GTE

211
Computing and software
CONTENTS : PART 1 (INTRODUCTION) Engineering

Contents
INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................. 4
COURSE INFORMATION .................................................................................................................. 12
CONTENTS.......................................................................................................................................... 13
COURSE DETAILS ............................................................................................................................. 14
Module 1: Introduction to Computer Systems ............................................................................... 14
Unit 1: Fundamentals of Computer Systems ................................................................................. 14
Unit 2: Computer Software ........................................................................................................... 24
Module 2: Computer Hardware Architecture ................................................................................. 28
Unit 1: Von Neumann Computer Architecture ......................................................................... 28
Unit 2: Central Processing Unit .................................................................................................... 34
Unit 3: Computer Data Storage and Memory Devices .............................................................. 38
Module 3: Computer Peripheral Devices ....................................................................................... 46
Unit 1: Input Devices ........................................................................................................................ 46
Unit 2: Output Devices ..................................................................................................................... 54
Module 4 Motherboard

COURSE DETAILS

Module 1: Introduction to Computer Systems

Unit 1: Fundamentals of Computer Systems

CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Intended Learning Outcomes
3.0 Main Content
3.1 Definition of a Computer
3.2 Descriptions of Computer Systems
3.3 Classifications and types of Computer Systems
3.4 Historical Generation Advancement of computer systems
3.5 Comparison between Hardware and Software

4.0 Conclusion
5.0 Summary
6.0 Self-Assessment Exercises
7.0 References and Further Reading
1
GTE
211
Computing and software
Engineering

1.0 Introduction
Today, almost everyone uses computers directly or indirectly to solve diverse
problems ranging from word processing to internet-based applications. For
instance, your access to this course material is through the use of computers
and computer applications. This course is about the Computing: Computing
refers to the process of using computers to perform tasks, solve problems, or
carry out computations. It encompasses the theoretical, practical, and
technological aspects of working with computers. The first module addresses
the introductory theories about computer systems. It also deals with
interconnectivity and relationship with the major modules of a standard
computer system. In this Unit, we shall discuss some fundamental concepts
relating to a computer system. The Unit also explains the computer device and
system configuration.

2.0 Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of this Unit, you will be able to:

2
GTE
211
Computing and software
 Understand the concepts of computer systems Engineering
 Observe the interconnectivity of subsystems in a computer system

3.0 Main contents

3.1 Definition of a Computer

A computer can be described as an electronic device that can receive data,

process the data, and produce the result as the outcome. Conventionally, the
received data is known as input while the result of the processing is known as
output or information. A computer also has the capability of storing data
and/or information in its memory for future use. This relationship is illustrated
in Figure 1.

INPUT OUTPUT
(DATA) PROCESSING (INFORMATION)

(Computer)

Figure 1 Computer Device Data Flow Process

Basically, a computer is divided into two major parts, namely, hardware and
software. This configuration is like the division of human being into body and
spirit/soul. That is, the body is the hardware while the software is the spirit or soul.
While the hardware, the physical or most visible part is tangible, the software is
intangible. Normally, the software resides and operates within the hardware.
Essentially, hardware the physical part of the computer while the software is the code
that runs on the computer.
Computers are capable of processing numerical data in form of 0’s and 1’s or simply
in binary digital format. This digital format is the basis of the machine language
which differs from human-readable languages. They can solve repetitive
computational jobs with high level of accuracy and timeliness depending on the
software capability.

3.2 Description of a Computer System

A computer system involves a complete suite of hardware and software resources as
well as the users that operate the computer system. While a computer system does
the basic function of a computer device, different kinds of computer systems can
handle certain specific additional functionalities. This will be addressed later in this
Module.

3
 GTE
211
Computing and software
Ideally, a full-fledged computer system is made up of users, Engineering
application software,
systems software, operating system and hardware as shown in Figure 2.

Users

Application
Software

Systems software

Operating system

Hardware

Figure 2 Architecture of a Computer System

In Figure 2, each of the computer system parts is known as a subsystem. In this case,a subsystem is made up of
more than one component. . For instance, the users’ subsystem comprises expert users, programmers/developers,
and end-users. System Software is a general term that includes any software designed to manage the
system's hardware and provide a platform for applications. The Operating System is one specific type of
system software that serves as the central software controlling the overall operation of the computer
system

3.3 Classifications and Types of computers

You must have been aware that many kinds and types of computers exist for different
applications and computational needs. Can you identify some of these? Essentially,
computers while maintaining their basic functionalities, can be categorized
according to their processing power, internal design, applicability, and physical size.
These categories are as follows:
 Personal computers
Personal computers, popularly shortened as PC, are common, cheaper,
versatile, small and portable in sizes. They are single-user computer based on
different kinds of microprocessors. Laptops are kinds of PCs that consume
less power due to their miniaturized integrated internal components. We shall
discuss about processors and their types later in this course.

4
GTE
211
Computing and software
Today, many students, office workers and business Engineering
people use personal
computer to carry out many tasks. Such tasks include word processing,
graphical designs, desktop publishing, accounting operations, spreadsheets,
video editing, teleconferencing among others.

It should be noted that the specifications of personal computers have evolved over
the years due to explosion in human population, advancement in software and
hardware components.

 Workstations
These computers are relatively more powerful than PCs in terms of
computational capability. They are also single-user based. Although, a
workstation is like a personal computer, however it has a higher specifications
and better quality. These high-end computers are often used to execute
complex and large computational jobs in lesser time, so they are usually more
costly than PCs. These types of computers are found in research laboratories,
research institutions, universities, Space, automotive, and manufacturing
industries.

Note that the specifications of workstation computers have also evolved over the
years due to software and tasks requirements.

 Minicomputers
Minicomputers are multi-users-based computers. They support a large array
of users concurrently and are usually able to handle larger complex or/and
large computational jobs. PCs and workstations are usually connected to
minicomputers in a network for the joint execution of tasks, processes, and
programs. Minicomputers are not portable, they belong to large organizations
such as the Nigerian National Space Research and Development Agency
(NASRDA), National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Central
Bank of Nigeria (CBN), national astronautics and space administration
(NASA), European Space Agency (ESA), among others. During your next
industrial training, you may wish to visit such organization to see such
computers.
It should be noted that the specifications of minicomputers computers have also
evolved over the years due to software and hardware advancement.

 Mainframe
Mainframe computers are larger, expensive and more powerful multi-user systems.
They simultaneously support thousands of users than minicomputers. They have
higher specifications in terms of processing speed and storage. They are quite huge
and expensive. Mainframe computers are mostly found in large corporations,
5
GTE
211
Computing and software
enterprises and government organizations where many IT professionals and workers
Engineering
use them simultaneously to solve grand challenge computational problems
They are designed to perform large numbers of calculations for governments and
large enterprises
It should be noted that the specifications of mainframe computers have also evolved
over the years. International Business Machine (IBM) is one of the earliest
manufacturers of computer systems. Figure 3 shows the System z9 computer which
was a line of mainframe manufactured by IBM in 2005.

Figure 3 IBM System z9

 Supercomputer
Although, these computers are similar to mainframe, they are extremely the
fastest and can be used to perform hundreds of millions of instructions per
second. They are designed to solve grand challenge problems that are often
data- and computationally intensive, such as DNA sequencing/human
genome, Space exploration, Mars mission, national population census,
national electoral system, national database systems, banking applications and
database, health informatics, etc. A typical supercomputer can solve up to ten
trillion individual calculations per second.
It is important to note that the specifications of supercomputers have also evolved
over the years. Usually, supercomputers are the most powerful computers that exist
at a time in human history. Today, China and USA are the leading manufacturers and
users of supercomputers in the world. This fact is available at the
https://www.top500.org/ website.

Till early 2021, Fugaku, the Chinese exascale systems was known to be the world's
fastest supercomputer on Top500. As at this press time, the Intel and Cray of the
Argonne National Laboratory is working hard on the design and development of

6
GTE
211
Computing and software
Aurora as the fastest supercomputer to be commissioned in lateEngineering
2022. The project is
under the sponsorship of the United States Department of Energy. Figure 4 show a
typical structure of a computer system.

Figure 4 Computer system

These categories of computers spread across the generational phases and

development of computer systems of all history.

3.4 Historical Generations Advancements of Computers

Computer history specifically dated back to 1833 when Charles Babbage, a
mathematician, invented the first runner of digital programmable and general-
purpose computers. Barely, a century later, Electronic Numerical Integrator and
Computer (ENIAC) was invented by John W. Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert, this
computer was the first general-purpose electronic computer.
Obviously, the entire history of mainly computer hardware advancements were
distinctly partitioned into time-frame, periods, or generations according to a specific
range of advancements. The generations are as follows:

a) First Generation: 1940-1956

This generation showcased the use of vacuum tubes for logic circuitry through the
flow of electrical current. Magnetic drums were used for data transfer and storage.
During this period, machine language was developed for systematic programming.
ENIAC was among the systems developed during this period. The drawbacks of the

7
GTE
211
Computing and software
systems include slower speed, excessive heat, and high cost. Figure 5 shows a typical
Engineering
first generation computer.

Figure 5 First Generation Computers

b) Second Generation: 1957-1963

In this generation, transistors were used as the major switching devices thus making
computers smaller, faster and energy-efficient. The programming format was
assembly languages. Figure 6 shows a typical second generation computer.

Figure 6 Second Generation Computer

c) Third Generation 1964-1971

Integrated circuits (IC) were developed and used as the switching devices for the
flow of data. A single IC contains several numbers of transistors, capacitors, and
resistors in the entire circuitry. Thus, computers became smaller in size, faster in

8
GTE
211
Computing and software
processing and generally efficient. High level programming Engineering
languages were also
introduced during this period. Figure 7 shows a typical third generation computer.
Prominent computers in the third generation were PDP (Personal Data Processor),
IBM-168/360/370 series, Honeywell-6000 series

Figure 7 Third Generation computer

d) Fourth Generation Computers 1972-1990

The fourth-generation computers were based on the successful invention and
development of microprocessors as the central processing units (CPU). Personal and
portable computers were manufactured due to the production of miniatured
computing components. As a result, the Very Large Scale Integrated (VLSI) circuits
technology was implemented in the design of the microprocessors and other kinds of
switching devices. Intel was the first company to design and develop
microprocessors. The details of microprocessor or CPU will be discussed later in this
course. Efficient high-level programming languages were also developed such as
Java, C++, C#, VB.NET among others. Figure 8 shows a typical example of the
fourth Generation Computer.

Figure 8 Fourth Generation Computers

9
GTE
211
Computing and software
e) Fifth Generation Computers 1990 to date Engineering

The computers of this generation are designed based on superconductors, VLSI,

miniaturized components, multi-core technologies, and artificial intelligence. Future
computers will advance more on machine learning, expert systems, natural language
processing, neural networks, advanced parallel computation, robotics, and fuzzy logic
designs. Virtual reality, fault-tolerance, and artificial intelligence will dominate the
hardware and software designs of fifth-generation computers.
The robots are being manufactured as computing devices that can replace human beings
to work in difficult, dangerous, and boring environments with less human intervention.
Examples of these robots are satellites, Sophia, robocop, mars rover, among others. Find out
what these robots do and identify other kinds of robots. Figures 9 and 10 show examples
of the fifth generation computers.

Figure 9 Fifth generation computer - Laptop

Figure 10 Fifth generation computer - Robot

10
GTE
211
Computing and software
3.5 Comparison between Hardware and Software Engineering

Table 1 in this section shows the comparison between hardware and software.

Table 1 The comparison of hardware to software

Hardware Software

Hardware is a tangible physical parts Software is a set of instruction or codes that

computer system control the functions of a computer

Hardware devices are manufactured Software are developed

Hardware cannot function without

software. software needs hardware to operate

As Hardware are physical electronic

devices, we can see and touch We can see and also use the software but can’t
hardware. actually touch them.

Von Neumman architecture for

computer framework This adopts software models

computer viruses do not affect

computer Computer viruses can corrupt codes

Yes, hardware can do not bare metals It can be downloaded, copy and transfer

If hardware is damaged, it can be When software is damaged, corrupt it can

replaced with a new one recovery from backup or the nendows

Examples include Keyboard, Mouse,

Monitor, Printer, CPU, Hard disk, Examples include Ms Word, Excel, Power
RAM, ROM etc. Point, Photoshop, MySQL etc.

4.0 Conclusion
A computer has been described as an electronic device that is capable of
receiving data, processing the data and generating the output result in a timely
manner. A computer system comprises software and hardware. Some basic

11
GTE
211
Computing and software
categories of computers include supercomputers, mainframe, minicomputer,
Engineering
desktop computers, and personal computers.

5.0 Summary
In this Unit, you have learned about some fundamental concepts of a computer
system.

6.0 Self-Assessment Exercises

 What is a computer?
 Mention some tasks which computers can be used for
 Describe a computer system
 Advancements in computer hardware are the major causes of different
generations in computer history. Discuss.

7.0 References / Literature

Price, Derek de S. (1984). "A History of Calculating Machines". IEEE Micro. 4 (1): 22–52.
doi:10.1109/MM.1984.291305
Őren, Tuncer (2001). "Advances in Computer and Information Sciences: From Abacus to Holonic
Agents" (PDF). Turk J Elec Engin. 9 (1): 63–70.

https://www.top500.org/

Unit 2: Computer Software

Content

1.0 Introduction
Do you realize that computer hardware cannot work without software? You
have learned from the Unit 1 that software is the soul or intangible component of the
computer system. When you drive your motor car, you are able to control the
operations and direction of movement of the car. That is what a software does exactly
to the computer hardware. In this Unit 2, we shall study about the detailed
professional description of software and the types that are available to the users. It is
certain that you have used some of several kinds of software directly or indirectly
over the years. Relax well as we discuss this important subject matter in computer
systems.

12
GTE
211
Computing and software
Engineering

2.0 Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of this Unit, you will be able to:

 Understand the definition and relevance of computer software
 Know some types of computer software

3.0 Main Content

3.1 Descriptions of Computer Software

Software can simply be described as a set of codes or programs involving a
combination of well-defined instructions, scripts, procedures, documentations, and
data that can manipulate and execute predefined tasks on a computer system. These
tasks also include the control of functionalities of the computers or computing
devices in handling jobs according to the programming. The computing devices
include PCs, tablets, PDA, Automated teller machines, mobile phones, smart TVs,
and other microcontroller-based embedded systems or smart devices.
Basically, computer hardware devices cannot operate or function without software.
This inter-relationship between hardware and software is as shown in figure 2.0. You
need to also understand that a software suite comprises programs, also known as a
set of codes, design specifications, documentation, and users’ manuals.

3.2 Types of Computer Software

Since the inception of the computer age, there are have been several kinds of software
serving different purposes ranging from hardware control, users’ operations,
management of hardware to the entire system control. Most times, the users,
developers, manufacturers and programmers determine the availability of different
kinds of software that are used in the computer systems.
Generally, software can be classified into application software, system software
utility software, operating system and firmware. All these forms of software are
available in computer systems and software engineering environment so as to support
ICT facilities, computer users, programmers, developers among others. Figure 11
shows the classifications of software. Let us go through all these now.

13
GTE
211
Computing and software
Engineering

Software

Application Utility software Firm ware

Software

Systems software Operating system

Figure 11 Classifications of Computer Software

Operating system
An operating system software is a software that interfaces between system hardware,
application software and the users. It is analogous to a company secretary or
receptionist that interact between the guests and other workers or offices of the
organization. On arrival, the guests may be directed to appropriate employee or office
that can meet the needs of the guests. Thus, without the roles of operating systems
the computer hardware cannot be operated, controlled and manipulated by the users.
The effective communication between hardware and users is very important for both
parties.
Essentially, the operating systems enable the management of all the computer
resources. These resources include memory, files, processes, peripheral devices,
security features, processors, storage devices, networking functionalities, job
scheduling among others.
Operating systems (OS) can be broadly categorized as single-users and multi-users.
While a single-users OS allows one user at time, a multi-users OS allows more than
one user to operate a computer at a time. We also have single-tasking and multi-
tasking operating systems. Tasks are processes or jobs running by the computer
central processing unit. Now, you should be able differentiate between single-
tasking, and multi-tasking. A single-user OS may be either single-tasking e.g. (MS
Windows 95) or multi-tasking (e.g. MS Windows 7, 8, 9,10,11). MS here means
Microsoft, one of the prominent software developer companies in the world today.

14
GTE
211
Computing and software
Examples of single-users operating systems are MS-DOS, Windows 95, Windows
Engineering
NT, Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, etc.
Examples of multi-users operating systems are Mainframes, IBM AS400, Linux &
Unix Distributed OS, etc.
Application software
An application (app) software is a computer program suite specifically designed and
developed to solve a certain problem, perform a job or execute an activity in various
human endeavours. Mostly, applications manipulate or work on data, text, numbers,
audio, graphics, and video with respect to the objectives of the operations.
Examples of application software are MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Google
Chrome, Photoshop, MySQL etc.

Firmware
Firmware is a kind of software that enables the low-level control for a specific micro-
controller-based hardware device. Firmware software are mostly used for embedded
systems operations and control. Today, many electrical/electronic appliances such as
washing machines, air conditioning units among others have firmware running in
their computing systems.
4.0 Conclusion
It is important to note that a computer system or computing device is broadly
divided into hardware and software. While hardware refers to the physical
components or parts, the software is the soft part, non-tangible, or simply
codes and programs that drive the hardware. The computer hardware
machines cannot function without the software. Thus, the software helps to
achieve the functions a computer. Types of software include systems
software, operating systems, application software and utility software.

5.0 Summary
In this Unit, you have learned about software, types of software and software
applications.

6.0 Self-Assessment Exercises

 Give some analogies of computer software
 What are the roles of computer software?
 State some examples of computer software
 Distinguish between firmware and operating systems

7.0 References and Further Reading

Stallings (2005). Operating Systems, Internals and Design Principles.

Pearson: Prentice Hall.

15
GTE
211
Computing and software
Gagne, Silberschatz Galvin (2012). Operating Systems Concepts.
EngineeringNew York:
Wiley. p. 716. ISBN 978-1118063330.
https://www.webopedia.com/definitions/software/

Module 2: Computer Hardware Architecture

Unit 1: Von Neumann Computer Architecture

Content
1.0 Introduction
In the last Module, you learned about computers functions and the types of
computers. In this module, we shall study deeper the architectural design, layout,
nature, and structure of a computer system. In 1945, the well-known and most
acceptable standard architecture for all digital computer systems was designed and
published by John Von Neumann, a Hungarian mathematician who also doubled as
a physicist. This man was thus the architecture is tagged Von Neumann architecture.

2.0 Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of this Unit, you will be able to:

 Understand the marketecture of computer systems
 Peruse the detailed component of the computer system

3.0 Main Content

3.1 Von Neumann Computer Architecture

Von Neumann architecture described the digital-based computer hardware as a system
comprising the following major parts
 System Unit
 System board
 Central Processing unit
 Ports
 Input Devices
 Output Devices
 Memory

16
GTE
211
Computing and software
 Secondary storage Engineering
 Communication devices

The functionality of these aforementioned parts is a similitude to the joint operation of

the human body. Our brain is the central processing unit, our legs and hands are the
input/output devices. Can you guess what the memory devices may refer to?

Figure 12 shows the pictorial description of the Von Neumann architecture that serves
as the basis for all digital computer systems.

Figure 12 Von Neumann Computer Architecture

In Figure 12, the central processing unit, popularly known as CPU for short,
comprises of the control unit, arithmetic/logic unit and processor registers. The
computer system operations are also controlled by the peripheral devices which are
basically known as the input and output devices.
We shall discuss the details of these component parts in the following modules

3.2 System Unit

The system unit houses all the internal components of a computer system. These internal
components include the system board, also known as the motherboard, the power supply

17
GTE
211
Computing and software
unit, fixed hard drives, communication buses among others. Figures 12 and 14 show the
Engineering
illustrations of computer system unit.

Label
1. Monitor
2. Motherboard
3. CPU
4. RAM
5. Expansion cards
6. Power supply
7. Optical disc drive
8. Hard disk drive
9. Keyboard
10. Mouse.

Figure 13 Personal computer hardware

Figure 14 System unit of a personal computer

The entire system unit of a personal computer is often located in a plastic or metallic
case or enclosure. Such personal computers are desktops, laptops, and palmtops. The
desktop PC case, which is usually designed to be placed on desks, can either be in the
tower or flat shape. Nowadays, there are compact, all-in-one desktop system units
having all the peripheral devices integrated together. Such all-in-one systems are
manufactured by Dell, HP, and Apple (iMac). Most high-performance computer servers
and workstations are available in bigger, rack and tower shapes.

Power supply unit

The computer power supply module which is located in the system unit case enables
the conversion from 100-240V alternating current to low-voltage direct current voltage
to power the internal components according to the requirement specifications. Some

18
GTE
211
Computing and software
systems like laptops have the in-built batteries for power backup when utility power
Engineering
supply fails.

System upgrade
The computer system upgrade often refers to improvement on the hardware andsoftware
resource specifications so as to enhance the system capability and overall performance.
For instance, in terms of hardware, the RAM size, HDD/SSD capacity, visual display
unit, and CPU can be enhanced. In most cases the software and hardwareadvancements
must match. For instance, it is advisable that the 64-bit software should run on the 64-
bit processor, otherwise there may be a speed mismatch, error in computation, or
operation failure.

An expansion card, which is a printed circuit board, can be inserted plugged via its
socket into an expansion slot of a computer motherboard through the data bus according
to the required need of the computer system. Graphics, visual display unit, sound,
networks subsystems all have either in-built connections on the motherboard or
expansion cards.

3.3 Computer Communication Buses

The name bus is an analogy derived from vehicle buses to transport human beings
from one place to the other as shown in Figure 15. Computer bus lines, wire, or cables
are electrical data paths through which bits of information are transmitted between
the CPU and other components. They are communication cables and devices that
enable data transfer among the internal and external components or parts of a
computer system. Buses are also both hardware and software-based. Hardware buses
include wires, optical fibre, etc. while software-based buses include communication
protocols. The CPU word size, also known as the bus size refers to the number of
bits that can be transmitted at once. In general, this should be the same as. Figures
16 and 17 show some common types of communication buses within computer
systems.

19
GTE
211
Computing and software
Engineering

Figure 15 A vehicle bus for human transportation

Figure 16 A computer bus for data transfer

20
GTE
211
Computing and software
Engineering

Figure 17 Computer bus for data transfer between the motherboard and RAM

Historically, computer buses were initially made up of parallel electrical wires

involving several connections of hardware devices. Today, computer communication
buses also include parallel and serial physical arrangements that support the logical
functions. Computer buses are simply wired in a daisy or multidrop arrangement as
in universal serial bus or switch connections.

4.0 Conclusion
The Von Neumman computer architecture is the most acceptable standard of
computer systems parts and connections upon which computer digital systems are
based. The CPU, peripheral and storage devices are the main parts well revealed
by this standard architecture. The computer communication buses are essential for
data transfer among the computer hardware resources.

5.0 Summary
In this Unit, you have learned about computer hardware architecture. Lessons learned
include the Von Neumann architecture with respect to the interconnectivity of the
major parts of computers via different kinds of data buses.

6.0 Self-Assessment Exercises

With the aid of a well-annotated diagram, explain the main components of the Von
Neumann computer architecture
Explain the concept of data communication buses

21
GTE
211
Computing and software
Engineering

7.0 References and Further Reading

Marilyn Wolf, in Computers as Components (Fourth Edition), 2017

https://www.computerscience.gcse.guru/topic/hardware
https://www.tutorialspoint.com/basics_of_computer_science/basics_of_computer_scie
nce_types.htm
Linda Null; Julia Lobur (2006). The essentials of computer organization and
architecture (2nd ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning. pp. 33, 179–181. ISBN 978-0-7637-
3769-6

Unit 2: Central Processing Unit

Content

1.0 Introduction
In this Unit, we shall explain the roles and functions of the main internal
component of the computer system, which is the Central Processing Unit (CPU). The
CPU is metaphorically referred to as the hearth-beat or brains of the computers. The
CPU carries out the execution of computer instructions or programs and the
manipulation of data. It also controls the functions of other parts of the computer so
as to enable the smooth running of the entire computer system. The CPU is also
known as the processor, microprocessor or central processor of the computer.

2.0 Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of this Unit, you will be able to:

 Comprehend the central processing unit of the computer systems
 Understand the roles and functions of system CPU
 Know some types of CPUs

3.0 Main Content

22
GTE
211
Computing and software
Engineering
3.1 Central Processing Unit
The central processing unit (CPU), also known as the processor is an electronic
chip of an integrated circuit that control the computer and also performs arithmetic
logical operations. The main function of the CPU in a computer system is to
receive, implement and execute all the instruction codes received from the
computer hardware and software. The CPU on the satellite onboard computer is
popularly known as the central terminal unit. The CPU on the graphic adapter of
an image processing computer system is known as the graphic processing unit.
All these variants have the same functions and architecture. Figure 18 shows the
computer CPU.

Figure 18 The computer CPU

The CPU comprises of the control unit (CU), arithmetic and logical unit (ALU),
processor registers, and the program counter. Figure 19 shows the block diagram
of the CPU and its internal components.

23
GTE
211
Computing and software
Engineering

Figure 19 Block diagram of the CPU and its internal components.

How the CPU works

The figure shows that the CPU receives data through input devices and stores it
in the memory. The control unit thereafter extracts the data from the memory
according to the instructions. Consequently, the ALU executes necessary
arithmetic and logical operations on the data manipulations. These operations
include addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. The result of the
computations is stored in memory and finally sent out as output via the output
devices. The control unit basically deciphers and carries out the pre-defined
instructions or programs.
The word size refers to the number of bits of data a CPU can process at once.
Today, due to advancement in hardware technology 64 bits is the standard word
size for CPU's used in personal computers, the older CPU used 32 bits. The overall
speed of a CPU in executing programs is proportional to its word size.
Different CPUs have different types of instructions, so software made for one type
of CPU will not run on other kinds.

The Intel Pentium and PowerPC are common examples of processors for IBM-
PCs and Macintoshes respectively.
Generally, the CPU is usually located at the center of the computer motherboard
as shown in Figure 20. The CPU is usually cooled by a heat sink and fan often
mounted on top of it. Most newer CPUs include an on-die Graphics Processing
Unit (GPU) and co-processor for graphic and mathematical processing
respectively.

24
GTE
211
Computing and software
Engineering

Figure 20 The CPU inside the computer motherboard

3.2 ALU
The arithmetic logic unit (ALU) component uses a combinational digital circuit to
perform bitwise operations and arithmetic calculations on integer binary numbers.
The ALU does not operate on other fixed- or floating-point numbers. It is a key
component structure of several kinds of computing circuits, including the CPU and
GPUs. The ALU operates on the operands and codes which are the inputs as the data
for the system. Subsequently, this generates the output of the executed operations
through the status input/output which provides information about the operations.
This is achieved by the in-build external status registers.

3.3 Micro-controller or system-on-chip

The microcontroller is a complete computer on one chip, simply known as system-
on-a-chip (SoC). It is a small chip with all the required electronic components,
CPU, RAM, storage, and other circuitry in a specific device. Examples of the
applications include a smartphone or portable computer, on a single slab of an
integrated circuit, car, microwave, thermostat among others. For instance, arduino
computer on a board has a microcontroller chip.

4.0 Conclusion
The CPU is an integral part of the computer hardware. It is conspicuously
located at the centre of the motherboard. The computer CPU enables the
control of the hardware resources and also carries out the arithmetic and
logical operations of the system. The micro-controller is simply the complete
computer on a small single slab of an electronic chip.

25
GTE
211
Computing and software
Engineering
5.0 Summary
In this Unit, you have learnt about the CPU and micro-controller.

6.0 Self-Assessment Exercises

Describe the functionalities of the CPU
Identify the components of the CPU
Define a micro-controller

7.0 References and Further Reading

A.P.Godse; D.A.Godse (2009). "3". Digital Logic Design. Technical

Publications. pp. 9–3. ISBN 978-81-8431-738-1.

Hwang, Enoch (2006). Digital Logic and Microprocessor Design with VHDL.
Thomson. ISBN 0-534-46593-5

Thomas Willhalm; Roman Dementiev; Patrick Fay (December 18, 2014).

"Intel Performance Counter Monitor – A better way to measure CPU
utilization". software.intel.com. Retrieved February 17, 2015.

Liebowitz, Kusek, Spies, Matt, Christopher, Rynardt (2014). VMware

vSphere Performance: Designing CPU, Memory, Storage, and Networking
for Performance-Intensive Workloads. Wiley. p. 68. ISBN 978-1-118-00819-
5.

Regan, Gerard (2008). A Brief History of Computing. p. 66. ISBN 978-

1848000834. Retrieved 26 November 2014.

Unit 3: Computer Data Storage and Memory Devices

Content

1.0 Introduction

26
GTE
211
Computing and software
In this Unit, we shall deal with computer data memory or storage devices. These are
Engineering
significant media components of the computer system used for recording or retaining
all forms of digital data. Every computer system requires several different levels of
memory for storing system data, users’ data, programs, and instruction sets either
temporarily or permanently. The two keywords here are memory and storage, which
slightly refer to different things. While the memory devices store data for a short-
term for immediate access, the storage devices store data long-term for permanent
access. Long-term storage is also known as persistent storage duration. The data, in
this case, refers to documents, applications, programs, codes, and operating systems.
Computer memory can be classified into either primary and secondary or fixed and
removable devices.

2.0 Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of this Unit, you will be able to:

 Understand the computer memory organization and architecture
 Know some types of memory storage devices

3.0 Main Content

3.1 Primary Main Memory

The rimary memory chips which are directly accessible by the CPU, is the main
primary memory of the computer. The access speed of the main memory is faster
than any other kinds storage devices. Examples of primary memory devices are
Random Access Memory (RAM) and Read Only Memory (ROM). Both of them are
made up of solid-state materials.
Figure 21 shows different types of memory and storage devices available in
computer systems. Let us discuss some of these storage devices in detail.

27
GTE
211
Computing and software
Engineering

Figure 21 Computer memory and storage devices

Random Access Memory

Random Access Memory (RAM), is a main memory or primary storage that has
capability of holding the loaded data, instructions, operating system and all running
application, processes and other programs only during execution, that is, when the
computer system is running and powered by electricity. RAM behaves like a
scratchpad memory or whiteboard. temporary, it is a working storage area of bytes
under the supervision of the CPU. RAM stores entire data temporarily. For instance,
if you type your CV on MS Word without saving it with a file name, it remains inside
the RAM while your computer keeps working. If the power is turned off in the
process, your data and program will be erased automatically. Then you will lose your
documents or data. This means RAM is not persistent, its contents are dependent on
power supply. Therefore, always save up your document while working and making
updates.
A good feature of RAM is about faster speed of access because its contents are being
actively manipulated by the CPU. It is able to access and retrieve the value of any

28
GTE
211
Computing and software
particular byte in a few nanoseconds (1 nanosecond is 1 billionth of a second). RAM
Engineering
is more than 1000x faster than the fastest secondary storage.
Usually, RAM is designed and manufacture with a few chips packaged together onto
an integrated circuit, a popular example of this is the dual inline memory module
(DIMM) that can be inserted into the motherboard socket as shown in Figure 22.

The two common types of RAM are static RAM (SRAM) and dynamic RAM
(DRAM).
a) SRAM

This is a kind of RAM that uses flip-flops transistor or Mosfet (MOS) as

switching devices. Its access speed is fast but more expensive. Example of
SRAM is cache memory.

b) DRAM
Dynamic RAM uses capacitors as switching devices to store. The capacitors charges
when data is 1 and do not charge when the data is 0. Unlike SRAM, DRAM requires
refreshing circuits for the data refreshment so as to avoid current leakage. Usually, it
is slower but cheaper thank SRAM. Most computer main memory is made up of
DRAM due to higher access time.

Figure 22 Random Access Memory in a motherboard

29
GTE
211
Computing and software
Read-Only Memory Engineering

The Read-Only Memory (ROM) chip is a type of primary memory that stores the
basic input/output system (BIOS) information that runs when the computer is booting or
starting. They are non-volatile memory that generally contains instructions for
booting the computer or loading the operating system. This information is in boot
and power management firmware. Modern motherboards apply Unified Extensible
Firmware Interface (UEFI) instead of BIOS.

The flash chips are non-volatile devices that do not require electricity. They are used
in computers, cell phones, digital cameras, etc.
The cache memory is special high-speed memory that temporarily stores instructions
and data that the CPU is using frequently, Thus speeding up the processing. The
Level 2 or external caches generally range in size from 64 Kilobytes to 2 Megabytes.

3.2 Secondary Storage Devices

A secondary storage device can be described as a persistent or non-volatile medium
that can save up data for a long time until it is overwritten, deleted, or corrupted.
These storage devices can either be fixed or removable. Examples of secondary
storage devices are Hard Disk Drive (HDD) and Solid State Drive (SSD). The
removable USB flash drive and optical compact disks can be used to copy or transfer
data between computers. The fixed drives are usually permanently connected to the
system unit of the computer. HDD and SSD are often connected to the motherboard
through communication cables. HDD is capable of using its read/write heads to store
digital data on a magnetic surface of a rigid plate. HDD physical size is usually 3½
and 2½ inches for desktops and laptops respectively.
These types of storage devices shall be discussed as follows;
Compact Disc, DVD, Blu-ray are examples of optical external storage devices while
USB Flash Drives are made up of solid-state materials. Flash drives as also known
as thumb drives or USB-key.

Difference between Hard drives and Solid State Drives

A solid-state drive (SSD) is a secondary storage device that implements an array
of integrated circuits to store data persistently. Hard disk drives are found in
virtually all older computers, due to their high capacity and low cost, but solid-
state drives are faster and more power-efficient but more expensive. Flash drives
are removable and external SSD. They consume less power, and they are usually
faster and cheaper than hard disk drives. Technologically, hard drives store bytes
of data as a magnetic pattern on a spinning metal disk in high pitch spinning
sound. The solid-state drives that store bytes on flash chips, do not have spinning
parts but use silicon chips and electrons.

30
GTE
211
Computing and software
Today, high-performance computer clusters use disk array controllers
Engineering for greater
reliability, security, and massive storage. Figure 23 shows Hard Disk Drive for
persistent storage.

Figure 23 Hard Disk Drive for persistent storage

Figure 24 and 25 shows USB flash drive or Optical disc which can be used to transfer
data between computers via the USB port. They are compatible with most hardware and
software specifications.

Figure 24 Removable Flash Drive for persistent storage

31
GTE
211
Computing and software
Engineering

Figure 24 Removable Flash Drive for persistent storage

Flash drive
Figure 25 shows the SD Card which provides storage in devices like cameras.
This looks similar to the USB flash drive.

Figure 25 SD memory flash

Other types of removable secondary storage devices are as follows

Compact disc (CD) is a circular thin platted glass and plastic polycarbonate material of
a standard size of 12 cm with a hole in the center of about 1.5 cm and 1.2 mm in
thickness. The CD has a storage capacity of 600 MB to 700 MB of data, this
technological product is much older, the new ones will be discussed shortly. CD uses
optical laser technology instead of magnetic technology to store its contents. Figure 26
shows bottom surface of a 12 cm compact disc.

32
GTE
211
Computing and software
Engineering

Figure 26 Bottom surface of a 12 cm compact disc

Types of Compact discs are:

a) Compact disc Read-Only Memory (CD-ROM): The contents of the CD-ROM
cannot be deleted by any means. Only the publisher is allowed to access the data
imprinted on this CD. It is mostly used to store or copy small size documents or
software applications.
b) CD-Recordable (CD-R): The contents can be stored once and read several times.
Just like CD-ROM, its contents cannot be deleted or overwritten.
c) CD-RW (CD-Rewritable): The contents of CD-RW can be erased or rewritten
several times.
d) Digital Video/Versatile Disc (DVD): This type has a higher storage capacity
ranging from 4.7GB to 17GB depending on whether it is a single or dual-layer
format. The storage capacity of a DVD with a one-sided layer is 4.7 GB, the one-
sided double layer is 8.5 GB, the double-sided layer is 9.4 GB, and the double-
sided double-layer is 17 GB.
e) DVD-ROM: The contents of this type of media cannot be written on or erased
by the user. It is mostly used for distributing proprietary software or other kinds
of applications.
f) DVD-R / DVD+R: These two different types of discs, DVD-R (DVD minus R)
and DVD+R (DVD plus R) are recordable once.
g) DVD-RW / DVD+RW: The contents can be re-written several times.
h) DVD-RAM: This is a rewritable disc that can alter its contents several times. It
functions like hard disks.

A Floppy disk is an old, portable, and removable platter storage device that was made
of magnetizable mylar plastic. The data is stored in concentric rings called tracks on
either side of the platter. The last kind of floppy disk was is a 3½ inches platter in a hard
plastic case that holds 1.44 Megabytes of information. A Zip disk, on the other hand,
could hold up to 250 Megabytes.

Magnetic tape, which was developed in Germany in 1928, is a medium for magnetic
wire data recording. It was made of a thin, magnetizable coating on a long, narrow strip
of plastic film. Tape recorders and video tape recorders are used to record and playback
audio and video respectively. The tape drive stores computer data on magnetic tape.

33
GTE
211
Computing and software
4.0 Conclusion Engineering
The storage or memory devices are integral parts of a computer system. The
devices can be categorized into primary and secondary which can be either
fixed or removable. RAM and ROM are primary memory while HDD and
SSD are types of secondary non-volatile storage devices. The removable
storage devices are USB drives, flash drives, and compact disc drives. The
required types and capacity of drives needed for a computer system is a
function of the well-configured system specification, cost, and the desired
performance.

5.0 Summary
In this Unit, you have learned about different kinds of memory and storage
devices. Quite some examples were also stated.

6.0 Self-Assessment Exercises

Distinguish between persistent and non-persistent storage of data
Differentiate between Hard disk drive and solid-state drive
List some types of compact discs you know
Why is the manufacturing of floppy drives discontinued?

7.0 References and Further Reading

Liebowitz, Kusek, Spies, Matt, Christopher, Rynardt (2014). VMware vSphere
Performance: Designing CPU, Memory, Storage, and Networking for Performance-
Intensive Workloads. Wiley. p. 68. ISBN 978-1-118-00819-5.
https://www.computerscience.gcse.guru/theory/memory-and-storage

Module 3: Computer Peripheral Devices

Unit 1: Input Devices

Content

1.0 Introduction
In the previous modules of this course, you have learned about various
hardware parts of computer systems as shown in the John Von Neumman
architecture. Peripheral devices, which involve input and output devices are
significant parts of this standard architecture. The peripheral devices are

34
GTE
211
Computing and software
connected externally to system unit of the computer throughEngineering
appropriate interface
and ports.

2.0 Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of this Unit, you will be able to:

 Understand the input devices and the functions in the computer system
 Identify various kinds of input devices

3.0 Main Content

3.1 Description of Input Devices

Input devices are parts of the computer system that enable the users to enter data
and the required control parameters into the computer. The input data is thereafter
converted and translated into a computer-readable format for subsequent
processing by the central processing unit.

Input devices can be categorized into pointing, scanning, wireless, and cable devices.
Pointing input devices are used to move a cursor on the screen, examples of these
include the mouse, trackball, and touchpad. The category of scanning input devices are
Optical Mark Recognition (OMR), scanners, Optical Character Recognition (OCR)
devices, bar code readers among others. These pointing input devices can sense and
read characters directly on papers, and other kinds of materials. Bar code readers are
often used to scan bar code items in the supermarkets and different kinds of industrial
products in the supply chain line.

Some of the input devices include the keyboard, mouse, touchpad, webcams,
microphones, joysticks, image scanners among several others. Figure 27 shows Computer
with Peripheral Devices.

35
GTE
211
Computing and software
Engineering

Figure 27 Computer with Peripheral Devices

3.2 Keyboard
The keyboard is the major and commonly used data entry device for different kinds
of computers. Like the old typewriter machines, the keyboard is used to enter data
into the computer by typing the necessary alphanumeric keys. There is a total of 104
numeric, alphabet, and function keys. The keyboard can be connected to the system
unit via cable or wirelessly using Bluetooth.

Essentially, the keyboard typing keys include the following classes

 Upper and lower case alphabet keys from A-Z and a-z respectively
 Numeric keys from 0 to 9
 Special 12 function keys for specific purposes
 control (Ctrl) keys
 cursor and screen control keys are Arrow keys, page up, page down
 Alternate (Alt), Escape (Esc), Home, End, Insert, Delete
 Enter, backspace, num-lock, caps lock, shift, space bar, tab, scroll lock, sleep,
print screen

Figures 28 and 30 show the illustration of computer keyboard.

36
GTE
211
Computing and software
Engineering

Figure 28 Description of computer keyboard

Figure 29 Computer keyboard

37
GTE
211
Computing and software
3.3 Mouse Engineering

A mouse is an input pointing device that is rolled over a smooth surface to control
the cursor on the computer screen through its speed controlled sensor, operational
clickable buttons on the left, middle, and right parts. The functions of the buttons can
be customized to select and, open files or objects. Figures 30 and 31 show the wired
and wireless mouse.

Figure 30 Wireless Mouse

Figure 31 Mouse

3.4 Image scanners

The image scanner is an input device that optically scans printed materials, objects,
images, and documents and thereafter converts and store them in a digital format.
The scanned document be edited for further application. Figure 32 shows a scanner.

Figure 32 Scanner

38
GTE
211
Computing and software
3.5 Track Ball Engineering

A trackball is a pointing device that holds a small ball held in its sensor-based socket.
The sensor detects the rotational movement of the ball about its two axes. The device
operates exactly like an upside-down mouse but uses space to rotate its ball. As the
trackball remains stationary and the user moves the ball in various directions, it
reflects activity on the screen as shown in Figure 33.

.
Figure 33 Track ball

3.6 Light Pen

Light pen is a light-sensitive input device that can be used to point and write or draw
directly on the visual display unit, monitor, and screen. Light pen to detect raster on
the screen as it passes on it with high precision. Light pen functions well like the
touchscreen devices as shown in figures 34 and 35.

Figure 35 Light pen Figure 34 Light pen on IPAD

39
GTE
211
Computing and software
Engineering

3.7 Headsets and Microphone

Headsets or microphones are a kind of computer voice input devices that are able to
record sounds by transmitting and converting human speech or voice into electrical
signals. This electrical signal is processed by the computer and the word is
recognized. Application areas include in customers’ service, religious programmes
and technical support centers, where the users can communicate with clients while
entering or typing into a computer. Figure 36 shows a typical computer microphone.

Figure 36 Computer microphone

3.8 Optical Character Reader

Optical character recognition or optical character reader (OCR) uses a low frequency
light source to detect and convert drawn images, alphanumeric characters, and
printed text into machine-encoded text, pictures or scanned documents. The OCR,
which operates like a scanner, absorbs light by the dark areas and is reflected by the
light areas. Subsequently, it reflects and receives the light by the photocells as shown
in figure 37.

Figure 37 Barcode Reader

40
GTE
211
Computing and software
Engineering

3.9 Bar Code Reader

A barcode reader is an optical scanning device which is connected to a compute to
read printed barcodes and decode the hidden data. The barcode reader which
functions like a flatbed scanner, comprises of a light source, a lens and a light sensor
translating for optical impulses into electrical signals. Most barcode readers contain
decoder circuitry that can analyze the image data in the barcode via the sensor and
thereafter send the contents of the barcode to the scanner output port.
Figure 38 and 39 show a barcode reader reading data that is coded into white and
black lines.

Figure 38 Bar code reader

Figure 39 Bar code scanner

4.0 Conclusion
Several computer data input devices have been discussed. The input devices
are part of peripheral devices that help users to enter data into the computer
system via diverse kinds of port interfaces. Upon reception, data will be
processed by the CPU for further action. Some common input devices are

41
GTE
211
Computing and software
keyboard, mouse, scanner, optical character reader, barcode reader among
Engineering
others.

5.0 Summary
In this Unit, you have learned about some common data input devices.

6.0 Self-Assessment Exercises

What do you understand by peripheral devices?
List five types of data input devices
Discuss any 4 kinds of data input devices
Distinguish between scanner and barcode reader

7.0 References and Further Reading

"Logitech M570 Wireless Trackball Mouse Review: Unconventional
Features". Archived from the original on 2020-08-15. Retrieved on 22-01-
2022

Alapetite, A (2010). "Dynamic 2D-barcodes for multi-device web session

migration including mobile phones". Personal and Ubiquitous Computing. 14
(1): 45–52. doi:10.1007/s00779-009-0228-5. S2CID 10202670

Unit 2: Output Devices

Content

1.0 Introduction

You have learned about input devices in Unit 1. In this Unit 2, you will learn more about
computer peripheral devices, essentially, the output devices. These are the devices that
are used to display, in human-readable form, the output of any task carried in the
computer.

42
GTE
211
Computing and software
Engineering

2.0 Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of this Unit, you will be able to:

 Identify some output devices often used to enter data into computers
 Differentiate between input and output devices

3.0 Main Content

3.1 Description of Output Devices

An output device is any peripheral hardware that is connected to a
computer either wired or wireless so as to display, project, or physically
reproduce the results of data processed by a computer. It converts
electronic information into a format, which can be understood by humans.
What differentiate an input from output device is that the input devicetransfers
data to the computer, whereas the output data receives data from thecomputer.
Input devices usage is mandatory to operate the computer, on the other hand,
output devices may be optional.

Conventionally, the output devices can be grouped into data, print, visual, and
sound hardware. Thus, various kinds of output hardware include visualdisplay
unit (monitor or screen), printer, plotter, headphones, computer speakers,
projector, GPS, sound card, video card, braille reader, speech generating
machine, among others.

3.2 Visual Display Unit

The visual display unit (VDU) popularly known as a monitor or display screen, is the
main and well-known output device that displays output contents as picture elements
(pixel) on the computer screen. These output contents include text, video, images, etc.
The VDU looks much like a TV screen and they share similar resolution parameters.

The resolution of the monitor is determined by the number of pixels. Basically, the
monitor resolution, smoothness or picture clarity, increases with more pixels. The
two types of monitor screens are cathode ray tube monitors (CRT) and flat-panel
screen monitors.
Cathode Ray Tube monitors, which were manufactured using old CRT technology,
applied phosphorescent dots to generate pixels that form displayed images. CRT
monitor screens, which were the same as the old TV CRT technology, were usually
large and consumed more power. Figures 40 and 41 show LCD and CRT visual
display units respectively.
43
GTE
211
Computing and software
Engineering

Figure 40 LCD visual display unit

Figure 41 CRT visual display unit

Flat Panel Screen Monitors

Flat-panel screen monitors, which implement a thin panel design instead of CRT
technology, are much lighter, thinner, and portable. They use liquid crystals or
plasma technology to generate output as light passes through liquid crystals to form
the required pixels.
The three types of Flat Panel screen monitors are Liquid Crystal Devices (LCD)
monitors or Non-emissive displays, Light Emitting Diode (LED) monitors or
Emissive displays, and Plasma monitors. Let us explain these three types of monitor
screens.
a) Liquid Crystal Devices (LCD) monitors or Non-emissive displays
This type of flat panel display implements the light-modulating properties of
liquid crystals. This technology is also replicated in LCD televisions, aircraft
cockpit displays, ship cocktail screen, etc. An LCD monitor is more energy-
efficient, and users’ friendly. It is safer to dispose than the CRT monitors.

b) Light Emitting Diode (LED) monitors or Emissive displays

Although the technologies of LCD and LED are similar. The LED technology
of LED is more advanced than the LCD monitor. The LED monitors are
lighter, thinner, and less expensive. These monitors are more reliable as they
have a more broad dimming range in terms of backlighting.

c) Plasma monitors
The picture elements in the plasma screen monitors are illuminated by a tiny
bit of charged gas or plasma which is similar to a tiny neon light. These
monitors are thinner, brighter, and better in performance than the Cathode ray
tube, and liquid crystal display monitors.

44
 GTE
211
Computing and software
Engineering

3.3 Printing Devices

The printing devices are specialized computerized machines that can print
information permanently on materials of different forms. They are usually
stand-alone systems that can be connected to computers via cable, wirelessly,
or cloud. Examples of printing devices include printers, plotters, 3D printers
among others. This section discusses on some printing devices.

3.3.1 Printers

A printer is the most second common type of output device that permanently
transfers the processed data from the computer into a printed format and thereby
produces text or images hardcopy output on paper. Today, different kinds of
printers can print texts, photos and graphics objects in coloured, monochrome, and
black and white. Printers used in homes and offices have high dots per inch (DPI),
which generates high-quality images.

The printers are classified into Impact, and Non-Impact printers.

a) Impact printer
This is old type of printer noisily prints characters by striking on the ribbon, and
thereby imprint on the paper.
The impact printers can either be character or line printers.
i. Character printers
These types of printers are capable of printing text, and a single character at a
time in the average speed is up to 300 lines per minute. The different types of
character printers include chain, band, dot matrix, and daisy wheel printers. The
commonly used printers are dot matrix and daisy wheel.

ii. Line Printers

Line printers can print and display output texts line by line. The two types of line
printers are drum printers and chain printers. Basically, the drum printer has high
speed and can print up to 300 to 2000 lines per minute.
b) Non-Impact printer
The non-impact printers can print without striking the ribbon. These include laser
printers and inkjet printers.
i. Laser Printers
Laser printers which use a photoelectric drum, powdered ink, and laser light to
produce dots to form the characters for printing. When a print command is given, a
laser beam draws the document on a selenium-coated drum using an electrical
charge, giving a clean copy of the image on the paper. They have fewer smearing

45
GTE
211
Computing and software
problems than an inkjet printer since ink is not used. A laser printer uses the same
Engineering
technology and procedures like a copying machine. Figures 42 and 43 show LaserJet
printers.

ii. Inkjet Printers

This printer generates output by spraying droplets of ink onto the paper through a
small nozzle. Inkjet printers are the most widely used type of printer. There are
expensive and inexpensive models available in the market. It was the most common
type of printer in the olden days due to limited available technology. The printers are
less expensive.

Figure 42 LaserJet Printer

Figure 43 Coloured Epson Printer

3.4 Graph Plotter

A plotter output device, which is similar to a printer, but usually bigger in size, can
be used to draw large high quality, images, pictures and vector graphics.
A plotter is used to generate and draw hardcopy on papers large drawings,
architectural blueprints, engineering drawings, graphic cards, cadastral maps,
satellite imageries among others. Figure 44 shows a graph plotter.

46
GTE
211
Computing and software
Engineering

Figure 44 Graph Plotter

3.5 Computer Speakers

Computer speakers are one of the most common output hardware used with a
computer. The speakers receive audio as input from the computer via a sound card.
The internal amplifiers of the speaker can be used to control or vary the volume or
the amplitude of the sound. Connection of external speakers can be used to enhance
the volume and other in-built parameters of the sounds. Figure 45 shows computer
speakers.

Figure 45 Computer speakers

4.0 Conclusion
Computer output hardware are quite important in showing and revealing the
results of processing by the CPU. Some common output devices are visual display
units, printers and output accessories. A printer is a peripheral output device which
produces a hardcopy of graphics or text from a computer usually on papers. While
most output is human-readable, bar code printers are an example of an expanded

47
GTE
211
Computing and software
use for printers. Different types of printers include 3D printers, inkjet printers,
Engineering
laser printers, and thermal printers.

5.0 Summary
In this Unit, you have learnt about some common computer output devices. Their
usage enables the users to view and appreciate the results of processing.
6.0 Self-Assessment Exercises
Differentiate between CRT and flat panel screen monitors
Mention the three types of Flat Panel screen monitors

7.0 References and Further Reading

Morley, Deborah (April 2007). Understanding Computers: Today & Tomorrow,
Comprehensive 2007 Update Edition. Cengage Learning. p. 164. ISBN
9781305172425.
https://www.tutorialspoint.com/basics_of_computer_science/basics_of_computer_s
cience_types.htm
https://www.classmate4u.com/output-devices-of-computer/

Module 4: Computer Hardware Components

Unit 1: System board - Motherboard

Content

1.0 Introduction

In this Unit, you will learn about the system motherboard. The motherboard is the main
circuit board firmly fixed inside a computer system unit to which all other internal
electronic components and interfaces are connected via its ports. Among these are CPU,
RAM slots, controllers, system chipset, ROMs, communication cables.

2.0 Intended Learning Outcomes

48
GTE
211
Computing and software
By the end of this Unit, you will be able to: Engineering
 Understand details about computer hardware components
 Get familiar with the design of computer motherboards

3.0 Main Content

3.1 Description of Motherboard

The motherboard is a major large integrated circuit component in the system unit. It
is rectangular in shape and contains chipsets, switching devices, onboard ports,
sockets, slots, ROM chips, and interfaces for interconnecting CPU, hard drives and
optical drives, CMOS, data buses, cooling fan, power supply unit, and secondary
storage devices. Different kinds of communication and power cables are used for
appropriate connections. Expand cards and other peripheral card slots also provide
connections to video, speakers, and sound interfaces. The cooling fans and heat sink
prevent excessive heat radiation and thereby maintain the specified operating
condition inside and outside the system unit.
Some popular manufacturers of the motherboard include Intel, ASUS, AOpen,
ABIT, Biostar, Gigabyte, MSI. Figures 46 and 47 show computer motherboard.

Figure 46 Computer motherboard

49
GTE
211
Computing and software
The chipset is one of the most important componentsEngineering
in the motherboard.
Older motherboards were designed with a lot of different chips scattered all
the motherboard. There are chips for different things like chips for bus
controller, memory controllers, keyboard controllers, etc. Thus, diver chips
control different functions on the motherboard. A chipset is a smaller set of
chips that has replaced a larger amount of chips so as to control data flow
between the CPU, the peripherals, bus slots, memory, and other parts of
computer.

Furthermore, the advancement in technology enable the chips manufacturers

to reduce the number of chips and rather centralizes somewhere to execute
same job and localize them to chipset. Buses connect the CPU to various
internal components and to expand cards for graphics and sound. The CMOS
battery attached to the motherboard provides the memory power backup for
system clock, date, time and other system setup parameters in the BIOS chip.
The CMOS battery is mostly CR2032.

It is important that video cards, hard disks, sound cards, power supply
modules, and system unit cases are compatible and interoperable with the
motherboard in order for the entire computer system to function properly as
required.

Figure 47 Motherboard components layout

The computer system clock is an electrical pulse generator that sends out a pulse
of electricity at regular intervals. The electronic components of the computer
require these electric pulses in order to execute tasks. The more pulses sent out
by the system clock in a cycle, the faster the CPU works. The first personal

50
GTE
211
Computing and software
computers had clock speeds of 8 million pulses perEngineering
second (8 MHz), but
nowadays, the PCs have clock speeds greater than 3.2 billion pulses per second
(3.2 GHz).

3.2 Computer Communication Ports

A computer port is a connecting interface point or socket between two electronic
devices. These devices can either be both computers or a peripheral device and a
computer. This connection point enables the use of various functionalities, such as the
transmission of data, power, audio, and video. Plugging a printer into your computer,
electrical charging of your phone, and storing or transferring data via a USB device are
all instances of using computer ports.
Furthermore, computer ports grant easy power connection, charging of electronic
accessories, Ethernet connections, external storage of documents or projects, projection
of audio or visual media, and cable connection to peripheral devices, such as printers or
scanners.
The use of computer ports is very essential in our homes, offices, or in the public due
to the proliferation of different kinds of computers, peripheral devices, and applications
that require the exchange of data and information. Ports and sockets are often located
outside the system unit through the motherboard or interface board for the convenience
of connecting or disconnecting communication cables.
The following figures will enable you to identify different types of computer ports so
as to make use of them appropriately. This will help to improve your performance in
your academic or career when dealing with hardware and software interfacing. Figures
48 – 51 show different kinds of computer communication ports.

Figure 48 Computer ports

51
GTE
211
Computing and software
Engineering

Figure 49 Computer Ports on the System Unit

Figure 50 Additional Computer ports

Figure 51 Generic Computer Ports

Although, some ports technologies are relatively old, many of such old ports are still
found on legacy computing equipment. Therefore, it is important for you to get
familiar will all form of ports and sockets so as to be able to operate many kinds of
computing hardware devices. Other ports such as Universal Serial Board (USB) on
the motherboard provide connection to monitor, printer, mouse, keyboard, speaker,

52
GTE
211
Computing and software
and network cables. The USB ports enable compatible devices to be connected in
Engineering
plug-in/plug-out scheme.

Types of Computer ports

Fundamentally, hardware ports are available in different types based on the signal
transfer modes. Some common ports are:
Serial port, parallel port, PS/2 port, universal serial (USB) port, Video Graphic
Adapter (VGA) port, Modem port, game port, ethernet port, Digital Video Interface
(DVI) port, etc.

While serial ports transmit one bit of data at a time, the parallel ports transmit 8 bits of
data at a time. The technology of universal serial bus (USB) ports is newer and the port
is much faster than serial or parallel port. USB ports allow multiple devices to be
connected to the same port.

4.0 Conclusion
You have learned about some computer hardware components in this Module.
These include the system motherboard or main board, and communication
ports. It is important for you get familiar with a large array of existing
communication ports, their functionalities, and components
interconnectivities. This will really enhance your studies and career in
computing. Although, some ports are old, they still exist in some legacy
systems and customized devices, which are readily available in
manufacturing, satellite, and communication industries.

5.0 Summary
In this unit you have learned about computer communication ports. There are
quite number of them. The literature provided will enhance further study on this.

6.0 Self-Assessment Exercises

Describe the usefulness of the computer system
Explain the function of computer communication ports
List some computer ports

7.0 References and Further Reading

Jan Axelson, USB Complete: The Developer's Guide, Fifth Edition, Lakeview
Research LLC, 2015, ISBN 1931448280, pages 1-7

53
GTE
211
Computing and software
Engineering

54