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How Computers Work: A Simple Guide for Kids

Explore the basic elements and operations of computers in a gentle introduction for kids. Learn about hardware, software, memory, and more!

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How Computers Work: A Simple Guide for Kids

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  1. Final Part! How Do Computers Work? A Gentle Introductionfor Kids Dr. Arturo Sanchez University of North Florida E-mail: asanchez@unf.edu Web: http://www.unf.edu/~asanchez This presentation: http://www.unf.edu/~asanchez/public/rawlings

  2. My Intention … • To put together what we have studied so far to have an understanding of: • The internal organization of a computer (elements) • How these elements operate How Do Computers Work? Part III Dr. A. Sanchez

  3. Acknowledgement • All the slides, BUT 1-3, 17-21, and 39-40, I took from the book … • “Java: Software Solutions – Foundations of Program Design”. By John Lewis and William Loftus. Published by Addison-Wesley, 2005. ISBN: 0-321-24583-0. How Do Computers Work? Part III Dr. A. Sanchez

  4. Hardware and Software • Hardware • the physical, tangible parts of a computer • keyboard, monitor, disks, wires, chips, etc. • Software • programs and data • a program is a series of instructions • A computer requires both hardware and software • Each is essentially useless without the other How Do Computers Work? Part III Dr. A. Sanchez

  5. Main Memory CPU and Main Memory Chip that executes program commands Intel Pentium 4 Sun ultraSPARC III Central Processing Unit Primary storage area for programs and data that are in active use Synonymous with RAM How Do Computers Work? Part III Dr. A. Sanchez

  6. Hard Disk Main Memory Floppy Disk Secondary Memory Devices Secondary memory devices provide long-term storage Information is moved between main memory and secondary memory as needed Central Processing Unit Hard disks Floppy disks ZIP disks Writable CDs Writable DVDs Tapes How Do Computers Work? Part III Dr. A. Sanchez

  7. Monitor Keyboard Hard Disk Main Memory Floppy Disk Input / Output Devices I/O devices facilitate user interaction Central Processing Unit Monitor screen Keyboard Mouse Joystick Bar code scanner Touch screen How Do Computers Work? Part III Dr. A. Sanchez

  8. Software Categories • Operating System • controls all machine activities • provides the user interface to the computer • manages resources such as the CPU and memory • Windows XP, Unix, Linux, Mac OS • Application program • generic term for any other kind of software • word processors, missile control systems, games • Most operating systems and application programs have a graphical user interface (GUI) How Do Computers Work? Part III Dr. A. Sanchez

  9. Analog vs. Digital • There are two basic ways to store and manage data: • Analog • continuous, in direct proportion to the data represented • music on a record album - a needle rides on ridges in the grooves that are directly proportional to the voltages sent to the speaker How Do Computers Work? Part III Dr. A. Sanchez

  10. Analog vs. Digital • Digital • the information is broken down into pieces, and each piece is represented separately • music on a compact disc - the disc stores numbers representing specific voltage levels sampled at specific times How Do Computers Work? Part III Dr. A. Sanchez

  11. Digital Information • Computers store all information digitally: • numbers • text • graphics and images • video • audio • program instructions • In some way, all information is digitized - broken down into pieces and represented as numbers How Do Computers Work? Part III Dr. A. Sanchez

  12. 72 105 44 32 72 101 97 116 104 101 114 46 Representing Text Digitally • For example, every character is stored as a number, including spaces, digits, and punctuation • Corresponding upper and lower case letters are separate characters H i , H e a t h e r . How Do Computers Work? Part III Dr. A. Sanchez

  13. Binary Numbers • Once information is digitized, it is represented and stored in memory using the binary number system • A single binary digit (0 or 1) is called a bit • Devices that store and move information are cheaper and more reliable if they have to represent only two states How Do Computers Work? Part III Dr. A. Sanchez

  14. Binary Numbers • A single bit can represent two possible states, like a light bulb that is either on (1) or off (0) • Combinations of bits are used to store values How Do Computers Work? Part III Dr. A. Sanchez

  15. 1 bit 2 bits 3 bits 4 bits 0 1 00 01 10 11 000 001 010 011 100 101 110 111 0000 0001 0010 0011 0100 0101 0110 0111 1000 1001 1010 1011 1100 1101 1110 1111 Bit Combinations Each additional bit doubles the number of possible combinations How Do Computers Work? Part III Dr. A. Sanchez

  16. 1 bit ? 2 bits ? 3 bits ? 4 bits ? 5 bits ? How many items can be represented by Bit Combinations • Each combination can represent a particular item • There are 2N combinations of N bits • Therefore, N bits are needed to represent 2N unique items 21 = 2 items 22 = 4 items 23 = 8 items 24 = 16 items 25 = 32 items How Do Computers Work? Part III Dr. A. Sanchez

  17. Bit Combinations • Suppose we have three bits … see how different numbers are represented with them 1 0 1 5 22 = 4 0 1 5 + + = 1 1 1 7 22 = 4 21 = 2 1 7 + + = How Do Computers Work? Part III Dr. A. Sanchez

  18. Bit Combinations • Since you were very small, people have told you that you can count up to 10 with your two hands, right? • Well … you can do better than this … • With one hand you can count up to 31 … • With two hands you can count up to 1023 … • How How Do Computers Work? Part III Dr. A. Sanchez

  19. 21 = 2 22 = 4 23 = 8 24 = 16 2 1 3 20 = 1 4 0 Bit Combinations How Do Computers Work? Part III Dr. A. Sanchez

  20. Bit Combinations NOT Showing SHOWING! What number is this?? 1 How Do Computers Work? Part III Dr. A. Sanchez

  21. Bit Combinations NOT Showing SHOWING! What number is this?? NOT Showing 2 How Do Computers Work? Part III Dr. A. Sanchez

  22. A Computer Specification • Consider the following specification for a personal computer: • 2.8 GHz Pentium 4 Processor • 512 MB RAM • 80 GB Hard Disk • 48x CD-RW / DVD-ROM Combo Drive • 17” Video Display with 1280 x 1024 resolution • 56 Kb/s Modem • What does it all mean? How Do Computers Work? Part III Dr. A. Sanchez

  23. 9278 9279 9280 9281 9282 9283 9284 9285 9286 Main memory is divided into many memory locations (or cells) Each memory cell has a numeric address, which uniquely identifies it Memory Remember this? How Do Computers Work? Part III Dr. A. Sanchez

  24. Each memory cell stores a set number of bits (usually 8 bits, or one byte) Large values are stored in consecutive memory locations Storing Information 9278 9279 9280 9281 9282 9283 9284 9285 9286 10011010 How Do Computers Work? Part III Dr. A. Sanchez

  25. Storage Capacity • Every memory device has a storage capacity, indicating the number of bytes it can hold • Capacities are expressed in various units: Unit Symbol Number of Bytes KB 210 = 1024 kilobyte megabyte gigabyte terabyte MB 220 (over 1 million) GB 230 (over 1 billion) TB 240 (over 1 trillion) How Do Computers Work? Part III Dr. A. Sanchez

  26. Memory Meaning Pronunciation • Main memory is volatile - stored information is lost if the electric power is removed • Secondary memory devices are nonvolatile • Main memory and disks are direct access devices - information can be reached directly • The terms direct access and random access often are used interchangeably How Do Computers Work? Part III Dr. A. Sanchez

  27. Memory • A magnetic tape is a sequential access device since its data is arranged in a linear order - you must get by the intervening data in order to access other information How Do Computers Work? Part III Dr. A. Sanchez

  28. RAM vs. ROM • RAM - Random Access Memory (direct access) • ROM - Read-Only Memory • The terms RAM and main memory are basically interchangeable • ROM could be a set of memory chips, or a separate device, such as a CD ROM How Do Computers Work? Part III Dr. A. Sanchez

  29. RAM vs. ROM • Both RAM and ROM are random (direct) access devices! • RAM probably should be called Read-Write Memory How Do Computers Work? Part III Dr. A. Sanchez

  30. Compact Discs • A CD-ROM is portable read-only memory • A microscopic pit on a CD represents a binary 1 and a smooth area represents a binary 0 • A low-intensity laser reflects strongly from a smooth area and weakly from a pit How Do Computers Work? Part III Dr. A. Sanchez

  31. Compact Discs • A CD-Recordable (CD-R) drive can be used to write information to a CD once • A CD-Rewritable (CD-RW) can be erased and reused • The speed of a CD drive indicates how fast (max) it can read and write information to a CD How Do Computers Work? Part III Dr. A. Sanchez

  32. DVDs • A DVD is the same size as a CD, but can store much more information • The format of a DVD stores more bits per square inch Meaning and Pronunciation DVD = Digital Versatile Disk Read More HERE How Do Computers Work? Part III Dr. A. Sanchez

  33. DVDs • A CD can store 650 MB, while a standard DVD can store 4.7 GB • A double sided DVD can store 9.4 GB • Other advanced techniques can bring the capacity up to 17.0 GB • Like CDs, there are DVD-R and DVD-RW discs How Do Computers Work? Part III Dr. A. Sanchez

  34. Retrieve an instruction from main memory fetch execute decode Carry out the instruction Determine what the instruction is The Central Processing Unit (CPU) • A CPU is on a chip called a microprocessor • It continuously follows the fetch-decode-execute cycle: How Do Computers Work? Part III Dr. A. Sanchez

  35. The Central Processing Unit • The CPU contains: Performs calculations and makes decisions Arithmetic / Logic Unit Coordinates processing steps Control Unit Small storage areas Registers How Do Computers Work? Part III Dr. A. Sanchez

  36. The Central Processing Unit • The speed of a CPU is controlled by the system clock • The system clock generates an electronic pulse at regular intervals • The pulses coordinate the activities of the CPU • The speed is usually measured in gigahertz (GHz) How Do Computers Work? Part III Dr. A. Sanchez

  37. Monitor • The size of a monitor (17") is measured diagonally, like a television screen • Most monitors these days have multimedia capabilities: text, graphics, video, etc. • A monitor has a certain maximum resolution , indicating the number of picture elements, called pixels, that it can display (such as 1280 by 1024) • High resolution (more pixels) produces sharper pictures How Do Computers Work? Part III Dr. A. Sanchez

  38. Modem • Data transfer devices allow information to be sent and received between computers • Many computers include a modulator-demodulator or modem, which allows information to be moved across a telephone line • A data transfer device has a maximum data transfer rate • A modem, for instance, may have a data transfer rate of 56,000 bits per second (bps) How Do Computers Work? Part III Dr. A. Sanchez

  39. Questions? How Do Computers Work? Part III Dr. A. Sanchez

  40. How Do Computers Work? Part III Dr. A. Sanchez

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