COMPUTER HARDWARE

Lecturer: Dorothy Joy A. Alegrado Nursing Informatics

Objectives

List the key hardware components of a computer and the four basic operations of the central processing unit (CPU). Describe how power is measured for computers. Describe common computer input, output, and storage devices. Discuss the history of computers. Describe the three classes of computers and key functionality of each class. Describe computer network/communications devices and functionality.

Hardware

Defined as all of the physical components of the machine itself.

Basic hardware:
Electronic

circuits Microchips Processors Motherboard

Includes devices that are peripheral to the main computer box such as input and output devices.

Computer Hardware Fundamentals

Motherboard - a thin, flat sheet made of a firm, non conducting material on which the internal components-printed circuits, chips, slots and so on- of the computer are mounted. - made of dielectric or non conducting plastic material and the electric conductions are etched or soldered onto the bottom of the board. - has holes or perforations through which components can be affixed.
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Computer Hardware Fundamentals

Central Processing Unit the brains of the computer - Consists of at least one arithmetic and logic unit and memory. * the arithmetic and logic units control mathematical functions * the control unit carries out the machine language functions called fetch, execute, decode and store
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Computer Hardware Fundamentals

Memory 2 types:
ROM RAM

(Read Only Memory) a form of permanent storage - generally contains the programs called firmware, used by the control unit of the CPU to oversee computer functions *ROM storage is not erased when the computer is turned off.
ROM

Computer Hardware Fundamentals

RAM

(Random Access Memory) refers to working memory used for primary storage. - a volatile and used as temporary storage - can be accessed, used, change and written on repeatedly - contains data and instructions that are stored and processed by computer programs called applications programs - the work area available to the CPU for all processing applications - the contents are lost whenever the power of the computer is turned off.

Computer Hardware Fundamentals

Input and Output

Input

devices allow the computer to receive information from the outside world.
e.g. keyboard, mouse, touch screen, light pen, voice and scanner

Touch screen both input and output device combined. Light pen a device attached to the computer that has special software that allows the computer to sense when the light pen is focused on a particular part of the screen.

Computer Hardware Fundamentals

Voice system allow the nurse to speak into a microphone to record data.

Some devices are used for security and can detect users finger prints, retinal prints, voice prints or other personally unique physical characteristics that identify users who have clearance to use the system.

Output

devices allow the computer to report its results to the external world - can be in the form of text, data files, sound, graphics or signals to other devices
e.g. monitor and printer

Computer Hardware Fundamentals

Storage Media common storage devices:

Hard drive o Diskettes magnetic storage media o CD-ROMs form of optical storage * Optical media are read by a laser eye rather than a magnet
o

Computer Hardware Fundamentals

Hard Drive a peripheral that has very high speed and high density - a very fast means of storing & retrieving data as well as having a large storage capacity in comparison with the other types of storage Diskettes a round magnetic disk encased in a flexible or rigid case - it allows the user to transport data & programs from one computer site to another
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Computer Hardware Fundamentals

CD-ROM a rigid disk that holds a much higher density of information than a diskette & has a much higher speed USB disk a small removable hard drive that is inserted into the USB port of the computer - a read-write device like floppies & small enough to transport comfortably in a pants pocket

Computer Hardware Fundamentals

Other input devices Magnetic tape drives in 1980 & early 1990s were a popular way to back up hard drive data

Zip drives more similar to ordinary floppy disks but are of higher capacity

Computer Power
Bits & bytes refer to how the machine stores information at the lowest or closest to machine registers & memory level. bit (binary digit) a unit of data in the binary numbering system; on= 1; off= 0 - an on/off switch Byte made up of 8 bits

Computer Speed
The CPU speed is measured in cycles per second which one called the clock speed of the computer. 1 million cycles per second is called 1 megahertz(MHz).

Assignment: Give a brief history of computers

Classes of Computers

Analog computer operates on continuous physical or electrical magnitudes, measuring on going continuous analog quantities such as voltage, current, temperature & pressure. - accepts input/output signals e.g. heart monitors & fetal monitors

Classes of Computers

Digital computer operates on discrete discontinuous numeral digits using the binary numbering - data are represented by numbers, letters & symbols rather than by waveforms such as on heart monitor

Classes of Computers

Hybrid computer features of both the analog & the digital computer - used for specific application such as complex signal processing & other engineering oriented applications e.g. physiologic monitors that are able to capture the heart waveform & also to measure the core body temperature at specific times i.e. ECG,EEG

Types of Computers
Each type was developed as the computer industry evolved & each was developed for a different purpose. Supercomputers (high-end computers) largest type of computer - computational-oriented computer specially design for specific applications requiring gigantic amounts of calculations

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Types of Computers

Mainframes fastest, largest & most expensive type of computer used for processing, storing, & retrieving data. Microcomputers( Personal Computer or PCs) can serve stand-alone workstations & can be linked to a network system to increase their capabilities

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Types of Computers

Handheld computers small, special function computer

e.g. PDAs can have calendar, contacts, notetaking, word processing, spread sheet, dictionary

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Common Hardware Peripherals

Keyboard Monitor Mouse & trackball Floppy disks & diskettes Touchpad & mouse button

Light pen or touch screen OCR MICR Printers Modems

Basics of Computer Network Hardware

Network - a set of cooperative interconnected computer for the purpose of information interchange. includes : LAN, WAN, MAN The most important components of network hardware are the adapter or interface card, cabling & server The most important concepts in network hardware are architecture & topology.

Network Hardware
The role of hardware in a network is to provide an interconnection between computers. It must have at least 3 pieces of hardware:

NIC Network Adapter or Network Interface Communication medium (cabling)

choice of communication medium is based on the following: Distance Amount of data transfer How often the transfer is needed Availability

Telephone Line Communications

Specialized phone lines called integrated services digital network (ISDN) lines are used to carry communication across phone lines. ISDN set of communication standards for optical fibers that carry voice, digital & video signals across phone lines.

Cable Modem
Uses the same type of connection that cable uses The interesting thing is that TV uses very little of the bandwidth of a cable connection, so the same cable that brings a user cable TV can Servers
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One computer is the core or server computer that receives request from the client computer and fulfill there request.

Architecture
-

Refers to overall physical structure, peripherals, interconnections within the computer & its system software especially the operating system. Can be divided into five fundamental components:
Input/output Storage Communication Control processing

Architecture
Two types of network architecture: Broadcast done by transmitting the same information to all computers in the network - typically used in LANs

Point-to-point the computer for w/c information is intended is identified first, & the communication is only to that particular computer. - typically used in dial-up networking

Topology
- Defines how the network components in a LAN are interconnected within a physical area & describes their physical interconnection. Different topology: Bus all the node computers are directly attached to a line. Star centralized structure where all computers are connected through a central computer called the server.

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Topology
Ring all LAN computers were connected in a ring fashion with wires or cables that directly connected all the computers together. Forms:

Hub consists of a backbone or main circuit, attached to a number of outgoing lines Arcnet uses a token bus system managing line sharing among all the users on the network

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Motherboard

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CPU

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Hard drive

Diskette

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High end computer

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Mainfram e

PC

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Handheld computers

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Bus topology

Star topology

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Ring topology

hub

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