Subsidiary

ICT for
Uganda

Curriculum Topic 5 out of 15:

COMPUTER HARDWARE
Recommended Coverage Duration: 16 periods (2 2/3 weeks)
Senior Five Term II

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 Background
• A computer is made up of hardware and software. An
analogy can be made to humans that the hardware is your
body and the software is your mind. It is important to
recognize that the way humanity is comprised of both the
physical and mental, a computer is nothing without both
hardware and software.
• Hardware is any physical part of the computer that you
can touch, see and pick up. Some examples of hardware
include the monitor, keyboard, mouse, disk drives, printer,
scanner and speakers.
• Learning Outcome: The learner should be able to use and
describe the functions of common hardware devices.
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 Presentation Outline
UACE Sub – ICT Topic 5:
Computer Hardware
TO SLIDE 5

• Sub Topic 5.1. Input Devices TO SLIDE 5

• Sub Topic 5.2. Output Devices

TO SLIDE 47

TO SLIDE 47
TO SLIDE 83

• Sub Topic 5.3. Storage Devices TO SLIDE 83

TO SLIDE 129

• Sub Topic 5.4. Processor Components TO SLIDE 129

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 Sub Topic 5.1. Input Devices
Sub topic Objectives:
5.1.1 Identifying the basic input
devices.

5.1.2 Distinguishing between input

devices by their characteristics and
functionality.

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 5.1.1 Identifying the basic input
devices
List of common input devices 17. Mouse
1. The keyboard, 18. Stylus pen & digitizing tablet
2. Voice Recognition Equipment 19. Cordless Mouse
3. OMR and Barcode readers 20. Trackball
4. OCR and Optical readers 21. Touchpad
22. Light pen
5. MICR readers 23. Touch Screen
6. RFID readers 24. A Track Point.
7. Magnetic Strip Card Readers 25. Image scanner
8. Gaming keyboard 26. Digital Camera
9. Gaming wheels 27. Digital video (DV) camera
10.Joysticks 28. Camcorder
11.Game pad 29. Web cam
12.Light guns 30. Fingerprint scanner
13.Dance pad 31. Face Recognition systems
14.Motion sensing game controllers 32. Hand geometry systems
15.Microphones, 33. Signature verification systems
16.MIDI devices 34. Iris Recognition systems
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 1. The Keyboard

Odd Keys

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 1. The Keyboard
• Input Device Category: Text Input Devices
• A keyboard is an input device, consisting of a set of keys
(buttons) used to operate a computer.
• The QWERTY is referred to as the "Universal" keyboard.
• The name "QWERTY" comes from the first six letters in the
top alphabet row (the one just below the numbers).
• There are other setups also available such as Dvorak,
ABCDE, GKOS, QWERTZ and AZERTY
• Keypads, Keyers and chorded keyboards have fewer keys,
specially designed for devices such a pocket sized
computers.
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 2. Barcode reader

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 2. Barcode reader
• Input Device Category: Text Input Devices
• A bar code reader, is an optical reader that
uses laser beams to read bar codes that are
printed on items usually in super markets.
• A bar code normally consists of a unique set
of vertical lines and spaces of different widths
which represent coded information about the
item it represents.

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 3.Magnetic Strip Card Reader

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 3.Magnetic Strip Card Reader
• Input Device Category: Text Input Devices
• A magnetic stripe card reader reads the
magnetic stripe on the back of credit
cards, bank ATM cards, and other similar
cards.
• Exposure to a magnet or magnetic field
can erase the information and contents
of a card's magnetic stripe.
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 4. The Mouse
• The mouse is a hand held pointing device. A
pointing device is a spacial data input device, which
allows users to move a pointer and make selections
on the computer screen.
• A ball under the mouse senses movement while the
buttons on top are used for left, right and double
clicking and scrolling.
• An optical mouse uses a light-emitting diode and
photodiodes to detect movement relative to the
underlying surface.

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 4. The Mouse
Other pointing
devices include:
5. Stylus pen &
digitizing tablet
6. Cordless Mouse
7. Trackball
8. Touchpad
9. Touch Screen
10.A Track Point
11.Joystick
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 5. Stylus pen & digitizing tablet

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 5. Stylus pen & digitizing tablet
• Stylus pen- The pen lets you draw on what is
called a digitizing tablet that mirrors the
surface area of the computer screen.
• The pen can be used as a standard mouse
(without wires connected to it) or also as a
free flowing drawing device.
• The pen is useful for drawing since drawing
graphics with a mouse tends to be inaccurate.

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 6. Cordless Mouse

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 6. Cordless Mouse
• A Cordless Mouse connects to the
computer using wireless technology,
giving flexibility to the user and to move
the mouse over a wider working area.
• This mouse runs on a battery. When you
move the mouse it sends an infrared
beam to a sensor which interprets it
causing the pointer to move.
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 7. Trackball
• The trackball uses the
same principle as the
mouse except that the
rollers are reversed,
the ball is on top
• It can remain
stationary on your
desk.

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 8. Touchpad
• The touchpad has sensors that sense a
users touch and send a signal to the
computer.
• Common
on
laptop
computers.

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 9. Touch Screen

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 9. Touch Screen
• A touch screen is a touch-sensitive input and
display device. Users can interact with these
devices by touching areas of the screen.
• With some smart phones, portable media
players, and other personal mobile devices,
you can touch the screen to perform tasks
such as dialing telephone numbers, entering
text, and making on-screen selections.

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 10. Track Point

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 10. Track Point
• A Track Point, also called a pointing stick, is a
pointing device located in the middle of the
keyboard between the G, H, and B keys.
• The control buttons are located in front of the
keyboard toward the user.
• The Track Point is operated by pushing in the
general direction the user wants the cursor to
move. Increasing pressure causes faster
movement.
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 11. Joystick
• A Joystick consists of a stick that
pivots on a base and reports its
angle or direction to the device it
is controlling.
• Joysticks are often used to control
video games, and usually have one
or more push-buttons whose state
can also be read by the
computer.
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 12. Image scanner

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 12. Image scanner
• A scanner converts hardcopy documents, drawings,
or pictures to an electronic version (softcopy), which
can then be stored on a disk.
• Some scanners include OCR software for analyzing
what is read.
• Optical character recognition (OCR) is a technology
that involves reading typewritten, computer-
printed, or handwritten characters from ordinary
documents and translating the images into a form
that the computer can understand.

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 12. Image scanner
• A scanner is an imaging device.
• Imaging Devices are input devices that
input images such as still photos, motion
pictures, graphics, video etc.
• Other Imaging devices include: 13. Digital
Camera, 14. Digital video (DV) camera, 15.
Camcorder and 16. Web cam

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 12. Digital Camera
13.
Digital
Camera

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 13. Digital Camera
• A digital camera allows users to take
pictures and store the photographed
images digitally instead of storing on a
traditional film.
• Users transfer a copy of the stored
pictures to the computer or printer by
connecting a cable between the digital
camera and the computer.
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 14. Digital video (DV) camera
• A digital video (DV) camera, by contrast,
records video as digital signals instead of
analog signals.
• After saving the video on a storage
medium, users can play it or edit it and
burn it to a DVD using software programs
on the computer.

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 13. Digital video (DV) camera

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 15. Camcorder
• This is a light weight video camera that
records data in digital form onto a storage
device such as a videotape.

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 16. Webcam
• A Web cam, also called a PC video camera, is a type
of digital video camera that usually sits on top of the
monitor. Some laptop computers have built-in Web
cams.
• Webcams enable users to capture video and still
images and make video telephone calls

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 16. Webcam
• Web cams can be used for video conferencing

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 17. Gaming wheels
• A gaming wheel is a steering wheel-type
gaming input device. Users turn the wheel to
simulate driving a vehicle using programs on a
computer.
• Most gaming wheels also include foot pedals
for acceleration and braking actions.
• Gaming wheels include buttons, called
triggers that you press to initiate certain
events.
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 17. Gaming wheels

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 18. Game pad
• A gamepad controls the movement and
actions of players or objects in video
games or computer games.
• On the gamepad, users press buttons in
various directions to trigger events.
• Gamepads communicate with a game
console or a personal computer via wired
or wireless technology.
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18. Game pad

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 19. Microphones
• A microphone is an instrument
for converting sound waves
into electrical energy
variations, which may then
input into the computer for
processing, recording or audio
playback.

• Microphones are connected to

the sound card in the system
unit.
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 20. Fingerprint scanner
• A fingerprint scanner captures curves
and indentations of a fingerprint.
• Some grocery and retail stores now
use fingerprint readers as a means of
payment, where the customer's
fingerprint is linked to a an account or
credit card.

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 20. Fingerprint scanner

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 21. Iris Recognition systems
• These are devices that use iris recognition
technology to read patterns in the iris of
the eye.
• These patterns are as unique as a
fingerprint.
• Iris recognition systems are used by
government security organizations, the
military, and financial institutions that deal
with highly sensitive data.
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 21. Iris Recognition systems

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 5.1.2 Categorizing input devices
• Input devices are used to enter data or commands in a form that the
computer can use. They send the data or commands to the
processing unit. According to the type of data they input, they can be
categorized into the following:
• Text input devices
• Pointing input Devices
• Imaging input Devices
• Gaming input Devices
• Audio input Devices
• Biometric input Devices and
• Other Specialized input devices
• Assignment: Write about and list examples for each of the above
different categories of input devices.
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 Sub Topic 5.2. Output Devices
An output device is any type of
hardware component capable
of conveying information to
one or more people.

Categories of
Computer output:
Text, Graphics, Audio,
Video
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 Sub Topic 5.2. Output Devices
Sub topic Objectives:
5.2.1 Identifying the basic output devices.
5.2.2 Distinguishing between output
devices by their characteristics and
functionality.
5.2.3 Identifying the different peripheral
device interfaces.

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 5.2.1 Identifying the basic output
devices.
These include the following:
1. CRT Monitors
2. Flat-Panel Displays
3. Projectors
4. Interactive whiteboard (IWB)
5. Head mounted displays (HMD) / headgear
6. LED displays
7. Printers
8. Computer Speakers
9. Headphones and Earphones
10. Machine Tools, Motors, etc
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 1. CRT Monitors
• A CRT (cathode ray tube) monitor is a desktop
screen that contains a large sealed glass
cathode-ray tube.
• Inside the CRT, an electron beam moves back
and forth across the back of the screen.
• This causes dots on the front of the screen to
glow, producing an image on the screen.
• Each dot consists of a red, a green, and a blue
phosphor, which combine to make up a pixel.
• A pixel is a single point in an electronic image.
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 1. CRT Monitors
• It is advisable
to always sit
1 meter way
from CRT
monitors
because they
produce
electromagne
tic radiation,
posing a
health risk.
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 2. Flat-Panel Displays
• A flat-panel display is a lightweight display device
with a shallow depth and flat screen that typically
uses LCD (liquid crystal display) or gas plasma
technology.
• Examples of flat -panel displays include LCD
monitors, and plasma monitors.
• Many are widescreen, ie much wider than they are
tall.
• Screens are measured diagonally from one corner
to the other. Common sizes are 17”, 19”, 20”,
22”, 24” and 27”, 45” and 65 inch screens
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 2. Flat-Panel Displays

gas plasma technology

and liquid crystal display
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 3. Projectors
• A data projector takes the image that displays on a
computer screen and projects it onto a large screen
or wall so that an audience of people can see the
image clearly.
• For example, many classrooms use data projectors
so that all students easily can see an instructor's
presentation on the screen.
• Presence of excess light affects data projectors and
so they perform well in dark rooms.

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 3. Projectors

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 4. Interactive whiteboard (IWB)
• An interactive whiteboard is a touch-sensitive
device, resembling a dry-erase board, that
displays the image on a connected computer
screen.
• The presenter can use bare hands, a special
tablet, or remote control to interact with the
device.
• Notes written on the interactive whiteboard
can be saved directly on the computer.
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 4. Interactive whiteboard (IWB)
Interactive
whiteboards are
used frequently in
classrooms as a
teaching tool.

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 5. Head mounted display (HMD) /
headgear
• A headgear is made up of two tiny display and
sound systems that channel images and sound
from the source to the eyes and ears, thus
presenting a stereo three dimensional sound
effect in the virtual world.
• The wearer may also put on a body suit that
senses the body movement and relays the
data into the virtual reality system which in
turn adjusts the position of the user in the
system.
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 5. Head mounted display (HMD) /
headgear

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 6. LED displays
• A LED display is a flat panel display, which
uses light-emitting diodes as a video display.
• A LED panel may be a small display, or a
component of a larger display.
• They are typically used outdoors in store signs
and billboards.

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 7. Printers
• A printer is a device that produces a hard copy
output such as text and graphics on a physical
material like paper.
• Printed information (hard copy) exists physically
and in a more permanent form than a soft copy on
a display device.
• Printers with different speeds, features, quality, and
capabilities are available in a range of prices.
• Printers can be grouped into two categories: impact
and nonimpact printers.

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 7. Printers
• An impact printer forms characters and
graphics on a piece of paper by a striking
mechanism against an ink ribbon that
physically contacts the paper.
• Commonly used types of impact printers
include Daisy wheel, dot-matrix , Braille
and line printers.

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 7. Printers
• Daisy Wheel Printer with characters
arranged on the ends of the spokes of a wheel

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 7. Printers 7. Printers
• Most dot-matrix
printers use
continuous-form
paper, in which
thousands of sheets
of paper are
connected together
end to end. The
papers have holes
along the sides to
help feed the paper
through the printer.
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 7. Printers
• A Braille printer, commonly known as a Braille
embosser, is an impact printer, that renders text as
tangible dot cells which are felt and read by the
blind.

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 7. Printers
• A nonimpact printer forms characters and
graphics on a piece of paper without actually
striking the paper. Some spray ink, while
others use heat or pressure to create images.

• Commonly used nonimpact printers are ink-

jet printers, laser printers, thermal printers,
plotters, and mobile printers.

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 7. Printers

• The print head

mechanism in an
ink-jet printer
contains ink-filled
print cartridges.

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 7. Printers
• A laser printer instead
uses a laser beam and
powdered ink, called
toner, packaged in a
cartridge.

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 7. Printers
A thermal printer generates
images by pushing heated A mobile printer is a small,
pins against a coated heat- lightweight, battery powered
sensitive paper, ideal for use printer that fit easily in a
in small devices e.g. ATM briefcase alongside a
receipt printers. notebook computer.

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 7. Printers
• Plotters are printers
used to produce large,
high-quality, vector
graphic drawings such
as blueprints, maps,
posters, and signs.
• They use ink-jet
printer technology, on
a much larger scale, to
print professional
quality displays.
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 Factors to consider when
purchasing a printer
• Print quality: dot matrix • Running cost: The cost of
printers are good for maintaining an inkjet printer
bulk printing or low is higher than that of
quality documents, laser maintaining laser printers.
printer is good for • Speed: the speed of a
printing higher quality printer is measured in pages
documents. per minute.
• Initial cost: Laser and • Colour printing: some
thermal printers are still printers support black and
expensive compared to colour printing while others
inkjet printers. dont.Plotters are large
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 8. Computer Speakers
• Audio output devices like
Computer Speakers are the
components of the
computer system that
produce music, speech, or
other sounds, such as beeps
• Some Computer Speakers
use Wireless technology.
• Most personal computers
have a small internal
speakers that basically
output beeps and low-
quality sound.
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 9. Headphones and Earphones
• In a crowded computer laboratory environment,
speakers might not be applicable.
• Instead, users can plug head-phones or earphones
in a port on the sound card, in a speaker, or on the
front of the system unit.

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 10. Machine Tools
• Through
Computer-aided
manufacturing
(CAM) computers
are used to
control the output
of machine tools
and like motors
in the
manufacturing
process. A motor
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 5.2.2 Peripheral device interfaces,
ports
• A peripheral device is any auxiliary device that connects to
and works with the computer to either put information into
it or get information out of it. Usually, the word peripheral
is used to refer to a device external to the computer, like a
scanner.
• In computing, an interface is a shared boundary across
which two or more separate components of a computer
system exchange information. Common interfaces include
Video Graphics Array (VGA), Parallel, Serial , Personal
system 2(PS/2) , Infrared, Bluetooth, power interface, etc.
• A port is the point at which a peripheral attaches the
system unit.
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 5.2.2 Peripheral device interfaces, ports

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 5.2.2 Peripheral device interfaces,
ports
• Parallel interfaces use several
electrical connections carrying bits
of the data simultaneously.
• For example, an 8-bit parallel
channel will convey eight bits (or a
byte) simultaneously, whereas a
serial channel would convey those
same bits sequentially, one at a time.
If both channels operated at the
same clock speed, the parallel
channel would be eight times faster.
• Parallel interfaces are commonly
used within integrated circuits, in
peripheral device buses, mainly for
old high capacity printers and
scanners, and in memory devices
such as RAM.
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 5.2.2 Peripheral device interfaces,
ports
• Serial interfaces transmit data
one bit at a time, sequentially,
over a communication channel
or computer bus.
• Keyboard and mouse cables
and ports are normally serial—
such as PS/2 port and Apple
Desktop Bus and USB.
• Personal system 2 (PS/2)
interface is a small 6-pin mini-
DIN interface common on
desktop computers in pairs,
one for mouse and the other
for the keyboard.
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 5.2.2 Peripheral device interfaces,
ports
• Video graphics array (VGA) is used to connect a
monitor or a data projector. It is shaped like a letter
D with 15 pins.
• Audio interface is used to connect speakers and
microphone.
• Infrared, also referred to as infrared Data
Association (IrDA) is a wireless interface that uses
infrared to connect to infrared-enabled devices.
• Bluetooth is also wireless interface that uses short
range radio broadcast to connect to any Bluetooth-
enabled device.
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 5.2.2 Peripheral device interfaces,
ports
• USB (Universal Serial Bus) is a
newer type of serial
connection that is much faster
than the old serial ports.
• USB ports can support the
connection of many kinds of
devices (keyboard, mouse,
printer, audio in/out, external
floppy or Zip drives, scanner,
flash drive, etc.).

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 5.2.2 Peripheral device interfaces,
ports
• USB is also much smarter and more versatile since it allows
the “daisy chaining” of up to 127 USB peripherals connected
to one port.
• Newer PCs and Macs include several USB ports, some often
located in handy spots on the front panel of the computer
case or the side of the keyboard.
• USB connections are hot-swappable / plug and play (they can
be connected and disconnected while the devices are turned
on; this is not always true for older connection methods).
• An USB 2.0 has a speed of 480 Mbits/sec, which is 40 times
faster than the older USB port’s high-speed mode (the
connectors look the same)
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 5.2.2 Peripheral device interfaces,
ports
FireWire (IEEE 1394) is a high speed interface
that was developed by Apple computer. It is
often called IEEE 1394 when used on PCs (since
Apple charges an extra fee for using the name
“FireWire”).
The first version of FireWire (FireWire 400)
works at speeds of 400 Mbits/sec. FireWire is
hot-swappable and supports up to 63 daisy-
chained peripherals per port.
FireWire works especially well for digital video
and audio (from a digital camcorder) as well for
connecting external hard drives or other high-
bandwidth peripherals. The FireWire
connection can also supply 60 watts of power to
the peripheral.
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 5.2.2 Peripheral device interfaces,
ports
• Table showing
summary of
standard symbols
used to denote
common
interfaces.

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 Sub Topic 5.3. Storage Devices
Sub topic Objectives:
• 5.3.1 Categories / Types of secondary storage
devices: – magnetic, - solid state and – optical.
• 5.3.2 Characteristics of storage devices: Storage
capacity (speed, bits, bytes...), transfer rate, access
time, and methods of access.
• 5.3.3 Using secondary storage devices
• 5.3.4 Primary storage devices: memory chips.

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 Introduction
• A storage medium (media is the plural), also called
secondary storage, is the physical material on which
a computer keeps data, instructions, and
information. Examples of storage media are hard
disks, solid state drives, memory cards, USB flash
drives, ExpressCard modules, optical discs, smart
cards, magnetic stripe cards, and microfilm.
• A storage device is the computer hardware that
records and/or retrieves items to and from storage
media.

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 Introduction
• Writing is the process of transferring data,
instructions, and information from memory to a
storage medium.
• Reading is the process of transferring these items
from a storage medium into memory. When storage
devices write data on storage media, they are
creating output. Similarly, when storage devices
read from storage media, they function as a source
of input.

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 Introduction
(i) PRIMARY MEMORY refers to internal memory
directly accessible to the CPU. It consists of both
Volatile memory such as RAM and Non Volatile
memory such as ROM.
(ii) SECONDARY Storage is used by Computer systems to
store larger amounts of data, and information more
permanently than allowed with primary memory.
• When a user issues a command to start an
application program, the operating system locates the
program in secondary storage, and loads it into
primary memory.
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 5.3.1 Categories of Secondary Storage
Media
• There is a wide variety of storage devices in
the following categories.
• (A) Magnetic media,
• (B) Optical media
• (C) Solid-state media and
Other Types of Storage Media such as
– Photographic film
– Microfilm and Microfiche

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 (A) Magnetic media
• Magnetic storage media represent data as
magnetic spots on the tape or disk, with a
magnetized spot representing a 1 bit and the
absence of such a spot representing a 0 bit.
• Common examples of magnetic media include:
–Magnetic tape
–Floppy disk,
–Hard disks
–Magnetic stripe Card
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 (i) Magnetic tape
• Magnetic tape is a magnetically coated ribbon of
plastic capable of storing large amounts of data and
information at a low cost.
• Tape storage requires sequential access, i.e. data
must be accessed in the order in which it is stored.

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 (ii) Floppy disk (diskette)
• A floppy disk, or diskette, is a portable, inexpensive
storage medium that consists of a thin circular,
flexible plastic disk with a magnetic costing
enclosed in a square-shaped plastic shell.
• A standard floppy disk is 3.5-inches wide and has
storage capacities up to 1.44 MB.

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 (iii) Hard disks
• A hard disk, also
called hard drive,
usually consists of
several inflexible,
circular metal
platters coated
with magnetic
oxide that can be
magnetized to
represent data.
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 (iii) Hard disks
• A read/write head is the mechanism that reads
items and writes items in the drive as it barely
touches the disk's recording surface.
• When a read/write head does accidentally touch
the platter surface, it is called a head crash and all
data is destroyed. Thus, it is crucial that you back up
your hard disk regularly.
• A backup is a duplicate of a file, program, or disk
placed on a separate storage medium that you can
use in case the original is lost, damaged, or
destroyed.
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 Hard disk interfaces
• The hard disk • External hard disk interfaces
interface include:
defines the – USB
– FireWire
physical means
by which the • Internal hard disk interfaces
hard disk Include:
– SATA, (Serial Advanced Technology
connects to the Attachment)
rest of the – EIDE, (Enhanced Integrated Drive
computer. Electronics)
– SCSI, (Small Computer System Interface)
• There are many and
disk interfaces: – SAS (Serial-attached SCSI)
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 Hard disk interfaces
• FireWire
Interface

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 Hard disk interfaces
• SATA
Interface

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 Hard disk interfaces
• EIDE Interface

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 Hard disk interfaces
• SCSI
Interface

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 Types of Hard disks
• An Internal hard disk is fixed in the system unit and
usually stores the operating system required for the
computer to work.
• An external hard disk is a separate free-standing
hard disk that connects with a cable to a USB port
or FireWire port.
• A removable hard disk is a hard disk that you insert
and remove from either a dock or a drive.
• An Internet hard drive, also called online storage, is
a service on the Web that provides storage to
computer users, usually for a minimal monthly fee.
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 Magnetic stripe card
• A magnetic stripe card is a card, with a stripe that
contains identifying information. Information stored
in the stripe includes your name, account number,
and the card's expiration date. A magnetic stripe
card reader reads information stored on the stripe.

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 (B) Optical Media
• An optical disc is a flat, round, portable
storage medium made of metal, plastic, and
lacquer that is written and read by a beam of
laser light.
• The reflected light is converted into a series of
bits that the computer can process.
• Optical discs used in personal computers are
4.75 inches in diameter. Smaller computers
and devices use mini discs that have a
diameter of 3 inches or less.
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 Care for Optical Disks
• Care for Optical Disks

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 Categories of Optical Disks
• Two general categories are CDs and DVDs, with
DVDs having a much greater storage capacity than
CDs.
• Examples of Optical Disks include:
• CD-ROM (compact disc read-only memory): These
are written by the manufacturer and can not be
modified. A typical CD-ROM can hold from 650 MB
to 1GB of data, but most hold 700MB.
• CD-R (compact disc-recordable) is a technology that
allows you to write on a compact disc using your
own computer’s CD-R drive.
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 Categories of Optical Disks
• A CD-RW (compact disc-rewritable) is an erasable
multisession disc that you can write on multiple
times.
• DVD-ROM (digital video disc-ROM). A DVD-ROM is
an extremely high capacity compact disc capable of
storing from 4.7 GB to 17GB.
• DVDs are also available in a variety of recordable
and rewritable versions and formats such as DVD-R
and DVD+R DVD+RW, DVD+RE, and DVD+RAM.
• A Blu-ray Dics-ROM (BD-ROM) has storage
capacities of up to 100 GB.
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 (C) Solid-state media
• Solid-state media consist entirely of electronic
components and contain no moving parts.
• Solid state is a non-volatile storage that
employs integrated circuits rather than
mechanical, magnetic or optical technology.
Examples include:
• Flash Memory Cards
• USB Flash Disks

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 Flash memory cards
• Common types of flash
memory cards include
Memory Stick, CompactFlash
(CF), SmartMedia, miscroSD,
miniSD, xD, Picture Card, etc.
• They are commonly used in
electronic devices such as
digital cameras and mobile
phones. They are tiny, re-
recordable, and able to retain
data without power.
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 USB flash drive
• A USB flash drive is a small and lightweight
removable storage device that plugs in a USB port
on a computer.
• USB flash drives have become the mobile user's
primary portable storage device, making the floppy
disks outdated.

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 Other Types of Storage Media
• Photographic film is a sheet of plastic such as
polyester coated with a light sensitive emulsion,
that is used to record and store photographs.
• Chemical processes can then be applied to the film
to create a visible image, in a process called film
developing.

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 Other Types of Storage Media
• Microfilm and Microfiche are media used to store
microscopic images of documents on roll or sheet
film. They have the longest life of any storage
medium. Libraries use these media to store back
issues of newspapers, magazines, and genealogy
records.

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 5.3.2 Characteristics of storage
devices
• Capacity is the number of bytes (characters) a
storage medium can hold. For example, a USB flash
drive can store up to 4 GB of data (approximately
four billion bytes) and a typical hard disk has 320
GB (approximately 320 billion bytes) of storage
capacity.
• Units of Storage Capacity
– The smallest unit of measuring Computer Memory is a
Bit (BInary digit). Binary digits are the numbers 1 and 0
which can be represented in a computer by switching
voltage ON and OFF.
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 5.3.2 Characteristics of storage
devices
Units of Storage Capacity
▪Eight little bits make one BYTE, and One BYTE stores approximately one
character.
▪Kilobyte (Kb) is 210 = 1024 bytes. (Approximately 1 thousand bytes)
▪Megabyte (Mb) is 1024 Kilobytes or 220 bytes, (Approximately 1 million bytes)
▪Gigabyte (GB) is 1024 Megabytes or 230 bytes, (Approximately 1 billion bytes)
▪Terabyte (TB) is 1024 Gigabytes or 240 bytes, (Approximately 1 trillion bytes)

▪NB In computing today, the approximation 1024 to 1000 has brought

about confusion and many manufactures quote a disk with
1,000,000,000 bytes as 1 GB (109) instead of 1,073,741,824 bytes (230).

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 5.3.2 Characteristics of storage
devices
Units of Storage Capacity
Exercise. Instructions: Use the 1024= 1000 approximation.
• Q1. How many bits are required to store the following words?
a) COMPUTING b) BOYS’ SCHOOL c) 36oC d) U.N.E.B
• Q.2 Does a text document with 1,000,000 characters fit onto
a 1.4 MB floppy disk?
• Q.3 Convert: (i) 200 kb to bits (ii) 5,000,000 Bytes to MB
(iii) 2GB to kb
• Q.4 Arrange the elements below in terms of their relative size
in ascending order:
a) Character> Document> Page> Word> Paragraph
b) Gigabyte>Kilobyte>Megabyte>Bit>Byte
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 5.3.2 Characteristics of storage
devices
• The speed of storage devices is defined by access time.
Access time measures the amount of time it takes a storage
device to locate an item on a storage medium.
• The access time of storage devices is slow,
compared with the access time of memory.
– Memory (chips) access items in billionths of a second
(nanoseconds). Storage devices, by contrast, access
items in thousandths of a second (milliseconds) or
millionths of a second (microseconds).
• Some storage devices use sequential access and others use
random access methods. QN: What is the difference
between these two access methods? Which is better?
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 5.3.3 Using secondary storage
devices.
• Secondary devices are generally used by attaching or
inserting them into a port of drive on the computer. The
operating system has to recognize the device and provide
an interface for the user to interact with it. Below are some
specific procedures for using CDs.
• How to Copy Files and Folders to a CD in Windows
7/8/10
• There are many third party application software programs
for burning CDs and DVDs like Nero, and Ashampoo
burning studio, but then Windows already has built-in
burning software in Explorer.

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 5.3.3 Using secondary storage
devices.
• How to Copy Files and Folders to a CD in Windows
7/8/10
• To get started, pop a CD or DVD into your Windows PC and
you should see a dialog appear either in Notification Center
or as an AutoPlay window.

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 5.3.3 Using secondary storage
devices.
• How to Copy Files and Folders to a CD in Windows 7/8/10
• Another box will pop up asking you how you would like to
use this disc. Give the disc a title and then choose whether
you want it to act like a USB flash drive or like a mastered
disc.
• If you don’t intend to keep
modifying data on the disc,
then you should choose the
‘With a CD/DVD player’
option which is compatible
to most drives and reads faster.

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 5.3.3 Using secondary storage
devices.
• How to Copy Files and Folders to a CD in Windows
7/8/10
• After that, you’ll get an empty Explorer window where you
can start to copy-and-paste or drag and drop the files you
want to burn to the disc

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 5.3.3 Using secondary storage
devices.
• How to Copy Files and Folders to a CD in Windows 7/8/10
• Once you have copied all the files you want to burn, Windows
displays a temporary area where the files are held before they are
copied to the CD. Check that the files and folders that you intend to
copy to the CD are displayed under Files Ready to Be Written to the
CD.
• To write the files to the disc, click on Manage under Drive Tools and
you’ll see an option called Finish burning. In Windows 7, you’ll see a
Burn to disc option.

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 5.3.3 Using secondary storage
devices.
• How to Copy Files and Folders to a CD in Windows 7/8/10
• Once you have copied all the files you want to burn, Windows
displays a temporary area where the files are held before they are
copied to the CD. Check that the files and folders that you intend to
copy to the CD are displayed under Files Ready to Be Written to the
CD section.
• To write the files to the disc, click on Manage under Drive Tools and
you’ll see an option called Finish burning. In Windows 7, you’ll see a
Burn to disc option.

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 5.3.3 Using secondary storage
devices.
• How to Copy Files and Folders to a CD in Windows 7/8/10
• The burn wizard will appear and here you can choose the
recording speed. By default, it should automatically be set
to the fastest speed your drive can support.
• Once the burn is completed,
you should get a successful
message and the window
may disappear.
Note: After you copy files or
folders to the CD, it is useful to
view the CD to confirm that the
files are copied.

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 5.3.3 Using secondary storage
devices.
• How to Copy Files and Folders to a CD in Windows 7/8/10
• Delete CD Temporary Files
• Note: When you delete the contents of the temporary storage area, you make this
area available for another person to who wants to burn files to the CD. Many times
students find their work on other people’s discs because their files were not
deleted from the temporary burning area on the computer marked Files Ready to
be written to the Disc (7).
• Double-click My Computer, and then double-click the CD drive. Under CD Writing
Tasks, click Delete Temporary Files. Windows deletes the files and folders from the
temporary storage area and moves them to the Recycle Bin.

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 5.3.4 Primary Storage devices:
memory chips
• A computer's memory in
the system unit consists of
one or more chips
physically close to the CPU
to decrease access time.
• The system unit contains
two types of memory:
volatile memory eg RAM
and non-volatile memory
eg ROM.

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 5.3.4 Primary Storage devices:
memory chips
Differences between RAM and ROM
RAM ROM
1. Volatile, temporally 1.Non Volatile, permanent
2. Contents lost when 2. Contents remain when power
power goes off goes off
3. Read and Write 3. Read Only
4. Can be increased 4. Cant be Increased
5. Data Not recorded at 5. Firmware Recorded at Factory
Factory
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 5.3.4 Primary Storage devices:
memory chips
Basic types of ROM
• Programmable read-only memory (PROM) is a
blank ROM chip on which you can permanently
place data and programs.
• Once the data and instructions are programmed
into PROM chip, the chip functions like a regular
ROM and cannot be erased
• or changed. A variation of the PROM chip, called
electrically erasable programmable read-only
memory (EEPROM) chip,allows a programmer to
erase the microcode with an electric signal.
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 5.3.4 Primary Storage devices:
memory chips
• Other kinds of
memory chips
These include:
• Memory cache
• Buffers
• CMOS
• Flash Memory
• Registers (within
the processor chip)
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 Memory cache
• A cache is a small block • There are three types of cache
of very fast memory memory namely:
that is faster than • Level 1 (L1)-Primary cache;
conventional RAM, located inside microprocessor
speeding up processing • Level 2(L2)-External cache;
time by storing that may be inside
frequently used microprocessor or mounted
instructions and data. on the motherboard;
• The processor first
checks cache, then • Level 3(L3)-cache; works with
RAM for needed data L2 to optimize system
and instructions. performance.

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 Buffers
• Buffers are special memories that are found
in input/output devices. Input data is held /
accumulated in input buffer while processed
output is held in output buffer.
• For example, computer printers have buffers
where they can store massive documents
sent by the CPU for printing hence freeing
the CPU to perform other urgent tasks as the
printer continues to print in the background.
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 CMOS
• Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor
(CMOS) technology provides high speeds and
consumes little power.
• CMOS technology uses battery power to retain
information even when the power to the computer
is off.
• Battery-backed CMOS memory chips, for example,
can keep the calendar, date, and time current even
when the computer is off.

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 Flash Memory
• Flash memory is a chip that also keeps its contents
when the power is shut off.
• Flash memory can be erased electronically and
reprogrammed.
• Most computers use flash memory to hold their
startup instructions because it allows the computer
easily to update its contents.

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 Sub Topic 5.4. Processor Components

Sub topic Objectives:

5.4.1 Processor Components: Introduction
5.4.2 Appreciating the parts of the Central
Processing Unit (CPU) and their
functions.
5.4.3 Describing the types of processors in
computers and other electronic
devices.
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 5.4.1 Processor Components:
Introduction
• Processing devices are the computer electronic
components and chips housed in the system unit.
• The system unit is a box-like case that houses the
motherboard, the disks and drive bays, the power
supply and cooling systems.
• The components in the system unit are connected
to the motherboard.
• Two major components on the motherboard are the
CPU and internal memory.
• A drive bay is a rectangular opening inside the
system unit that typically holds disk drives.
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 5.4.1 Processor Components: Introduction

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 The Motherboard
• The motherboard is a single circuit board, that
provides the path through which the
processor communicates with internal and
peripheral devices.
• The motherboard is also called the system
board
• The components attached to the
motherboard include the processor chip,
memory chips, support electronic circuitry,
buses, and Expansion Slots for Adapter Cards.
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 The Motherboard

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 The Motherboard
• Adapter cards are used for many supplemental
capabilities, such as more memory, higher-quality
sound devices, a modem, extra ports, or graphics
capabilities.
• Some
motherboards
include all
necessary
capabilities
and do not
require cards.
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 Commonly used adapter cards and their functions

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 Buses
• The bus is a common electrical path, that enables
data flow between the various system components.
• A bus, allows the various devices inside and
attached to the system unit to communicate with
each other.

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 Power Supply and Cooling Technology
• The power supply is the
component of the system unit
that converts the wall outlet AC
power of 110 to 240 volts into
DC power of 0.5 to 12 volts
• A heat sink is a small ceramic or
metal component with fins on
its surface that absorbs and
disperses heat produced by
electrical components such as a
processor.
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 5.4.1 The Central Processing Unit
(CPU)
• The central
processing unit
(CPU), is a chip
that interprets,
carries out the
basic instructions
and manages most
of a computer's
operations.
• It is at times
referred to as the
‘brain’ of the
computer.
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 5.4.2 The Central Processing Unit
(CPU)
The CPU has two
basic sections: the
control unit (CU) and
the arithmetic/logic
unit (ALU), which
work together to
perform the
processing
operations. Other
CPU components
are the Registers
and the System
Clock.
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 The control unit (CU)
• The control unit is the component of the
processor that directs and coordinates most of
the operations in the computer.
• It interprets each instruction issued by
program and then initiates the appropriate
action to carry out the instruction.
• For every instruction, the control unit repeats
a set of four basic steps called the machine
cycle steps:
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 The control unit (CU)
• Step 1: Fetching the instruction. The
instruction to be executed is obtained from
memory.
• Step 2: Decoding the instruction. The
instruction is translated into commands the
computer understand and sent to the ALU.
• Step 3: Executing the instruction. The
commands are carried out.
• Step 4: Storing results. The results are stored
in registers or memory.
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 An example of a machine cycle

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 Arithmetic/logic unit (ALU)
• The ALU performs the arithmetic, comparison, and
logical operations in a computer.
• It performs the execution step of a machine cycle.
• Arithmetic operations include addition, subtraction,
multiplication, and division.
• Logical operations work with conditions and logical
operators such as AND, OR, and NOT.
• For example, if you wanted to search a student
database for Candidates of Computer students, you
would search for any students classified as
‘Computer students AND listed under Candidates.
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 Registers
• Registers are high-speed working storage areas that
temporarily hold instructions and data within the
CPU.
• Registers work under the direction of the control
unit to accept, hold, and transfer instruction or data
and comparisons at high speed.
• Registers hold data immediately related to the
operation being executed. Memory is used to store
data that will be used in the near future. Secondary
storage holds data that may be needed later (in
future).
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 The system clock
• The system clock is a small chip that is used by the
CPU to synchronize the timing of all computer
operations.
• The system clock generates electronic pulse or ticks
at a fixed rate, which set the operating pace of
components in the system unit.
• Each tick is called a clock cycle, which affects
machine cycle time.
• The faster the clock, the more instructions the CPU
can execute per second.
• Clock speed is measured in hertz.
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 5.4.3 Types of processors
• The leading manufacturers of personal computer processor
chips are Intel and AMD. These manufacturers often identify
their processor chips by a model name or model number.
• High-performance desktop personal computers today use a
processor in the Intel Core family. Less expensive, basic
personal computers today use a brand of Intel processor in
the Pentium or Celeron family.
• The Xeon and Itanium families of processors are ideal for
work stations and low-end servers.

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 5.4.3 Types of processors
• The leading manufacturers of personal computer processor
chips are Intel and AMD. These manufacturers identify their
processor chips by a model name or model number.
• High-performance desktop PCs today use a processor in the
Intel Core family. Less expensive, basic personal computers
today use a brand of Intel processor in the Pentium or
Celeron family. The Xeon and Itanium families of
processors are ideal for work stations and low-end servers.
• Most processor chip manufacturers now offer multi-core
processors. A processor core contains the circuitry
necessary to execute instructions. The operating system
views each processor core as a separate processor.
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 5.4.3 Types of processors
• The leading manufacturers of personal computer
processor chips are Intel and AMD. These
manufacturers identify their processor chips by a
model name or model number.

• High-performance desktop PCs today use a

processor in the Intel Core family. Less expensive,
basic personal computers today use a brand of Intel
processor in the Pentium or Celeron family. The
Xeon and Itanium families of processors are ideal
for work stations and low-end servers.
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 5.4.3 Types of processors
• Most processor chip manufacturers now offer multi-core
processors. A processor core contains the circuitry
necessary to execute instructions. The operating system
views each processor core as a separate processor.
• A multi-core processor is a chip with two or more separate
processor cores. For example, a dual-core processor is a
chip that contains two separate processor cores, and , a
quad-core processor has four separate processor cores.

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 5.4.3 Types of processors
Common examples of processors include the
following:
• Processors by Intel include Pentium I, Pentium II,
Pentium III, Pentium IV, Pentium Duo core, Core 2
Duo, Core 2 Quad, Atom, Celeron, Centrino, Intel
CORE i3, Intel CORE i5, Intel CORE i7, etc.
• Processors by AMD include: Xeon, Opteron, Athlon,
Itanium, Phenom, Sempron, Turion II, Athlon II,
Phenom II, A-Series (Fusion), FX etc.

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 Subsidiary
ICT for
Uganda
End of Topic 5:
Computer Hardware

Next Topic 6: Computer Software

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