WEEK 2: Computer Hardware Basics

Section 1: Computer History
During the second week we started to learn the history of the computer and its improvement.

Generation	1st Generation	2nd Genration	3rd Genration	4th Generation
Features	-electronic emitting device -Data and programs are stored in a single read-write memory -Memory contents are addressable by location, regardless of the content itself -Machine language/assemble language	-One program at a time. -on/off switch controlled by electrically -high language -Floating point arithmetic	-thousands of transistors -semiconductor memory -mulitiple computer models -smaller than previous generations	-millions of transistor -single chip processor -inventing of PCs -data communication usage -massively parallel machine
Use	To calculate trajectories for ballistic shells during World War II			Every task
Time	1940-1950	1950-1964	1964-1974	1974-present
Inventor	Mauchly & Echert	William Shockley, John Bardeen, and Walter Brattain
Name	ENIAC	Transistor	Integrated Circuits (IC)	VLSI/ULSI
Materials used	Around 18000 vacuum tubes and 1500 relays	Vacuum tubes were replaced by transistors	Semiconductor memory	Millions of transistor

 Computer technology is improving day after another. So for the next 10 years there will be a big change on computer and technology.

Computer Architecture
What is computer architecture?
Computer architecture is the study of selecting and interconnecting hardware components to create computers that satisfy functional performance and cost goals.
It concerns with internal hardware and software that determines the performance and capability of computer.

 Processor: is the center for manipulation and control.
Memory: is the storage for instructions and data
1/0 System:  controller
Data path and control: a collection of data transmitters and wires.



We also learned the computer power and speed. Power and speed is what makes computer useful and important. The speed of computer is measured in Hertz(Hz)  which is the number of cycle per second. And its capacity is measured in Bytes(B) so 1byte is 8 bits.

Types of Computer
1. Embedded computer:computers with specific function

2. Mobile computer:

3. Personal computer

4. Mid range server
 
5. Mainframe computer

6. Super computers




Section 2: Motherboard, CPU and Main Memory
 System Unit
system unit is a case which contains electronic components such as processor, memory, expansion cards, and many more.

System unit components

• Processor 
• Memory Module
• Expansion cards: sound cards, modern card, video card and network card
• Portal and connectors

Motherboard 
What is motherboard?

Motherboard is a printed circuit board which holds many of the circuit system of the crucial component of the system such as CPU and Memory and it gives connectors for other peripherals.
Motherboard also called System board.





Processor 
Processor is the most important part of the computer. It manipulates and controls the data in computer. A set of wires carry the information in between different parts of computer known as bus system. 

Central processing unit (CPU)
CPU is the brain of the computer and it takes all major decisions and calculations. CPU is the Memory + the Processor. CPU is measured in Megahertz(MHz).

So what are the functions of CPU?

• CPU changes data into information.
• It performs operations which make computer run.

 What are the components of CPU?

1. Control unit (CU)

Is the part of the computer that controls computer activity and it communicates the other part of the computer hardware.
2. Arithmetic logic unit (ALU)
ALU performs mathematical operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

After this, we studied RAM and ROM. So what is the difference between RAM and ROM?
RAM (Random Access Memory): it holds the data and program instructions which is being used by the processor and it looses all the data when the power supply is turned off.
ROM (Read Only Memory): it holds the program instructions and settings required to set up the computer. It doesn't looses the content when the power supply is off.

Section 3: Input And Output

In this part we have learned the difference between input and output and also their devices. So input is any data or instruction entered into the memory of a computer while output is any data that is modified into a useful information. 
There are input devices such as keyboard, pointing devices like mouse, sound and video devices, scanner and many more.

Output devices are hardware devices that allow the production of an information. Some of output devices are: display devices like computer screen, printers, audio output devices, etc.

Storage

Finally we learned the storage and types of storage devices. Storage holds data and instructions for future use. While storage medium is the device that conveys the storing activity.