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CM1 Computers

A computer accepts input, stores data, processes information, outputs results, and has a control unit that coordinates operations. It takes in data through keyboards and other devices, stores information in both primary and secondary memory, performs calculations in the processor, and displays outputs on monitors and printers. The control unit manages all the components.

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hchandrika116
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23 views

CM1 Computers

A computer accepts input, stores data, processes information, outputs results, and has a control unit that coordinates operations. It takes in data through keyboards and other devices, stores information in both primary and secondary memory, performs calculations in the processor, and displays outputs on monitors and printers. The control unit manages all the components.

Uploaded by

hchandrika116
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Basic Organization of a

Computer
A computer is an electronic device that performs five major operations:
1. Accepting data or instructions (input).
2. Storing data.
3. Processing data.
4. Displaying results (output).
5. Controlling and coordinating all operations inside a computer.
Input

 This is the process of entering data and instructions(also known as programs)


into the computer system
 The data and instructions can be entered by using different input devices
such as keyboard, mouse, scanner, and trackball
Storage

 It is the process of saving data and permanently in the computer so that they
can be used for processing.
 A computer has two types of storage areas:
✓ Primary Storage
✓ Secondary Storage
 Primary storage- also known as the main memory, is the storage area that is
directly accessible by the CPU at very high speeds
It is used to :
✓ store the data and parts of programs.
✓ the intermediate results of processing.
✓ the recently generated results of jobs that are currently being worked on by the
computer.
✓ Primary storage space is very expensive.
✓ It is limited in capacity.
✓ Another drawback of main memory is that it is volatile in nature- as soon as the
computer is switched off, the information stored gets erased.
✓ An example of primary storage is Random Access Memory (RAM)
Secondary storage -

✓ Also known as auxiliary memory, this memory is just the opposite of primary
memory
✓ It is cheaper, non-volatile, and used to permanently store data and programs
of those jobs that are not being currently executed by the CPU.
✓ An example is the magnetic disk used to store data, such as C and D drives,
for future use.
Output

 It is the process of giving the result of data processing to the outside world.
 The results are given through output devices such as monitor, and printer
 The output device is used to convert the results available in binary codes into
a human-readable language before displaying it to the user.
Control Unit
 The control unit (CU) is the central nervous system of the entire computer
system.
 It manages and controls all the components of the computer system.
 Note that the CPU is a combination of the arithmetic logic unit (ALU) and the
CU
 The CPU is better known as the brain of the computer system because the
entire processing of data is done in the ALU
Processing

 The process of performing operations on the data as per the instructions specified by
the user (program) is called processing.
 Data and instructions are taken from the primary memory and transferred to the
ALU, which performs all sorts of calculations
 The intermediate results of processing may be stored in the main memory, as they
might be required again.
 When the processing completes, the final result is then transferred to the main
memory
 Hence, the data may move from main memory to the ALU multiple times before the
processing is over

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