Electronic and Communications Dep.
College of Engineering
Al-Nahrain University
Computer Fundamentals and Programming I
First Stage
2024 - 2025
LECTURE ONE INTRODUCTION
- Computer became an integral part of our everyday life. Now a days
we see computer everywhere including schools, colleges, hospitals,
banks, shops, railway stations or even in our home. It makes our
work easier and faster.
- Report about “The importance of Computer in Our Daily life”.
Fig. 1. Uses of computer in our daily life
2
LECTURE ONE INTRODUCTION
1. BASICS OF COMPUTER
The word “computer” comes from the word “compute” which means
calculation.
Fig. 2. A simple workflow of a compute
We can define computer as an electronic device that receives input,
stores or processes the input as per user instructions and provides
output in desired format.
The activity of processing data using a computer is called data
processing.
2. THE BASIC OPERATIONS OF COMPUTER:
• Inputting: The process of entering data and instructions into a
computer.
• Storing: Saving data and instructions for future processing or
making available as and when required.
• Processing: The process of performing arithmetic and logical
operations on data to convert them into useful information.
• Outputting: Displaying result as output for a user in printed form
or in visual display unit.
• Controlling: Directing the manner and sequence in which the
above operations are performed.
3
LECTURE ONE INTRODUCTION
Fig. 3. Block diagram of Computer basic parts
The devices of computer such as keyboard, mouse, printer, cabinet, hard
disk, CDs, DVDs etc. that we can see and touch are the hardware
components of a computer.
The set of instructions or programs that make the computer function
using these hardware parts are called software. Both hardware and
software are necessary for working of a computer.
4
Fig. 4. Hardware VS. Software
LECTURE ONE INTRODUCTION
3. THE BASIC COMPONENTS OF A COMPUTER ARE AS FOLLOWS:
I. Input Unit / Device − Devices that are used to input data and
instructions to the computer are called input unit. For example,
keyboard and mouse.
II. Output Unit / Device − Devices that are used to provide or display
information to the user in desired format are called output unit. For
example, monitor, printer, LCD screen, Projector etc.
Fig. 5. Input VS Output Devices.
III. CPU – The Central Processing Unit (CPU) is regarded as the brain
of the computer. This is the place where processing is done. every CPU
has the following two basic parts:
a) Control Unit − Control unit controls all the functions of the computer.
All devices of computer interact through the control unit.
b) Arithmetic Logic Unit – All arithmetic and logical operations take
place in Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU).
5
LECTURE ONE INTRODUCTION
Fig. 6. The Central Processing Unit.
IV. Memory or Storage unit – Memory is the most essential element of a
computing device because without it computer cannot perform even a
simple task. Computer memory is of two basic types:
a) Primary memory: allows CPU to store and retrieve data in a very fast
manner. It is expensive and limited in size as compared to secondary
storage.
b) Secondary memory: Secondary memory or storage is cheaper and of
bigger capacity as compared to primary memory. The stored data and
programs can be accessed from the secondary storage whenever
required by the user.
6
Fig. 6. Primary Memory Vs. Secondary Memory
LECTURE ONE INTRODUCTION
4. CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPUTER
• Accuracy.
• Speed – can process millions of instructions in just one second.
The speed of a computer is calculated in Hertz. It can be Mega Hertz
(MHz), Giga Hertz (GHz) etc.
• Reliability – Reliability is the measurement of the performance
of a computer.
• Versatility –versatile devices as they can perform multiple tasks
of different nature at the same time.
• Storage Capacity- Computers can store a very large amount of
data.
5. INTERACTING WITH COMPUTER
To interact with a computer, connections are necessary. These
connections can be wired or wireless. For wired connections, ports are
necessary. A connection point that acts as interface between the
computer and external devices like mouse, printer, modem, etc. is called
port.
Fig. 7. Ports Types.
7
LECTURE ONE INTRODUCTION
6. SYSTEM INTERCONNECTION
CPU and Memory are connected by a Bus. A bus is a group of parallel
wires that carry control signals and data between CPU and Memory.
Connecting I/0 devices
The types of Bus:
• Data Bus.
• Address Bus.
• Control Bus.
7. DATA REPRESENTATION:
• Bit is a single binary digit (1 or 0).
• Nibble: is 4 bits.
• Byte: is 8 bits.
• Word: is 16 bits.
The Units:
Kilobyte (KByte) – 210.
Megabyte (MByte) – 220.
Gigabyte (GByte) – 230.
Terabyte (TByte) – 240.
