Computer – Components

All types of computers follow the same basic logical structure and perform the following five basic operations for converting raw input data into information useful to their users.

Input Unit

This unit contains devices with the help of which we enter data into the computer. This unit creates a link between the user and the computer. The input devices translate the information into a form understandable by the computer.

CPU (Central Processing Unit)

CPU is considered as the brain of the computer. CPU performs all types of data processing operations. It stores data, intermediate results, and instructions (program). It controls the operation of all parts of the computer.

CPU itself has the following three components −

• ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit)
• Memory Unit
• Control Unit

Output Unit

The output unit consists of devices with the help of which we get the information from the computer. This unit is a link between the computer and the users. Output devices translate the computer’s output into a form understandable by the users.

Computer – Input Devices

Following are some 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 to input 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 −

Mouse

Mouse is the 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 the mouse and sends corresponding signals to the CPU when the mouse buttons are pressed.

Generally, it has two buttons called the left and the right button and a wheel is present between the buttons. A mouse can be used to control the position of the cursor on the 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 the keyboard.

Joystick

Joystick is also a pointing device, which is used to move the 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 the 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 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 the 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 the ball, the 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, or a square.

Scanner

Scanner is an input device, which works more like a photocopy machine. It is used when some information is available on paper and it is to be transferred to the hard disk of the computer for further manipulation.

Scanner captures images from the source which are then converted into a digital form that can be stored on the disk. 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 as it converts graphics and pictorial data into binary inputs. A graphic tablet as digitizer is used for fine works of drawing and image manipulation applications.

Microphone

Microphone is an input device to input sound that is then stored in a digital form.

The microphone is used for various applications such as adding sound to a multimedia presentation or for mixing music.

Magnetic Ink Card Reader (MICR)

MICR input device is generally used in banks as there are large number of cheques to be processed every day. The bank’s code number and cheque number are printed on the cheques with a special type of ink that contains particles of magnetic material that are machine readable.

This reading process is called Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR). The main advantages of MICR is that it is fast and less error prone.

Optical Character Reader (OCR)

OCR is an input device used to read a printed text.

OCR scans the text optically, character by character, converts them into a machine readable code, and stores the text on the system memory.

Bar Code Readers

Bar Code Reader is a device used for reading bar coded data (data in the form of light and dark lines). Bar coded data is generally used in labelling goods, numbering the books, etc. It may be a handheld scanner or may be embedded in a stationary scanner.

Bar Code Reader scans a bar code image, converts it into an alphanumeric value, which is then fed to the computer that the bar code reader is connected to.

Optical Mark Reader (OMR)

OMR is a special type of optical scanner used to recognize the type of mark made by pen or pencil. It is used where one out of a few alternatives is to be selected and marked.

It is specially used for checking the answer sheets of examinations having multiple choice questions.

Computer – Generations

Generation in computer terminology is a change in technology a computer is/was being used. Initially, the generation term was used to distinguish between varying hardware technologies. Nowadays, generation includes both hardware and software, which together make up an entire computer system.

There are five computer generations known till date. Each generation has been discussed in detail along with their time period and characteristics. In the following table, approximate dates against each generation has been mentioned, which are normally accepted.

Following are the main five generations of computers.

Computer – Memory Units

Memory unit is the amount of data that can be stored in the storage unit. This storage capacity is expressed in terms of Bytes.

The following table explains the main memory storage units −

The following table lists some higher storage units −

Technology Trends in 2023: What to Expect and How to Prepare

Technology is constantly evolving and changing the way we live, work, and communicate. Every year, new innovations and breakthroughs emerge that challenge our assumptions and expectations. In this article, we will explore some of the technology trends that are shaping the world in 2023, and how they can impact your personal and professional life.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML)

AI and ML are not new concepts, but they have become more advanced and accessible in recent years. AI refers to the ability of machines to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as reasoning, learning, decision making, and natural language processing. ML is a subset of AI that enables machines to learn from data and improve their performance without explicit programming.

AI and ML have many applications across various domains, such as healthcare, education, entertainment, business, and security. Some examples of AI and ML in action are:

• Virtual assistants: These are software programs that can interact with users through voice or text, and provide information, services, or entertainment. Examples of virtual assistants are Siri, Alexa, Cortana, Google Assistant, and Bing.
• Facial recognition: This is a technology that can identify or verify a person’s identity based on their facial features. Facial recognition can be used for security purposes, such as unlocking devices or accessing restricted areas, or for social purposes, such as tagging photos or applying filters.
• Self-driving cars: These are vehicles that can drive themselves without human intervention, using sensors, cameras, GPS, and AI algorithms. Self-driving cars can offer many benefits, such as reducing traffic accidents, saving fuel, and improving mobility.
• Recommendation systems: These are systems that can suggest products, services, or content to users based on their preferences, behavior, or context. Examples of recommendation systems are Netflix, Spotify, Amazon, and YouTube.

AI and ML are expected to grow further in 2023, as more data becomes available and more powerful computing resources become affordable. Some of the challenges that AI and ML face are ethical issues, such as privacy, bias, accountability, and transparency; technical issues, such as scalability, reliability, and security; and social issues, such as job displacement, human-machine interaction, and social impact.

To prepare for the AI and ML revolution in 2023, you should:

• Stay updated: Keep yourself informed about the latest developments and trends in AI and ML by reading blogs, newsletters, podcasts, books, or courses.
• Be curious: Experiment with different AI and ML tools and platforms that are available online or on your devices. For example, you can try Google’s Teachable Machine, which lets you create your own machine learning models with your webcam; or Microsoft’s Cognitive Services, which offers various APIs for vision, speech, language, knowledge, and search.
• Be creative: Think of how you can use AI and ML to solve problems or enhance your life. For example, you can use AI to create art, music, or stories; or use ML to analyze data, optimize performance, or predict outcomes.

Internet of Things (IoT) and Edge Computing

IoT refers to the network of physical objects that are embedded with sensors, actuators, and communication devices that enable them to collect, process, and exchange data with other devices or systems over the internet. Examples of IoT devices are smart watches, smart phones, smart speakers, smart lights, smart thermostats, smart locks, and smart cameras.

Edge computing refers to the practice of processing data near the source of generation, rather than sending it to a central server or cloud. This can reduce latency, bandwidth consumption, and security risks, and improve performance, reliability, and privacy. Examples of edge computing devices are routers, gateways, microservers, and microdata centers.

IoT and edge computing have many applications across various domains, such as healthcare, agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, and smart cities. Some examples of IoT and edge computing in action are:

• Remote health monitoring: This is a technology that allows patients to monitor their vital signs, such as blood pressure, heart rate, glucose level, and oxygen saturation, using wearable devices that transmit data to their doctors or caregivers over the internet. This can improve patient outcomes, reduce healthcare costs, and increase access to healthcare services.
• Precision farming: This is a technology that uses IoT devices, such as sensors, drones, cameras, and robots, to collect data on soil conditions, crop health, weather patterns, and pest infestations, and use edge computing to analyze the data and provide real-time feedback or actions to farmers. This can increase crop yield, reduce environmental impact, and optimize resource use.
• Smart manufacturing: This is a technology that uses IoT devices, such as sensors, cameras, RFID tags, and robots, to collect data on production processes, quality control, inventory management, and supply chain management, and use edge computing to analyze the data and provide real-time feedback or actions to manufacturers. This can improve productivity, efficiency, safety, and customer satisfaction.
• Intelligent transportation: This is a technology that uses IoT devices, such as sensors, cameras, GPS, and V2X communication, to collect data on traffic conditions, road safety, vehicle performance, and driver behavior, and use edge computing to analyze the data and provide real-time feedback or actions to drivers or authorities. This can reduce congestion, accidents, emissions, and fuel consumption.

IoT and edge computing are expected to grow further in 2023, as more devices become connected and more data becomes available. Some of the challenges that IoT and edge computing face are technical issues, such as interoperability, scalability, reliability, and security; ethical issues, such as privacy, consent, ownership, and governance; and social issues, such as user acceptance, education, and regulation.

To prepare for the IoT and edge computing revolution in 2023, you should:

• Stay connected: Keep yourself updated about the latest developments and trends in IoT and edge computing by reading blogs, newsletters, podcasts, books, or courses.
• Be smart: Experiment with different IoT and edge computing devices and platforms that are available online or on your devices. For example, you can try Raspberry Pi, which is a low-cost computer that can run various IoT projects; or Azure IoT Edge, which is a cloud service that enables edge computing on IoT devices.
• Be innovative: Think of how you can use IoT and edge computing to solve problems or enhance your life. For example, you can use IoT to create smart home, smart garden, or smart pet systems; or use edge computing to create augmented reality, virtual reality, or gaming experiences.

Computer – Ports

A port is a physical docking point using which an external device can be connected to the computer. It can also be programmatic docking point through which information flows from a program to the computer or over the Internet.

Characteristics of Ports

A port has the following characteristics −

• External devices are connected to a computer using cables and ports.

• Ports are slots on the motherboard into which a cable of external device is plugged in.

• Examples of external devices attached via ports are the mouse, keyboard, monitor, microphone, speakers, etc.

Let us now discuss a few important types of ports −

Serial Port

• Used for external modems and older computer mouse

• Two versions: 9 pin, 25 pin model

• Data travels at 115 kilobits per second

Parallel Port

• Used for scanners and printers

• Also called printer port

• 25 pin model

• IEEE 1284-compliant Centronics port

PS/2 Port

• Used for old computer keyboard and mouse

• Also called mouse port

• Most of the old computers provide two PS/2 port, each for the mouse and keyboard

• IEEE 1284-compliant Centronics port

Universal Serial Bus (or USB) Port

• It can connect all kinds of external USB devices such as external hard disk, printer, scanner, mouse, keyboard, etc.

• It was introduced in 1997.

• Most of the computers provide two USB ports as minimum.

• Data travels at 12 megabits per seconds.

• USB compliant devices can get power from a USB port.

VGA Port

• Connects monitor to a computer’s video card.

• It has 15 holes.

• Similar to the serial port connector. However, serial port connector has pins, VGA port has holes.

Power Connector

• Three-pronged plug.

• Connects to the computer’s power cable that plugs into a power bar or wall socket.

Firewire Port

• Transfers large amount of data at very fast speed.

• Connects camcorders and video equipment to the computer.

• Data travels at 400 to 800 megabits per seconds.

• Invented by Apple.

• It has three variants: 4-Pin FireWire 400 connector, 6-Pin FireWire 400 connector, and 9-Pin FireWire 800 connector.

Modem Port

• Connects a PC’s modem to the telephone network.

Ethernet Port

• Connects to a network and high speed Internet.

• Connects the network cable to a computer.

• This port resides on an Ethernet Card.

• Data travels at 10 megabits to 1000 megabits per seconds depending upon the network bandwidth.

Game Port

• Connect a joystick to a PC

• Now replaced by USB

Digital Video Interface, DVI port

• Connects Flat panel LCD monitor to the computer’s high-end video graphic cards.

• Very popular among video card manufacturers.

Sockets

• Sockets connect the microphone and speakers to the sound card of the computer.

Computer – Number System

When we type some letters or words, the computer translates them in numbers as computers can understand only numbers. A computer can understand the positional number system where there are only a few symbols called digits and these symbols represent different values depending on the position they occupy in the number.

(toc)

The value of each digit in a number can be determined using −

• The digit

• The position of the digit in the number

• The base of the number system (where the base is defined as the total number of digits available in the number system)

Decimal Number System

The number system that we use in our day-to-day life is the decimal number system. Decimal number system has base 10 as it uses 10 digits from 0 to 9. In decimal number system, the successive positions to the left of the decimal point represent units, tens, hundreds, thousands, and so on.

Each position represents a specific power of the base (10). For example, the decimal number 1234 consists of the digit 4 in the units position, 3 in the tens position, 2 in the hundreds position, and 1 in the thousands position. Its value can be written as

(1 x 1000)+ (2 x 100)+ (3 x 10)+ (4 x l) (1 x 103)+ (2 x 102)+ (3 x 101)+ (4 x l00) 1000 + 200 + 30 + 4 1234 

As a computer programmer or an IT professional, you should understand the following number systems which are frequently used in computers.

Binary Number System

Characteristics of the binary number system are as follows −

• Uses two digits, 0 and 1

• Also called as base 2 number system

• Each position in a binary number represents a 0 power of the base (2). Example 2⁰

• Last position in a binary number represents a x power of the base (2). Example 2^x where x represents the last position – 1.

Example

Binary Number: 10101₂

Calculating Decimal Equivalent −

Note − 10101₂ is normally written as 10101.

Octal Number System

Characteristics of the octal number system are as follows −

• Uses eight digits, 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7

• Also called as base 8 number system

• Each position in an octal number represents a 0 power of the base (8). Example 8⁰

• Last position in an octal number represents a x power of the base (8). Example 8^x where x represents the last position – 1

Example

Octal Number: 12570₈

Calculating Decimal Equivalent −

Note − 12570₈ is normally written as 12570.

Hexadecimal Number System

Characteristics of hexadecimal number system are as follows −

• Uses 10 digits and 6 letters, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, A, B, C, D, E, F

• Letters represent the numbers starting from 10. A = 10. B = 11, C = 12, D = 13, E = 14, F = 15

• Also called as base 16 number system

• Each position in a hexadecimal number represents a 0 power of the base (16). Example, 16⁰

• Last position in a hexadecimal number represents a x power of the base (16). Example 16^x where x represents the last position – 1

Example

Hexadecimal Number: 19FDE₁₆

Calculating Decimal Equivalent −

Note − 19FDE₁₆ is normally written as 19FDE.