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Overview of general computer structure

Overview of general computer structure. Computers are versatile. Why? Because it can be programmed to do more than one specific task. Accountants ~ tax forms etc. Machinists ~ control drilling, lathes etc. Medical uses Simulation in real time ~ space.

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Overview of general computer structure

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  1. Overview of general computer structure

  2. Computers are versatile • Why? • Because it can be programmed to do more than one specific task. • Accountants ~ tax forms etc. • Machinists ~ control drilling, lathes etc. • Medical uses • Simulation in real time ~ space

  3. Computers are Designed to do what the instruction set(software) says to do. • Usage demands patience and persistence. • User must learn the language (commands). • User must know syntax for a particular language.

  4. Overview of Hardware and Software • Hardware: implies physical components. • Software : implies: a. Operating system software. b. Application software.

  5. General Computer Hardware CPU Input device Output device Main Memory Secondary Storage

  6. CPU ~ Central Processing Unit • Input Output • Instruction Result ALU Control Unit

  7. CPU • ALU: arithmetic and Logic Unit. • (does the math) • Control Unit: • fetches- from main memory, the next instruction in a sequence of instructions. • Decode-Instruction is coded in the form of a number. The control unit decodes the instruction and generates an electronic signal. • Executes: signal is routed to a device.

  8. Main Memory • RAM---random access memory: a device that holds information. (Usually a temporary holding because when the computer is turned off the RAM is erased.)

  9. Secondary storage • Hard disk: holds information for a long time. • Other devices: • Flash drive • Optical drive (compact disk or DVD)

  10. Definition of Devices • Output devices: Monitor Printer Disk drives • Input devices: • Keyboard • Mouse • Disk drives

  11. Software • Operating System---set of programs that manage the computer hardware devices and control their processes. • Single task—one program at a time. • like MS-DOS • Multi-tasking---runs multiple programs all at once. It divides the CPU memory among executable programs. Like Unix, XP, Windows 7.

  12. Multi-tasking • Falls into categories based upon the number of users. • Multi-user---Unix, Linux • Single User DOS, Windows

  13. Language • If a Program is a set of instructions a computer follows; then a programming language is a special code(language) used to write the program. • Low level: implies machine language • High-level: human readable

  14. Some of the Languages • Basic • Fortran • COBOL • Pascal • C • C++ • C# • Java • Forth/Fifth • Visual Basic

  15. Source Code---source file, text editors • Object code---checks for syntax • Executable code---Object code +library routines

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