Computing fundamentals
Lesson 5
Fundamentals of
computer systems
Label your micro:bit
USB connector Button B
Accelerometer Bluetooth antenna
Radio LED lights
Button A Processor
Pins Compass
Battery socket
Label your micro:bit
Battery
USB connector Button B Radio socket
LED
lights Bluetooth
antenna
Button A
Processor
Pins Compass Accelerometer
Learning objectives:
● to know and understand the common features of
computer systems
● to know and explain input and output devices, hardware
and software
● to apply understanding to writing algorithms and
programming micro:bit
Hardware
The physical parts of a computer system
micro:bit hardware: what am I?
1. There are 25 of me. I can display text, images and numbers.
LED (light emitting diode)
2. I detect the earth’s magnetic field
compass
3. I can be used to communicate wirelessly
radio and/or Bluetooth
4. I can be used to connect micro:bit to a computer
USB connector
Software
The programs that run on a computer
e.g. a showing random numbers in dice (above)
or counting steps in a step counter, points in a game
Computer systems
Input Process Output
Computer systems
Input
Output
Processor
Input and output devices
Input devices
Hardware that sends data to a computer system.
Output devices
Hardware used to communicate data that has been
processed.
You have 2 minutes to label the micro:bit inputs and
outputs on your sheet
Algorithm & programming challenge
Write an algorithm to create a program using a micro:bit
input and output device.
Swap your algorithm with another team.
Implement the algorithm you have been given, testing and
debugging the algorithm and program as you go.
Feedback to the other team.
Using examples, explain the following
terms:
● input
● output
● computer system
● hardware
● software
Learning objectives revisited:
● to know and understand the common features of
computer systems
● to know and explain input and output devices, hardware
and software
● to apply understanding to writing algorithms and
programming micro:bit
Copyright information
Published by the Micro:bit Educational Foundation microbit.org
Licence: Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)