler takes all the high level
language instructions at a time and
creates a corresponding machine
language program which can be
directly executed by the computer.
Hence, after compilation neither the
source program nor the compiler
program is required.
HIGH TRANSLATION & MACHINE
LEVEL LANGUAGE
LANGUAGE COMPILATION PROGRAM
PROGRAM
APPLICATION SOFTWARE :
These are programs developed
using one of the languages to
perform a specific task.
READY MADE :
These are programs developed by
software companies for general
purpose applications. These
programs can be bought and can be
installed in the hard disk of a
computer.
Examples : MS-WORD, FACT, TALLY,
FOXPRO etc.
CUSTOMISED OR TAILOR MADE :
These are programs developed for
SPECIFIC USER REQUIREMENT
within an organisation. These
programs are developed by
programmers as per the user
requirements.
Examples : Mark-sheet, Salary,
Sales information, Railway
reservation etc.
End of show.
Thank you.

Introduction To Computers

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Vani Agrawal

Logical operations involve comparisions

PROCESS is a set of instructions stored in the

OUTPUT is the set of results generated after

For example : MARKS in individual subjects.

INFORMATION is some FACTS, FIGURES

For example : PERCENTAGE & GRADE.

SOFTWARE are the logical components of the

MILLI SECOND – 1/1000TH OF A SECOND

So, we can say that

The computer actually performs only four basic operations :

We can reduce the daily activities into steps of the above

Hence the user requires to just press

In fact, there are some computers which are

INPUT MEMORY OUTPUT

KEYBOARD : It is an input device to

VDU : Visual Display Unit. Also

Each dot consists of three

Inkjet printing, like laser printing, is a non-impact

At the heart of the laser printer is a small rotating drum - the

CHARACTER YES YES YES

COST LOW HIGH VERY HIGH

HARD DISK : It a device fixed to a

The read/write heads are

Information is encoded in a plastic-

The spiral track is read optically by a

RAM : Random Access Memory. It is

Static RAM (SRAM) This RAM will maintain its

Dynamic RAM (DRAM) DRAM, unlike SRAM,

Programmable ROM (PROM) This is basically a blank

Erasable Programmable ROM (EPROM) This is just like

Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM (EEPROM)

ROM is slower than RAM, which is why some try to shadow it

There are CPUs with varying

Program : A program is a set of

OPERATING SYSTEM TRANSLATORS READY-MADE CUSTOMISED

LOW LEVEL LANGUAGE : The

HIGH LEVEL LANGUAGE : The

The program is then translated into

COBOL Commercial applications

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