Unit-1

Introduction to computer Systems​:

Computer:
A computer is an electronic device that takes input from its user, stores, processes
data and generates the required output as per the processing instructions given to it by the user.

Computer performs same three functions again and again they are:
● Input
● Processing
● output

These functions collectively constitute a data processing cycle.

Computer solves the problem by performing the following activates

Input: Input devices feed the computer the raw matter – facts or data
Processing: The storage of data, numerical comparisons, arithmetic operation are
performed on data to produce desired results
Output: The processed data or information is sent to the output device connected to
computer.

Representation of information​:
Computers use electronic circuits that are like
switches that can be “on” or “off” and represent just two states. Computer that use the
binary number system, a number system that uses only two binary digits or bits, 0 and 1.
A bit is the smallest possible unit of data.

The table illustrating units of memory is as follows

1 Byte 8 Bits
1 Kilo byte(Kb) 1024 bytes
1 Mega byte (Mb) 1024 Kb
1 Giga byte(Gb) 1024 Mb
1 Tera Byte(Tb) 1024 Tb

Field: A field is a meaningful collection of related characters.

Record: Fields are generally grouped together to form a record
File: Records are then grouped to form a file.
Database: A database is a collection of integrated and related master files.

Application of computers:
A computer is today used in a wide range of field such as
business, banking, education, medical care, scientific and engineering application,
manufacturing, legal practice, law enforcement, military affairs, sports and personal use
in the home etc.

Types of computers:
Based on the size and complexity , computers can generally be
classified under the following categories:

Personal computer:
● Personal computer(PC) is a small, single-user computer
based on a microprocessor.
● Although PC’s are designed as single-user system, it is
common to link them to from a network.

Personal computer types:

1. Desktop
2. Laptop
3. Palmtop
Desktop: It is not designed for portability. The expectation with desktop system is that
you will set the computer up in a permanent location.
Laptop: Laptop also called as Notebook computers. They are portable computers that can
run on batteries.
Palmtop: Palmtop are more commonly known as Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs).
Palmtops are tightly integrated computers that often use flash memory instead of a hard
drive for storage. They use touch screen technology for user input. Palmtops can typically
fit in your arm. A Slightly larger and heavier version of the palmtop is called handheld
computer.

Work station:
● A powerful, Single-user computer. A workstation is like personal
computer, but it has a more powerful microprocessor.
● It is used for engineering application (CAD/ CAM), desktop
publishing, software development and other application that
require a moderate amount of computing power and relatively high
quality graphics capabilities.
● In networking, a workstation refers to any computer connected to a
Local Area Network (LAN).
Mainframes:
● Originally, Mainframes were huge computers that could fill an
entire room. They are expensive computers capable of supporting
even thousands of users simultaneously. As the size of computers
has reduced while the power has increased, mainframes have fallen
out of use in favor of enterprise server.

Supercomputers:
 ● Sophisticated, expensive computers, using state- of-the-art
technology.
● Supercomputer is a broad term for one of the fastest computers
currently available.
● They are particularly utilized in simulation and modeling of
complex systems( weather, chemical processes, motion of galaxy).

Characteristics of computers:
A computer is equipped with number of chief
characteristics that helps it to handle the different problems more efficiently and
economically.

The five major characteristics of computer which have made them so powerful and useful
are:
● Speed
● Accuracy
● Consistency
● Storage capacity
● Flexibility
1. Speed:
Computers can process millions of instructions per second thus carrying
out even the complex task in fraction of seconds. The speed of computers is increasing
day by day and thus generally the speed of computers is measured in terms of
microseconds and even Pico seconds.

2. Accuracy:
Computer system always produce accurate results with valid data and
instruction. In addition to being fast, computers are also accurate. They either give the
correct answer or do not answer at all. If faulty instructions are provided for processing
the data, obviously faulty answer will be given. This is also called GIGO, i.e. Garbage In
Garbage Out. The only possibility of an error occurring is due to inaccurate instructions
or faulty data.

3. Consistency:

Computers being machines are highly consistent. They never get bored.
Hence, they are ideal machines for carrying out repetitive and voluminous work.

4. Storage Capacity:

Computers can store huge amounts of data. Once recorded, a piece of

information is never forgotten (unless some problem takes place) and any information
can be retrieved almost instantaneously.
5. Flexibility:
 A Computer is a versatile machine and its use is limited only by your
imaginations. In today’s fast developing technology-world it would be very difficult, in
some cases inconceivable, to find an area where computers are not being used to a great
advantage.

History of computers:
Historians start the history of calculation with the Abacus its origin
to around 5000 B.C. It was used for performing simple calculations.
● John Napier a Scottish mathematician, did considerable work on the aids for
calculation. The most notable one was the invention of logarithms in 1614.
● In 1620 William Oughtred an English mathematician invented the slide rule.
● In 1642, Blaise Pascal, a French mathematician invented the first mechanical
calculating machine.
● A German mathematician, in 1671 invented a calculating machine which was able
to perform multiplication and division.
● Between 1802 and 1804, Joseph Marie jacquard, a French textile manufacturer,
invented a mechanical system for use in the textile industry.
● In 1822, Charles Babbage, a professor of mathematics at Cambridge university
devised a machine called “Difference Engine”. He is therefore widely considered
as Father of computer.
● In 1946, ENIAC ( Electronic Numerical Integrator and Calculator) was the first
electronic calculator.
● In between 1947 and 1950 the U.S. Army built a computer named EDVAC (
Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer) which was based on John von
Neumann’s. He is also called Father of Modern Computers.

1​st​ Generation ​ Generation

2 nd​ 3 rd​ ​Generation 4​ th​ Generation
● Use of vacuum ● Use of ● Use of ● Use of large scale
tubes transistors and integrated and very large scale
diodes circuits. integrated scale

● Limited storage ● Increased ● More flexibility ● Increased Storage

capacity Storage capacity with
input/output
● Considerably faster
● Slow speed ● Faster speed ● Smaller size and and smaller
better
performance. ● Modular design,
versatility and
● Symbolic ● Reduction in ● Extensive use of compatibility.
language size and heat high level Sophisticated
programming generation programming programs and
huge size. languages. languages for special
applications.
● Problems of ● High level ● Remote ● Increased use of
over heating. programming processing and microcomputers
language. time sharing (PCs)

Basic Anatomy of computers:

Basic Components:
A computer system has three important parts, namely input device,
central processing device and output device. The Central Processing Unit (CPU) itself
has three parts, namely, Memory unit, Control Unit, and Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU).
These three units along with the input and output devices from the five important
components of any computer system.

In addition to the five basic parts mentioned above, computers also

employ secondary storage devices (also called auxiliary storage or backing storage)
which are used for storing data or instructions on a long-term basis.

Functioning of the components:

The input devices are used to transfer the information into
the memory unit of a computer information from the memory can be transferred to the
ALU where comparisons or calculations are done and the results are sent back to the
memory unit. Thus, the memory unit is used to store the set of instructions that
determines the operation to be carried out on a set of data, as well as the data on which
these operations are performed. The memory unit is also called the main memory or the
immediate access store (IAS). The coordination and control of the operations of a
computer system is responsibility of the control unit. It accepts instructions held in store,
interprets these instructions and processes them for execution by appropriate parts of the
system in the correct sequence. The results that are stored in the memory can be
transformed into a form that can be understood by us by means of an output device.
 Computer element Purpose
Input To receive data and instructions in a form
that can be understood by the computer
Output To give out information via a Suitable
device, e.g. a printer. The output
information is obtained from main storage.
Storage To hold data and instructions after input,
1. Main Storage until needed. Also to hold information
(main memory) awaiting output. The instructions (provided
by programmers) will specify the action to
be taken on the data.

2. Secondary storage( auxiliary storage) To supplement main storage. Used to store

large amounts of data or instructions
permanently. Much cheaper than main
storage
Arithmetic & logic Unit (ALU) To carry out calculations and comparisons
based on the instructions.
Control Unit To take stored instructions in sequence, one
at a time. To interpret each instruction and
prompt its execution by one of the units
like input, output, storage or ALU.

Memory:
The computer memory is a scratch pad where information, which includes
both programs and data, is kept while it is being worked on. A computer memory consist
of large number of storage spaces know as cells or locations, Which are organized into
units of bytes, each comprising 8 bits. No matter what kind of information is being
stored, it is coded in some particular form of bits, Which is interpreted in a way that is
appropriate to the kind of data. The same memory bytes are used to record program
instruction codes, numeric or alphabetic data.

RAM:
RAM stands for Random Access Memory .The main feature of RAM is that
can be read from or written onto any location and can be accessed randomly. In other
words, reading and writing onto any location takes the same amount of time. The
contents of Ram are available as long as the computer is not switched off, i.e., it loses its
contents the moment the power is turned off. Hence it is called volatile memory.

ROM:
 ROM stand for Read Only Memory. It holds permanent data or instruction
that can only be read from, but not written onto, i.e. information is permanently recorded
so that it cannot be changed by the programmers. It is non-volatile in nature, meaning
that the contents of ROM are not lost when the computer is switched off, it remains there.
It contains instructions and data that control the various peripheral units of the computer,
such as graphics display and disk drive etc. But, the key set of programs contained in
ROM may vary from computer. The contents of the ROM are built into it at the time of
manufacturing itself.

Software components:
​ oftware components of a computer system have no physical
S
presence, they are stored in digital form within computer memory. There are different
categories of software, including system software, utilities and applications software.
Software can also be described as being either generic or bespoke.

Hardware Components:
Computer hardware is the physical parts or components of a
computer, such as the monitor, mouse, keyboard, computer data storage, hard disk drive
(HDD), graphic cards, sound cards, memory (RAM), motherboard, and so on, all of
which are physical objects that are tangible. In contrast, software is instructions that can
be stored and run by hardware.

Input Devices:

Following are few of the important input devices which are used in a computer:

Keyboard
Mouse
Joy Stick
Light pen
Track Ball
Scanner
Graphic Tablet
Microphone
Magnetic Ink Card Reader(MICR)
Optical Character Reader(OCR)
Bar Code Reader
Optical Mark Reader(OMR).

Keyboard:
Keyboard is the most common and very popular input device which helps in
inputting data to the computer. The layout of the keyboard is like that of traditional
typewriter, although there are some additional keys provided for performing additional
functions.
Keyboards are of two sizes 84 keys or 101/102 keys, but now keyboards with 104 keys or
108 keys are also available for Windows and Internet.

The keys on the keyboard are as follows:

Sr.No Keys
1 Typing Keys
2 Numeric Keypad
3 Function Keys
4 Control keys
5 Special Purpose Keys
Description
These keys include the letter keys (A-Z) and digit
keys (0-9) which generally give same layout as that
of typewriters.
It is used to enter numeric data or cursor movement.
Generally, it consists of a set of 17 keys that are laid
out in the same configuration used by most adding
machines and calculators.
The twelve function keys are present on the
keyboard which are arranged in a row at the top of
the keyboard. Each function key has unique meaning
and is used for some specific purpose.
These keys provide cursor and screen control. It
includes four directional arrow keys. Control keys
also include Home, End, Insert, Delete, Page Up,
Page Down, Control(Ctrl), Alternate(Alt),
Escape(Esc).
Keyboard also contains some special purpose keys
such as Enter, Shift, Caps Lock, Num Lock, Space
bar, Tab, and Print Screen.

Mouse:
Mouse is most popular pointing device. It is a very famous cursor-control
device having a small palm size box with a round ball at its base which senses the
movement of mouse and sends corresponding signals to CPU when the mouse buttons are
pressed.
Generally it has two buttons called left and right button and a wheel is present between
the buttons. Mouse can be used to control the position of cursor on screen, but it cannot
be used to enter text into the computer.
Advantages:
 Easy to use
Not very expensive
Moves the cursor faster than the arrow keys of keyboard​.

Joystick:
Joystick is also a pointing device which is used to move cursor position on a
monitor screen. It is a stick having a spherical ball at its both lower and upper ends. The
lower spherical ball moves in a socket. The joystick can be moved in all four directions.
The function of joystick is similar to that of a mouse. It is mainly used in Computer
Aided Designing(CAD) and playing computer games.

Light Pen:
Light pen is a pointing device which is similar to a pen. It is used to select a
displayed menu item or draw pictures on the monitor screen. It consists of a photocell and
an optical system placed in a small tube. When the tip of a light pen is moved over the
monitor screen and pen button is pressed, its photocell sensing element detects the screen
location and sends the corresponding signal to the CPU.

Track Ball
Track ball is an input device that is mostly used in notebook or laptop computer, instead
of a mouse. This is a ball which is half inserted and by moving fingers on ball, pointer
can be moved. Since the whole device is not moved, a track ball requires less space than
a mouse. A track ball comes in various shapes like a ball, a button and a square.

Scanner:
 Scanner is an input device which works more like a photocopy machine. It is
used when some information is available on a paper and it is to be transferred to the hard
disc of the computer for further manipulation. Scanner captures images from the source
which are then converted into the digital form that can be stored on the disc. These
images can be edited before they are printed.

Digitizer:
Digitizer is an input device which converts analog information into digital
form. Digitizer can convert a signal from the television or camera into a series of
numbers that could be stored in a computer. They can be used by the computer to create a
picture of whatever the camera had been pointed at. Digitizer is also known as Tablet or
Graphics Tablet because it converts graphics and pictorial data into binary inputs. A
graphic tablet as digitizer is used for doing fine works of drawing and image
manipulation applications.

Microphone:
Microphone is an input device to input sound that is then stored in digital
form. The microphone is used for various applications like adding sound to a multimedia
presentation or for mixing music.

Output Devices:
Following are few of the important output devices which are used in a
computer.
Monitors
Graphic Plotter
Printer
Monitors
Monitors, commonly called as Visual Display Unit (VDU), are the main output device of
a computer. It forms images from tiny dots, called pixels that are arranged in a
rectangular form. The sharpness of the image depends upon the number of pixels.
There are two kinds of viewing screen used for monitors.
Cathode-Ray Tube (CRT)
Flat- Panel Display
Cathode-Ray Tube (CRT) Monitor
The CRT display is made up of small picture elements called pixels. The smaller the
pixels, the better the image clarity, or resolution. It takes more than one illuminated pixel
to form whole character, such as the letter ‘e’ in the word help.
A finite number of characters can be displayed on a screen at once. The screen can be
divided into a series of character boxes - fixed location on the screen where a standard
character can be placed. Most screens are capable of displaying 80 characters of data
horizontally and 25 lines vertically. There are some disadvantages of CRT:
Large in Size
High power consumption

Flat-Panel Display Monitor

The flat-panel display refers to a class of video devices that have reduced volume, weight
and power requirement in comparison to the CRT. You can hang them on walls or wear
them on your wrists. Current uses of flat-panel displays include calculators, video games,
monitors, laptop computer, graphics display.
The flat-panel display is divided into two categories:
Emissive Displays -​ ​The emissive displays are devices that convert electrical energy into
light. Example are plasma panel and LED(Light-Emitting Diodes).
Non-Emissive Displays -​ ​The Non-emissive displays use optical effects to convert
sunlight or light from some other source into graphics patterns. Example is
LCD(Liquid-Crystal Device)

Printers
Printer is an output device, which is used to print information on paper.
There are two types of printers:
Impact Printers
Non-Impact Printers

Software components of a computer system have no physical presence; they are stored in
digital form within computer memory. There are different categories of software,
including​ ​system software​,​ ​utilities​ ​and​ ​applications software.​ Software can also be
described as being either​ ​generic​ ​or​ ​bespoke.​
System software​ ​is the software used to manage and control the hardware components
and which allow interaction between the hardware and the other types of software. The
most obvious type of system software is the computer's​ ​operating system​ ​but device
drivers are also included within this category.
Utility software​ ​is software such as anti-virus software, firewalls, disk defragmenters
and so on which helps to maintain and protect the computer system but does not directly
interface with the hardware.
Applications software​ ​(also known as 'apps') are designed to allow the user of the
system complete a specific task or set of tasks. They include programs such as web
browsers, office software, games and so on. They are usually the reason you bought the
computer system in the first place and aren't concerned with the management or
maintenance of the system itself.​.
Types Of Programming​:
1.Natural languages 2.Machine Level 3.Assembly level 4. High level language
Unit-2

MS-Office:
Windows and Ms office are Microsoft’s two most popular programs. One
is an operating system and other a bundle suite comparing of a MS Word (word
processing), MS Excel (Spread sheet). MS PowerPoint (graphics presentation program),
MS Access (relational database), MS Outlook, MS Publisher and MS FrontPage.

Word Processing:
If you want to write letter, memos, reports, newsletters, invoices,
fax messages, etc. On a computer you need a word processor. A Word processor does
what it says- process words or text. By processing words, we mean that through this
software you can type your text and then edit, modify, delete or print it.

Tabulation & number crunching​:

In MS Excel arrange data in the form of rows and columns
and manipulate and analyze it. Primarily for numerical data. With it, you can create
complex tables, charts, graphs etc. and use whole array of analysis features.

Graphics:
If you some times have to make presentations. Power point with it , you
can create slides, transparencies, handouts and speakers notes.

MS WORD:
Word is a full-featured word processing program which can be used for
any work involving creating and managing text. You can use it from the simplest to the
most complex word processing applications