Scribd
Upload
41 views

Chapter 3 PowerPoint

The document discusses the components and functions of computer systems including memory, storage, input/output devices, and specialized hardware. It covers topics such as RAM, ROM, hard drives, optical discs, screens, keyboards, printers, microphones, speakers, plotters, and virtual reality headsets.

Uploaded by

Mikel Boyra
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
41 views

Chapter 3 PowerPoint

The document discusses the components and functions of computer systems including memory, storage, input/output devices, and specialized hardware. It covers topics such as RAM, ROM, hard drives, optical discs, screens, keyboards, printers, microphones, speakers, plotters, and virtual reality headsets.

Uploaded by

Mikel Boyra
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 9

Computer systems

• General purpose systems

• Embedded systems

• Input of data

• Output of data

• Storage of data

• (Processing of data)

© Cambridge University Press 2019


Memory and storage
• Registers

• Cache memory

• Main memory

• Hard disk

• Auxiliary storage

• Access time, capacity and size increase down this list

• Cost decreases down this list

• Buffers

© Cambridge University Press 2019


Memory chips
• Random-access memory (RAM) is direct access, read-write and volatile

• Read-only memory (ROM) is direct access, read only and non-volatile; ROM
can be PROM, EPROM or EEPROM

• Dynamic RAM (DRAM) needs regularly charging, is the cheaper option and
stores more bits per chip

• Static RAM (SRAM) has shorter access time

© Cambridge University Press 2019


Secondary storage devices
• Magnetic tape cassette can be used for backup

• Magnetic disk is normally built-in storage

• Optical disc media: several types, removable and portable

• Solid-state can be built-in storage but otherwise is a peripheral device


connected to a USB port

© Cambridge University Press 2019


Screens
• Flat screen technology is now the norm

• Liquid-crystal display (LCD) or plasma

• Screen pixels have red, green and blue (RGB) sub-pixels

• Resistive touch screen is not rigid

• Capacitive touch screen is rigid

• Some alternative technologies have radiation travelling across the surface


of the screen

© Cambridge University Press 2019


Keyboard
• Keys are positioned above a key matrix

• A key press causes contact at an intersection of this matrix

• The microprocessor built in to the keyboard receives a signal

• This is compared with data stored in a ROM

• The appropriate character code is created and sent to the processor


in the computer

© Cambridge University Press 2019


Printers and scanners
• An inkjet or a laser printer can be used as a printer or as a scanner

• Both types print line-by-line but with very different technologies

• Colour is based on cyan, magenta and yellow pigments

• The number of dots per pixel can be controlled

© Cambridge University Press 2019


Sound input and output
• A microphone is an input device

• It converts sound into an analogue electrical signal

• This can be converted to digital using an analogue-to-digital converter (ADC)

• A speaker is the output device, which is fed an analogue signal that has been
converted from a digital data by a digital-to-analogue converter (DAC)

© Cambridge University Press 2019


Specialist devices
• Graphics plotters use coloured pens that can move freely in any direction
under control of the software

• A 3D printer uses the same principle but instead of ink there is a nozzle
that squirts material on to the printer bed to be cured later

• Virtual reality headset

© Cambridge University Press 2019

You might also like