Hardware, Input,

Processing and
Output
Chapter 3
Hardware Components
 Devices that perform input, processing, data
storage and output.
Communication Devices
(MODEM, NIC)

Processing Device

Input
Control
Unit
A/L
Unit
Output
Device Register Storage
Device
Area (Monitor,
(KB, Mouse)
Printer)
Memory
(Primary Storage)
(RAM)

Secondary Storage
(HDD, CD/DVD)

 Fig: Hardware Components 2

Hardware Components
Continue…
 CPU has:
◦ Arithmetic Logic (A/L) unit.
◦ Control unit.
◦ Registers.
 A/L unit:
◦ Performs mathematical calculations and makes logical
comparisons.

 Control Unit:
◦ Sequentially access program instructions, decode (what
to do) them and coordinates the flow of data in and out
of the ALU, registers, primary storage and even
secondary storage and various output devices.

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Hardware Components
Continue…
 Registers:
◦ High speed storage areas used to temporarily
hold small unit of program instructions and data,
immediately before, during and after execution by
the CPU.

 Primary storage (main memory/memory):

◦ Holds program instructions and data.

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Processing and Memory devices:
power, speed, and capacity
 Processing characteristics and functions:
◦ Machine cycle time:
 Time to complete a machine cycle is machine
cycle time.

 It is measured in nanoseconds (10-9 second) or

picoseconds (10-12 second).

 It is also measured as-how many instructions

are executed in one second. MIPS (stands for
millions of instructions per second).

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Processing and Memory devices:
power, speed, and capacity
◦ Clock speed:
 CPU produces a series of electrical
pulse at a predetermine rate called the
clock, which affects the machine cycle
time.

 Clock speed is measured in MHz or GHz.

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Continue…
 Memory characteristics and functions:
◦ Normally 8 bits together form a byte(B) that can
store a character such as (a, B, 1, + <, =, etc).

◦ 1 Flip Flop (FF) or a capacitor can store a 1 bit.

1 byte(B) = 8 bits.
1 kilobyte(KB) = 210 bytes = 1024 bytes (about 1 thousand
bytes).
1 Megabyte(MB) = 220 bytes = 210 KB (about 1 million bytes).
1 Gigabyte(GB) = 230 bytes = 210 MB (about 1 billion bytes).
1 Terabyte(TB) = 240 bytes = 210 GB (about 1 trillion bytes).
1 Petabyte(PB) = 250 bytes = 210 TB (about 1 quadrillion bytes).
1 Exabyte(EB) = 260 bytes = 210 PB (about 1 quintillion bytes).

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Types of Memory
 Volatile:
◦ This type of memory lose their contents if the
current is turned off or disrupted (as in a power
surge, brownout, or electrical noise generated by
lightning or nearby machine).

 Nonvolatile:
◦ This type of memory do not lose their contents if
the current is turned off or disrupted.

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Volatile Memory
 RAM (Random Access Memory):
◦ Volatile storage that lose their contents in the absence of electric
power.

 SRAM (Static RAM):

◦ Byte addressable storage used for high speed registers and caches.

 DRAM: (Dynamic RAM):

◦ Byte addressable storage used for the main memory in a computer.

 DDR SDRAM (Double Data Rate Synchronous DRAM):

◦ An improved form of DRAM.
◦ DDR (400Mega Transfer per second), DDR2 (800MT/s), DDR3
(1600MT/s), and DDR4 (3200MT/s).

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Nonvolatile Memory
 ROM (Read Only Memory):
◦ Nonvolatile storage that do not lose their contents if the current is
turned off or disrupted.

 PROM (Programmable ROM):

◦ Instruction and data can be programmed onto a PROM chip only once.

 EPROM (Erasable PROM):

◦ Can programmed multiple times.
◦ EPROM can be erased by exposing it to ultra-violet light for a duration
of up to 40 minutes.

 EEPROM (Electrically EPROM):

◦ Can be programmed and erased electrically about 4 to 10 ms.
◦ It can be erased and reprogrammed about ten thousand times.

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Nonvolatile Memory Cont…
 Flash:
◦ Able to erase a block of data in a flash. Ex: Usb drives, digital camera memory card.

 NOR Flash:
◦ Flash memory that support 1-byte random access.

 NAND Flash:
◦ Flash memory that support sequential block access
◦ It is like a regular disk drive to the os.

 FeRAM (ferroelectric RAM):

◦ Can hold data without power and offer the higher speed of SDRAM.

 PCM (Phase Change Memory):

◦ New type of memory that may eventually replace flash memory.

 MRAM (Magnetoresistive RAM):

◦ Based on magnetic polarization that can R/W data faster than flash.

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Types of Memory
Continue…
 Cache Memory:
◦ High speed memory placed between register and main
memory to minimize speed gap.

◦ It is used to hold those parts of data and program

which are most frequently used by the CPU.

◦ In recent past computer, 3 types of cache memory

normally found; level 1 and level 2 in CPU and level 3
on Motherboard.

◦ In modern computer 4 types of cache memory found;

level 1 level 2 and level 3 in CPU and level 4 on MB.

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Parallel Processing
 Multiprocessing:
◦ The simultaneous execution of multiple
instructions at the same time.

◦ A multi core processor combines two or more

independent processors into a single computer so
that they can share workload and boost
processing capacity.

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Parallel Processing
 Parallel computing:
◦ Is the simultaneous execution of the same task on multiple
processors to obtain result faster.

◦ Systems with hundreds or thousands such processors are

known as massively parallel processing system.

 Grid Computing:
◦ The use of a collection of computers often owned by
multiple individuals or organizations to work in a
coordinated manner to solve a common problem.

◦ It need a central server acts as a grid leader and traffic

monitor.

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Parallel Processing
 Cloud Computing:
◦ Cloud Computing is a method of utilizing on-
demand computer services via the internet.

 Examples of cloud computing include:

◦ Google Docs, Microsoft Office 365
◦ Email, Calendar, Skype, WhatsApp
◦ Zoom

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Parallel Processing
 There are three types of Cloud Computing services
◦ Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS):
 Users, companies, and businesses can use IaaS for
storage and networking.
 Amazon Web Services (AWS)

◦ Platform as a Service (PaaS):

 Developers and software engineers can use online
tools and software through Cloud Computing.
 Google App Engine.

◦ Software as a Service (SaaS)

 Companies can provide real-time access to their
users/customers through the internet.
 Dropbox.
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Secondary Storage
 Also known as permanent storage. It offers the
advantage of nonvolatility, greater capacity and
greater economy.

 Price varies from speed to speed.

 Access Methods:
◦ Sequential: data must be accessed in the order in
which it is stored.

◦ Direct: data can be retrieved directly without the need

to pass by other data in sequence.

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Devices
 Most common devices are:
(1) Magnetic Tape: (2) Magnetic Disk: (3) Optical Disc:

 Magnetic Tape:
◦ Is a sequential storage medium; now used mainly
for backup.

◦ Similar to tape found in audio and videocassettes.

◦ Magnetic tape is Mylar film coated with iron oxide.

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Devices
 Magnetic Disk:
◦ Magnetic disk are also coated with iron oxide;
they can be thin metallic platters (HDD) or Mylar
film (Diskettes).

◦ It is semi direct access. Because W/R head can go

direct to the desired track but read the sector in
the track sequentially.

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Devices Continue…
 Optical Disks:
◦ It is simply a rigid disk of plastic onto which data
is recoded by special lasers that physically burn
pits in the disk.

◦ CD-ROM capacity=740 MB, CD-R (CD Recordable)

can write once, CD-RW (CD Rewritable) can write
repeatedly and often used as a backup.

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Devices Continue…
 Digital Video Disk (DVD):
◦ Very much look like CD.

◦ Single layer Single sided=4.7 GB, Single layer Double sided=9.4

GB, Double layer Single side=8.7 GB and double layer Double
side=17.4 GB.

◦ Blue Ray HD Video Disk can store at least 3 times than as a DVD.
It normally holds HD Video.

 Holographic Disc:
◦ HVD (Holographic Versatile disc) is an advanced optical disc
technology with capacity of 1 TB.

◦ Transfer speed is 1GB/s.

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Input and Output devices: The
gateway to computer system
 Input Devices:
◦ There are hundreds of input devices.
◦ They range from special purpose device to
general purpose input device.

◦ Personal Computer Input Devices:

 Keyboard and mouse are the most common input
device for input of data such as characters, text and
basic commands.

 KB and Mouse can be wireless.

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Input Devices Continue…
◦ Speech Recognition Technology:
 Microphone can be used as an input device to
interpret human speech as an alternative means of
providing data or instructions to the computer.

◦ Digital Camera:
 Record and store images or video in digital form.

 You can download the image to a computer either

directly or by using a flash memory card.

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Input Devices Continue…
 Scanning Devices:
◦ You can input image and character data using a scanning
device.

◦ A page scanner is like a copy machine.

 Optical Data Readers:

◦ It is a special scanning device to scan documents.

◦ Two categories:
 OMR (Optical Mark Recognition):

 OCR (Optical Character Recognition): Can convert handwritten or

typed documents into digital data.

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Input Devices Continue…
 MICR (Magnetic Ink Character Recognition):
◦ A system for reading banking data quickly.
◦ With MICR, data is placed on the bottom of a
check or other form using a special magnetic ink.
◦ Using a special character set, data printed with
this ink is readable by people and computers.

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Input Devices Continue…
 Magnetic Stripe Card:
◦ Stores limited amount of data by modifying the
magnetism of tiny iron-based particles contained
in a band on the card.

◦ The magnetic stripe is read by physically swiping

the card past a reading head.

◦ Used in credit card, transportation tickets and

drivers licences.

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Input Devices Continue…
 POS (Point of Sale) devices:
◦ Are terminals used in retail operations to enter
sales information into the computer system.

◦ The POS device then computes the total charge

including tax.

◦ Many POS devices also use other types of i/o,

such as keyboard, barcode readers, printers and
screens.

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Input Devices Continue…
 ATM (Automated Teller Machine) Devices:
◦ A special purpose I/O device that bank customers
use to perform withdrawals and other
transactions with their bank accounts.

 Pen Input Devices:

◦ By touching the screen with a pen input device
you can activate a command or cause the
computer to perform a task, enter handwritten
notes, and draw objects and figures.

◦ Pen input requires special hardware and software.

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Input Devices Continue…
 Touch Sensitive Screen:
◦ By touching certain parts of touch sensitive
screen, you can start a program or trigger other
types of actions.

◦ Acts as an I/O device.

 Barcode Scanner:
◦ Employs a laser scanner to read a bar coded
label.
◦ It is used in Grocery store check outs.

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Input Devices Continue…
 RFID (Radio Frequency
Identification):
◦ Transmit data by a mobile device called a
tag, which is read by an RFID reader.

◦ RFID tag chip includes a special form of

EPROM that holds data about the item to
which the tag is attached.

◦ A radio frequency signal can update this

memory as the status of the item
changes.

◦ The data transmitted by the tag might

provide identification, location, product
details such as date manufactured, retail
price, color, date of purchase, etc.
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Output Devices
 Display Monitors:
◦ Similar to a TV screen that displays output from the
computer.
◦ It is often called Cathode Ray Tube (CRT).

 Plasma Displays:
◦ A plasma uses thousands of smart cells (pixels)
consisting of electrodes and neon and xeon gases that
are electrically turned into plasma to emit light.

◦ Can produce high resolution and accurate

representation of colors to create a high quality image.

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Output Devices
 Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD):
◦ Are flat displays that use liquid crystals-organic oil
like material placed between two polarizers to form
characters and graphic images on a backlit screen.

 LED-backlit LCD (LED display)

◦ A LED-backlit LCD is a liquid-crystal display that
uses LEDs for backlighting instead of traditional cold cathode
fluorescent (CCFL) backlighting.

◦ LED-backlit displays use the same TFT LCD (thin-film-

transistor liquid-crystal display) technologies as CCFL-backlit
LCDs, but offer a variety of advantages over them.

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Output Devices
 OLED (Organic Light –Emitting Diodes):
◦ OLEDs use the same technology as LCDs with one
key difference.

◦ Whereas LCD screens contain a fluorescent

backlight and the LCD acts as a shutter to
selectively block that light, OLEDs directly emit
light.

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Output Devices Continue…
 Printers and Plotters:
◦ Two main types of printers are (1) Laser and (2) inkjet.

◦ Speed is measured in PPM (no. of pages per minute) and

◦ Quality is measured in DPI (dot per inch).

◦ Plotters are a type of hard copy output device used for

general design work.

 Digital Audio Players:

◦ Is a device that can store, organize and play digital music
files (various MP3 player).

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Special I/O Devices
 E-Books:
◦ The digital media equivalent of a conventional printed book.

◦ These E-Books can be viewed by PC or dedicated hardware

devices known as e-book readers.

◦ A no. of e-book hardware devices are available including the

kindle from Amazon.com and the Pepper Pad, Cybook, Franklin
eBookMan, Easyread, Personal Digital Reader and Hanlin
Reader.

◦ Price ranges from 150$ to 400$.

◦ Weight is about 9 ounces, ½ inch thin, store up to160 e-Books.

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Special I/O Devices Cont…
 Eyebud Screen:
◦ Portable media devices that
displays videos in front of one eye.

◦ With the proximity of the screen to

the eye and the magnifying effect
of the optical technology, using an
eyebud screen is like watching a
105-inch display from 12 feet
away.

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Computer System Types,
Selection and Upgrading
 Special purpose computer are used for limited
applications by military and scientific research
groups such as CIA, NASA.

 General purpose computer are used for a

variety of applications and execute the
business applications.

 Computer System Types: Range from

handheld computer to massive
supercomputer.

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Computer Types
Continue…
 Handheld computers:
◦ Very small size (as small as credit card) portable computer.

◦ Can communicate with desktop computers over wireless

network.

◦ GPS receiver may be there (if you find an address, the device
displays a map and directions from your current location).

◦ Require more power relative to their size.

◦ Ex. Smart phone (combine the functionality of a mobile phone,

personal digital assistant (PDA), camera, web browser, email
tools, MP3 player and other devices into a single handheld
device.

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Computer Types Continue…
 Portable Computers:
◦ Computer small enough to be carried easily- from laptops
to notebooks to subnotebooks to tablet computers.

◦ Tablet: are portable light weight computers that allow you

to roam the office, home or factory floor carrying the
device like clipboard.

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Computer Types Continue…
 Thin Client:
◦ Is a low cost centrally managed computer with no
extra drives, such as a CD or DVD drive or
expansion slots.

◦ These stripped down versions of desktop

computers do not have the storage capacity or
computing power of a typical computers.

◦ Some Insurance company use thin client to make

billing inquiries and view policy data.

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Computer Types
Continue…
 Desktop Computers:
◦ Relatively small, inexpensive, single user
computer systems.

◦ They often have sufficient memory and storage

for most business computing tasks and fit on or
beside an office desk.

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Computer Types
Continue…
 Workstations:
◦ More powerful than PC but still small enough to fit
on a desktop.

◦ It support engineering and technical users who

perform heavy mathematical computing.

◦ CAD (Computer Aided Design).

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Computer Types
Continue…
 Servers:
◦ A server is computer used by many users to perform a specific task, such
as running network or Internet applications.

◦ Servers typically have large memory and storage capabilities along with
fast and efficient communication ability.

◦ A web server handle Internet traffic and communications.

◦ A file server stores and coordinates program and data files.

◦ A transaction server process business transaction.

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Computer Types
Continue…
 Mainframe Computers:
◦ Is a large powerful computer shared by
dozen or even hundreds of concurrent
users connected to the machine over a
network.

◦ It can process the tens of thousands of

daily queries necessary to provide data
to decision support system.

◦ Its massive storage and I/O capabilities

enable it to play the role of a video
computer providing full motion video to
multiple concurrent users.

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Computer Types
Continue…
 Super Computers:
◦ Are the most powerful computers with the fastest processing
speed and highest performance.

◦ Applications that require extensive and rapid computational

capabilities such as weather forecasting and military
applications.

◦ As cost decreases, they are now used for commercial purposes.

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Selecting and Upgrading
Computer Systems
 Computer Systems are often upgraded by
installing additional memory, faster processors,
more hard disk storage, various I/O devices to
support new or changing business needs.

 Hard drive consideration:

◦ Size at least 1TB and access speed (10 ms or low) very
fast.

 Main Memory Consideration:

◦ Size at least 4 GB with fast bus speed (1333 MHz).

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Selecting and Upgrading
Computer Systems
 Printer Consideration:
◦ You have to consider purchase cost and operating
cost.
◦ Laser printers cost are high, but operating cost
low.
◦ Inkjet printers cost are low, but operating cost
high.

 DVD Burners:
◦ Here writing speed is also important.

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