CHAPTER 2

COMPUTER HARDWARE
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LEARNING OUTCOMES

Define the term of hardware

Describe the classification of computer hardware

Define input term and describe various input devices

Define output term and describe various output

devices

Identify the components in system unit

Define and identify about storage devices.

Discuss the required components for successful

communication
Recognize the external and internal component of computer

CONTENTS

2.1 Definition Of Hardware

2.2 Computer Hardware Classification
2.2.1 Input Devices
2.2.2 System Unit
2.2.3 Output Devices
2.2.4 Secondary Storage
2.2.5 Communication Devices
2.3 Hardware Components
2.3.1 External Component
2.3.2 Internal Component
Summary
Exercises

2.1 Definition of Hardware

Electric, electronic and mechanical

components contained in a computer.

2.2 Computer Hardware Classification

INPUT DEVICE
OUTPUT DEVICE
SYSTEM UNIT
SECONDARY STORAGE
COMMUNICATION DEVICES

Input Device

Input (What Goes In)

any data or instructions entered into
the memory of a computer
Input Devices
any hardware component that
allows users to enter data or
instructions (programs,
commands and user responses)
into a computer

CONT. INPUT DEVICE

Two types of input :

DATA
Collection of unprocessed text, numbers, images, audio and video.

INSTRUCTIONS
Steps that tell the computer how to perform a particular task.
Types of instructions:
1. Programs
2. Commands
3. User responses
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Types of instructions

Program
A series of instructions that tells a computer what to do and how
to do it.
Programmer writes a program and stores in a secondary storage.
Runs a program, Microsoft Word
Command
Input into a computers memory
An instruction that causes program to perform a specific action.
Example;
typing or pressing keys (keyboard), clicking a mouse button,
speaking
into a microphone or touching an area on a screen.
User responses
An instruction a user issues by replying to a question displayed
by a program.
Example: answer Yes or No
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INPUT DEVICE - Keyboard

Keyboard

contains keys users press to enter data into a computer.

Enhanced / Extended Keyboard

Ergonomic Keyboard

Enhanced or Extended keyboard Typically 101 keys laid out in the

QWERTY fashion; connected to the computer by a cable

Cordless keyboard Uses infrared or radio wave signals
Ergonomic keyboard Designed to help prevent cumulative trauma

disorder (CTD) or damage to nerve tissues in the wrist and hand due
to repeated motion
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QWERTY

Most common modern day keyboard layout.

The name comes from the first six keys appearing on the top left
letter row of the keyboard and read from left to right:
Q-W-E-R-T-Y

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INPUT DEVICE Pointing Device

Pointing devices allows a user to control a pointer on the screen

The mouse is the most widely used pointing device besides
trackball, touchpad, pointing stick, joystick and wheel, light pen,
touch screen, stylus, and digital pen.
As the mouse is moved, its movements are mirrored by the onscreen pointer.
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INPUT DEVICE Scanner

Scanner a light-sensing input device that reads printed text and
graphics and then translates the results into a form the computer can
process.

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Variety of devices that can capture data directly from a

source document

1. Optical Scanner/Scanner
2.Optical Readers a device that uses a light source to read
characters, marks and codes, then converts them into digital
data.
OCR Optical Character Recognition
reads characters from ordinary documents.
OCR-A font
OMR - Optical Mark Recognition
reads hand-drawn marks such as small circles

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Variety of devices that can capture data directly from a

source document

3. Bar Code Scanner

an optical reader that uses laser beams to
read a bar code or identification code.

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Variety of devices that can capture data directly from a

source document

4. MICR (magnetic-ink character recognition)

reads text printed with magnetized ink.
Example : cheque

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Example of Input Devices

Trackball

Keyboard

Barcode
reader
Touch
Screen
Mouse

Pen
Pointing
Stick
Touch Pad

Joystick

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SYSTEM UNIT

is a case that contains electronic

components of the computer used to process
data.
Houses the electronic components of the

computer system

Sometimes called the chassis

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Types of System Units

Desktop

Noteboo
k
Personal
Digital
Assistant

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Inside the System Unit

Motherboard (mainboard) Large

printed circuit board with thousands of

electrical circuits
Power supply Transforms
alternating current (AC) from wall
outlets to direct current (DC) needed
by the computer
Cooling fan Keeps the system unit
cool
Internal Speaker Used for beeps
when errors are encountered
Drive bays Housing for the
computers hard drive, floppy drive,
and CD / DVD drives
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Motherboard

1
2

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Central Processing Unit - Microprocessor

CPU
CPU socket
Central processing unit (CPU) A microprocessor that

interprets and carries out instructions given by software.

It controls the computers components.
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Main Component of Motherboard

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Components inside CPU

Executes stored program

instructions
Two parts

Control unit
Arithmetic/logic unit
(ALU)

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Control Unit

The control unit manages four basic operations (fetch, decode,

execute, and store).
The four-step process is known as the machine cycle or
processing cycle.
The processing cycle/ machine cycle consists of two
phases:
Instruction Cycle
Fetch Gets the next program instruction from the
computers memory
Decode Figures out what the program is telling the
computer to do
Execution Cycle
Execute Performs the requested action
Store (Write-back) Stores (writes-back) the results
to a register or to memory
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Arithmetic Logic Unit

Executes all arithmetic and logical operations

Arithmetic operations

Addition, subtraction, multiplication, division

Logical operations
Compare numbers, letters, or special characters
Tests for one of three conditions
Equal-to condition
Less-than condition
Greater-than condition

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Storage

Primary storage (memory)

Short term storage

Holds data and instructions for
processing. CPU refers to it for both
program instructions and data.

Secondary storage
Long-term storage
The physical material on which a
computer keeps data, instructions and
information
Two types:

Volatile
e.g: RAM

a) Magnetic Disk Storage

b) Optical Disk Storage

Non volatile
e.g: ROM, flash memory, cd, dvd,

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Magnetic Disk Storage

Data represented as magnetized spots on

surface of spinning disk

Primary types
Floppy disk/Diskettes
Hard Disk

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Optical Disk Storage

Provides inexpensive and compact storage with

greater capacity
Categorized by read/write capability
Read-only memory (ROM) - user can read from,
but not write to disk
Write-once, read-many (WORM) - user can write
to disk once

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Compact Disks

CD-ROM - drive can only read data from

CDs
CD-ROM stores up to 700 MB per disk
Primary medium for software
distribution
CD-R - drive can write to disk once
CD-RW - drive can erase and record

over data multiple times

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Digital Versatile Disk (DVD)

Short wavelength laser can read densely packed

spots
DVD drive can read CD-ROMs
Capacity up to 17GB
Allows for full-length movies
Sound is better than on audio CDs
Several versions of writable and rewritable DVDs
exist

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Random Access Memory (RAM)

RAM is a type of memory that stores information temporarily so that

its available to the CPU.

RAM is volatile; the memorys contents are erased when the power
is turned off.

Each byte of memory has a unique location or memory address.

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Read-Only Memory (ROM)

Type of memory that is used to store

permanent data and instructions

Not volatile: contents do not disappear when
power is lost
Cannot be changed by user

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Flash Memory

Non volatile RAM

Used in cellular phones, digital cameras, and
some handheld computers
Flash memory chips resemble credit cards
Smaller than disk drive and require less power

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Ports

External connectors to plug in

peripherals such as printers

Two types of ports

Serial: transmit data one bit at a time

Used for slow devices such as the

mouse and keyboard

Parallel: transmit groups of bits

together side-by-side

Used for faster devices such as

printers and scanners

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PORTS AND CONNECTORS

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PORTS AND CONNECTORS

Sound
PS/2
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Serial
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VGA
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OUTPUT

Output data that has been processed into a useful form

Output device any hardware component that conveys
information to one or more people.

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Output Devices

Computer screens / Display screen

Printers
Speakers and Headsets

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Computer Screen

CRT

LCD

A monitor is a peripheral device that displays

computer output on a screen.

Screen output is referred to as soft copy.
Types of monitors:

Cathode-Ray Tube (CRT)

Liquid Crystal Display (LCD or flat-panel)
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Printers

Produce information on paper output

Printed output known as hard copy
Orientation settings

Portrait - vertical alignment

Landscape - horizontal alignment

Two ways of printing

Impact printer
Non impact printer
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Impact Printers

Physical contact with paper required

to produce image
Line printer
Prints an entire line of a program
at once
Typically used with mainframe
computers printing lengthy reports
Dot-matrix printer
Has print head consisting of one
or more columns of pins
Pins form characters and images
as pattern of dots
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Non-impact Printers

Places an image on a page without

physically touching the page

Laser printer
Uses light beam to help transfer
images to paper
Produces high-quality output at very
fast speeds
Ink-jet printer
Sprays dots of ink from jet nozzles
Can print in both black and white and
color
Requires high-quality paper so ink
does not smear
Less expensive than laser printers
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Types of Printers

Laser

Inkjet

Inkjet printer, also called a

Laser printer works like a

bubble-jet, makes
characters by inserting dots
of ink onto paper.
Letter-quality printouts.
Cost of printer is
inexpensive, but ink is
costly.

copier.
Quality determined by dots
per inch (dpi) produced.
Color printers available.
Expensive initial costs, but
cheaper to operate per
page.
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Plotter

A plotter is a printer that uses a pen that moves

over a large revolving sheet of paper.

It is used in engineering, drafting, map making,
and seismology.
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Speakers and Headsets

Commonly used for an audio output device

Produces music, speech or other sounds

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Benefits of Secondary Storage

Space
Reliability
Convenience
Economy

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Space

Store a roomful of data on disks smaller than

the size of a breadbox

Diskette contains equivalent of 500 printed
pages
Optical disk can hold equivalent of 500 books

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Reliability

Data in secondary

storage is relatively
safe
Secondary storage is
highly reliable
More difficult for
untrained people to
tamper with data
stored on disk

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Convenience

Authorized users can easily and quickly

locate data stored on the computer

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Economy

Several factors create significant

savings in storage costs

Less expensive to store data on

disks than to buy and house
filing cabinets
Reliable and safe data is less
expensive to maintain
Greater speed and convenience
in filing and retrieving data

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Network

Basic Components
Sending device
Communications link
Receiving device

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COMMUNICATION DEVICE

any type of hardware capable of transmitting data,

instructions and information between a sending device
and a receiving device.
Or
Converts the data, instructions and information from
digital to analog signal vice versa, depending on the
devices and media involved

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Common types of communications devices

Dial-up
modems/modem

ISDN and DSL

modems

Cable modems

Network cards

Wireless access
points

Routers

Hubs
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Dial-up Modem/Modem

Short for modulator/demodulator

Converts digital signal to analog and vice versa
Measured in bits per second (bps)
Early modems transmitted at 300 bps
Fastest current modems transmit at 56,000 bps
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Types of Modems

External modem separate from computer

Internal modem inserted into computer

Standard on most computers today

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ISDN /DSL Modem

A device that uses telephone lines for

high-speed Internet connections

DSL : Digital Subscriber Line

ISDN : Integrated Service Digital

Network
http://www.build-your-own-computer.net

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Cable Modem

A device that enables user to

hook up their PC to a local cable
TV line and receive data at about
1.5 Mbps.
It has two connections:
a) to the cable wall outlet
b) to a PC or to a set-top box for
a TV set

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Wireless Access Point

www.sensewireless.com

A device that allows wired communication devices to connect to a

wireless network using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or related standards
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Network Interface Card (NIC)

A computer circuit board or card

that is installed in a computer so
that it can be connected to a
network.

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Router

Communications device that connects multiple

computers or other routers together and transmits data
to its correct destination on a network

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Hub

Device that provides a central point for cables in a

network.

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2.3 Hardware Components

External Component
External component is a computer hardware that was
locates outside the system unit.
Eg : keyboard, mouse, microphone, monitor, printer,
scanner, digital camera and PC camera.
Internal Component
Internal component is a computer hardware that was
locates inside the system unit.
Eg : processor, memory and most storage devices are
internal and reside inside the system unit.
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SUMMARY

At the end of this chapter, students should be able

to recognized the computer hardware, described
input devices, system unit, output devices,
secondary storage devices and communication
devices. Then, students capable to identify the
external and internal components for computer
hardware.

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EXERCISES

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

What is a computer hardware?

Briefly discuss input and output. Give TWO
device examples for each explanation.
What is the maximum capacity for DVD?
List down the advantages of secondary
storage.
Choose any TWO communication devices and
give explanations on it.

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References

Gary B. Shelly, Misty E. Vermaat. 2011.

Discovering Computers 2020. Living in the Digital
World. United State of America: Course
Technology. ISBN: 0-495-80681-1
Timothy J. OLeary, Linda I. OLeary. 2010.
Computing Essentials. Complete 2010. New York:
McGraw Hill Higher Education. ISBN:978-0-07017279-1
Bill Daley.2008. Computers are your future, Ninth
Edition Complete. New Jersey: Pearson
International Edition. ISBN: 0-13-158014-0
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