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1 Introduction to Computer System
A computer is an electronic device that can be
programmed to accept data (input), process it and
generate result (output). A computer along with
additional hardware and software together is called a
computer system.
A computer system primarily comprises of a central
processing unit, memory, input/output devices, and
storage devices. All these components function together
as a single unit to deliver the desired output. A computer
system comes in various forms and sizes. It can varyfrom a high-end server to a personal
desktop, laptop, tablet computer, or
smartphone.
Figure 1.1 shows the block diagram
of a computer system. The directed
lines represent the flow of data and
signal between the components.
1.1.1 Central Processing Unit (CPU)
It is the electronic circuitry of a
computer that carries out the actual
processing and is usually referred to
as the brain of the computer. It is also
commonly called 'processor' also. Physically, a CPU can
be placed on one or more microchips called integrated
circuits (IC). The ICs comprise semiconductor materials.
The CPU is given instructions and data through
programs. The CPU then fetches the program and data
from the memory and performs arithmetic and logical
operations as per the given instructions and stores the
result back to memory.
While processing, the CPU stores the data as well
as instructions in its local memory, 'called' registers.
Registers are part of the CPU chip and they are limited
in size and number. Different registers are used for
storing data, instructions or intermediate results.
Other than the registers, the CPU has two main
components — Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) and Control
Unit (CU). ALU performs all the arithmetic and logic
operations that need to be done as per the instruction in a
program. CU controls sequential instruction execution,
interprets instructions and guides data flow through the
computer’s memory, ALU and input or output devices.
CPU is also popularly known as microprocessor.
1.1.2 Input Devices
The devices through which control signals are sent
to a computer are termed as input devices. These
devices convert the input data into a digital form that is
acceptable by the computer system. Some examples of
input devices include keyboard, mouse, scanner, touch
screen, etc., as shown in Figure 1.2. Specially designed
braille keyboards are also available to help the visually
impaired for entering data into a computer. Besides, we can now enter data through voice, for example,
we can use Google voice search to search the web where we can
input the search string through our voice.
Data entered through input device is temporarily
stored in the main memory (also called RAM) of the
computer system. For permanent storage and future use,
the data as well as instructions are stored permanently
in additional storage locations called secondary memory.
1.1.3 Output Devices
The device that receives data from a computer system
for display, physical production, etc., is called output
device. It converts digital information into human-
understandable form. For example, monitor, projector,
headphone, speaker, printer, etc. Some output devices
are shown in Figure 1.3. A braille display monitor is
useful for a visually challenged person to understand
the textual output generated by computers.
A printer is the most commonly used device to get
output in physical (hardcopy) form. Three types of
commonly used printers are inkjet, laserjet and dot
matrix. Now-a-days, there is a new type of printer
called 3D-printer, which is used to build physical
replica of a digital 3D design. These printers are being
used in manufacturing industries to create prototypes
of products. Their usage is also being explored in the
medical field, particularly for developing body organs.
1.2 Evolution of Computer
From the simple calculator to a modern day powerful
data processor, computing devices have evolved in a
relatively short span of time. The evolution of computing
devices is shown through a timeline at Figure 1.5.
The Von Neumann architecture is shown in Figure
1.4. It consists of a Central Processing Unit (CPU)
for processing arithmetic and logical instructions, a
memory to store data and programs, input and output
devices and communication channels to send/receive
the output data. Electronic Numerical Integrator And
Computer (ENIAC) is the first
binary programmable computer
based on Von Neumann
architecture.
During the 1970s, Large Scale
Integration (LSI) of electronic
circuits allowed integration of
