Components of the Computer - Input Unit, CPU and Output Unit

A computer is an electronic device consisting of various electronic components. A computer is

 Input Unit
 Central Processing Unit
 Output Device

Input Unit

Input Unit is an electronic component that is used to enter the data and instructions to the computer. In
general, the computer system can accept the special data format so that all input devices can have the
capability to convert the data into some format which is accepted only by the computer. Input devices
provide communication between the user and the computer. There are different types of input devices
available in the market such as:

 Keyboard

 Mouse

 Scanner

 Joystick

 Light pen

 Microphone

 Webcam

 Punched card

 Punched tape

The handling of these devices is different but the operation of all input devices is the same. Input devices
provide the way for the the user to easily interact with the computer.

The main functionality of the Input devices

 Get the data or instructions from the user

 Convert it into the computer acceptable format

 Give them to the computer's processor for further processing.

Central Processing Unit

CPU acts as the brain of the computer. All mathematical calculations and logical operations are done only
in the CPU. It stores data, programs, and intermediate results. CPU is responsible for all activities that
happen inside the computer. It controls all parts of the computer. It consists of three main units:

 Arithmetic and logical unit

 Memory unit

The main functionality of the CPU

 Stores program and data

 Processes or executes the instructions

 Controls all activities of the computer

 Sends the results to the output devices

Output Unit

Output Unit is an electronic part of the computer used to display or give the output to the user. It
provides communication between computer and user. It gets the results from CPU and converts it into a
form that humans can understand.

Examples of output devices are:

 monitor

 printer

 plotter

 speaker

 video card

 projector

The main functionality of the output Unit

 Get results from Processor

 Convert it into the user-readable format

 Display or give it to the user

Computer Memory- Computer Memory is made up of semiconductor material, typically Metal Oxide
Semiconductor(MOS) organized as a cell.

CPU registers- Register memory is a very small piece of very high speed memory. Data for Arithmetic
operations are loaded into registers. Once Arithmetic operations are done, it will be stored in the RAM

RAM-RAM is volatile or temporary memory. Volatile memory loses the data when the electircal power is
OFF. RAM stores data and input that user provides temporarily before and after it is processed by CPU.
Data moves between RAM and registers.

Once the processing is done, the data is either stored in the secondary storage or discarded. Data moves
between RAM and secondary storage.
ROM-ROM is read-only and non-volatile memory. ROM stores the firmware required to start the
computer.

Cache-Cache is volatile memory placed closed to CPU. Cache speed is faster than RAM and less than
Registers. Hence, CPU uses cache to temporarily store data needed to be moved frequently to and from
regiters.

Internal hard disk drive-Internal hard disk drive (HDD) non-volatile permanent internal storage that is
inside the Desktop or Laptop. Popular size of hard disk as of today is 1TB

External Hard Drive- External hard disk drive (HDD) non-volatile external storage that is connected to the
Desktop or Laptop via USB cable. Popular size of hard disk as of today is 1TB, 2TB, 4TB,8TB or 16TB.

Solid State Drive- SSD Solid State Drive is 3 to 10 times faster to access than Hard Disk Drive. SSD is
expensive compared to HDD. Laptops as of 2022 come with 1TB Hard disk drive / 256 or 512GB SSD.

List of Storage Devices

Storage devices mean the devices which are being used to store the information or data in bulk.
Information can be stored in these devices and let’s discuss them in detail.

The storage devices are the components of a computer system that holds data and orders that will be
analysed. Secondary storage is a component of computer hardware that stores data to process the
results of computing activity. A system will not allow functioning or even load up without a storage
device. In other terms, a data store is a piece of equipment that is used to transfer, store, or extract data
files. It may also temporarily and permanently store data and information.

A storage device is among the essential components of any computer system, and it comes in a variety of
shapes and sizes depending on the requirements and functionality. It holds almost all of the large
datasets in a computer, except the exception of hardware-software. A storage device comes in a variety
of shapes and sizes; for example, a computer has numerous file systems such as a hard drive, RAM, and
cache. These have also optical disc drives and USB drives that may be linked outside. There are two sorts
of storage systems that store data: main and secondary.

Types of computer storage

1. Primary storage devices: primary storage is also referred to as internal memory. This is a
component that is present inside the CPU which is used to store the temporary files and process
them to get immediate results. The best examples for primary storage devices are RAM (Random
access memory) and ROM (Read-only memory).

2. Secondary storage devices: From the name itself this can be known that this is a type of
secondary storage which is external to the computer system. It is not as primary storage as here
the data is being stored for the long term or we can say it’s permanent storage.

Storage devices in a computer

Primary storage devices

ROM- ROM means read-only memory. This is also known as non-volatile memory as the information
here is stored permanently until and unless it’s deleted by the user.

Magnetic storage devices

Floppy disk- It is a type of storage device which is used in the personal computer on a personal basis.
Floppy disk is generally used with plastic and is made secure by using protective cases.

Hard disk- It’s a hard disc drive (HDD) that uses magnetic storage to store and retrieve data. It’s a non-
volatile device that stores data that could be changed or deleted an infinite number of times.

Magnetic disk- It’s a card that stores data by changing or reorganising the magnetism of microscopic
metal magnetic nanoparticles on the card’s band. A swipe card is another name for it.

Flash memory devices

Pen drive- This is also called a USB drive since it has flash memory and a built-in USB interface. These
devices can be immediately connected to our desktops and laptops, allowing us to read data into them
even more quickly and efficiently.

SSD- It refers to Solid State Drive, a type of mass storage technology similar to hard disc drives. It is much
more resilient than hard drives as it does not require visual discs.

Sd card- A Contactless Smart Card is what it’s called. It is commonly used for storing greater information
on electronic devices such as phones, cameras, and so on.

Memory card- It’s commonly found in digital cameras, printers, gaming consoles, and other electronic
devices. It may be used to carry lots of data and comes in a variety of sizes. A memory card reader is
required to use a storage device on a computer.

Optical storage devices

CD- Compact Disc is the name for it. It has data-storage channels and sections on its surface. It has a
round form and is composed of polycarbonate plastic.

DVD- Digital Versatile Disc is the name given to it. DVDs are data storage discs that are round and flat. It
is available in two distinct sizes: 4.7Gigabyte solitary discs and 8.5Gigabyte dual discs.

Cloud and virtual storage- Digital or cloud storage systems have replaced secondary memory in recent
years. We can keep our documents and other items on the cloud for just as much as we subscribe to
cloud storage. Many corporations, namely amazon, google, Microsoft, and others, offer cloud services.