Lecture 2

Introduction to Computer Structures

Instructor: Dr. Lap Luat Nguyen

School of Electrical Engineering

Ho Chi Minh City, Spring 2022

LECTURE CONTENTS

1.Basic Computing Concepts

2.Networking Principles

3.Computer Hardware

4.Computer Software

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LEARNING OBJECTIVES

By the end of this topic, you should be able to:

1.Define the common terminologies in a computer

system;

2.Know the needed components and how to connect

to the Internet;

3.Basic knowledge of hardware and software.

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 Basic Computing Concepts

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WHAT IS A COMPUTER ?

DEFINITION? A computer is an electronic device that

manipulates information, or “data”. It has the ability
to store, retrieve, and process data.

USAGE? You can use a computer to type documents, send

email, and surf the Internet. You can also use it to handle
spreadsheets, accounting, financing, database management,
presentations, play games, and more.

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 COMPUTER SIMPLIFIED

All types of computers consist of two basic

parts:

Hardware is any part of your computer that

has a physical structure, such as the computer
monitor or keyboard.

Software is any set of instructions that tells

the hardware what to do. It is what guides the
hardware and tells it how to accomplish each Inside a Computer - Part of the
task. Some examples of software are web Computer Motherboard
browsers, games, and word processors.

The first electronic computer, the Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer (ENIAC),
was developed in 1946. It measured 18 feet by 80 feet and weighed 30 tons.
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 TYPES OF COMPUTER

Desktop Computers
 The term desktop actually refers to
the casing, or the tower. Once you add a
monitor, mouse, and a keyboard, you have
what is typically known as a desktop
computer.
 Most desktop computers are easy to
upgrade and expand, or add new parts.
 Cost reduction.
 The term desktop computer originated when
the computer case was wide and flat, and
was designed specifically to fit on your
desktop with the monitor on top.

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 TYPES OF COMPUTER…

Laptop Computers
 Battery or AC-powered personal
computers.
 Can be easily carried and used in a
variety of locations.
 Difficult to expand or upgrade. While
the desktop computer case is relatively
easy to open and access internal
components, the small laptop case
makes this more difficult in comparison.
 A laptop computer is sometimes called
a notebook computer because of its size.

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TYPES OF COMPUTER…
Others
oWorkstations are similar to desktop computers, but are more powerful and are
usually connected to a network.
oServers are specialized computers that store and deliver, or “serve up”, information
to other computers on a network (file/database/web/… servers).
oMainframes computers are powerful computers used mainly by large organizations
for critical applications, typically bulk data processing such as census, industry and
consumer statistics, enterprise resource planning, and financial transaction processing.
oSupercomputer is a computer that is at the frontline of current processing capacity,
particularly speed of calculation.

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OPERATING SYSTEMS

DEFINE?
Themost important software that runs on a computer (Software is any set of
instructions that performs some task on a computer.)

PURPOSE?
Performs many essential tasks for your computer.
Controls
the memory needed for computer processes, manages disk space,
controls peripheral devices, and allows you to communicate with the computer
without knowing exactly how a computer works.
Without an operating system, a computer is useless.

ILLUSTRATION: Booting process

TYPES:

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11 09/15/2023
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13 09/15/2023
 OPERATING SYSTEMS: TYPES

WINDOWS MACOS UNIX/LINUX

proprietary software of
proprietary software of Apple open source or free
Microsoft
various versions
mid-1980s started in 1984 started in the 1990s
circulate in Apple products extremely popular in
extend to mobile market
only businesses (SERVERS)

12% of the operating systems 8% of the market share for

over 80% of computer users
market as of March 2015 home users

Two common versions of

Two popular distributions:
Latest version: Windows 10 MacOS: Maverick and
Ubuntu and Red Hat
Mojave

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O P E R AT I N G S Y S T E M S : U N I X / L I N U X

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BASIC PARTS OF A COMPUTER

 All of the basic parts of a desktop computer

are considered hardware.
 Inside the computer case: main board +
RAM + CPU + HDD + Power supply unit
[+VGA/Sound/… Cards]
 and monitor, keyboard, mouse, and power
cord, Optical/Bluray disks are considered as
peripherals

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 Chipset External peripherals
PCIe

Socket

USB
port

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SATA & IDE connectors
 CPU
CPU/Processor (Central Processing Unit)
 The brain of the computer, or the computer's engine.
 Carry out commands. Whenever you press a key, click the mouse, or start an
application, you're sending instructions to the CPU.
 The processor determines how fast a computer can execute instructions.
 A processor’s speed is measured in megahertz (MHZ), or millions of
instructions per second, and gigahertz (GHZ), or billions of instructions per
second.
 The power of the processor is measured in bits. The more bits a processor
can handle, the more data it can handle, and therefore, the more powerful the
processor.

Processor manufacturers for personal

computers including Intel, Cyrix, VIA,
and AMD, Atmel.

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RAM

RAM(Random Access Memory) is the system’s short-term memory.

Data is temporarily stored here until you save your work to the hard disk.
RAM is used by the system to store data that is processed by a computer’s
CPU.
The computer’s work takes place in RAM. This is where programs run
when you are using Word to create a letter, or Excel to produce a company
spreadsheet.
The more RAM you have, the more things your computer can do at the
same time, and the faster your computer performs certain tasks. RAM is
measured in megabytes (MB) or gigabytes (GB).
Note: A bit is the smallest unit of data in computer processing. A byte is a group
of eight bits. A megabyte is about one million bytes. A gigabyte is 1,024 megabytes.
Example: A printed page of single-spaced text contains about 3,000 characters.
One MB holds about 400 pages of single-spaced text.

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 BASIC PARTS OF A COMPUTER…
PORTS
PS/2 Port (1)
These ports are called PS/2 ports and are used for the
mouse and keyboard.
Ethernet Port (2)
This port looks a lot like the modem or telephone port but it
is actually wider.
Audio In/Audio Out (3)
Every computer has a bank of audio ports where you can
connect various devices, including speakers, microphones,
headsets, and more.
VGA/HDMI Port (4)
Your monitor is connected to this port.
USB Port (5)
The Universal Serial Bus let you attach a variety of
devices such as mice, printers, keyboards, web cameras,
USB/flash drives, and digital cameras to your computer
quickly.

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 BASIC PARTS OF A COMPUTER…

Parallel Port
One of the two original ports on the first personal computer (commonly known as the
printer port)
Serial Port
The serial port is the other original port on the first personal computer. Serial ports can
be used to plug in devices such as dial-up modems and other devices.
Expansion Slots
These empty slots are where expansion cards are added to computers. For example, if
your computer did not come with a video card, you could purchase one and insert it
here.
FireWire Port
FireWire is actually the Apple brand name for the IEEE 1394 port. It is the standard
port used with digital video cameras and high-resolution scanners.

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 Networking principles

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COMPUTER NETWORK

DEFINE: A network is a group of two or more computer systems linked

together. There are many types of computer networks, including:
•Local-Area Networks (LANs): The computers are geographically close

together (that is, in the same building).

•Wide-Area Networks (WANs): The computers are farther apart and are

connected by telephone lines or radio waves.

•Campus-Area Networks (CANs): The computers are within a limited

geographic area, such as a campus or military base.

•Metropolitan-Area Networks (MANs): A data network designed for a town or

a city.
•Home-Area Networks (HANs): A network contained within a user's home that

connects a person's digital devices.

Computers on a network are sometimes called nodes.

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HOW TO CON NECT TO INT ERN ET?

REQUIREMENTS: An Internet Service Provider (ISP), a modem, and an Internet browser.

TYPES OF INTERNET ACCESS:
oDial-up
access: usually the least expensive way to access the Internet; however, slowest.
A phone line and PC modem are required. Can't use the phone and computer at the same time.
oDSL, or Digital Subscriber Line, provides high-speed, Internet access through a phone
line. Can talk on the telephone and access the Internet at the same time. A DSL modem and
an Ethernet card are required for installation. A splitter may also be required to filter the DSL
signal from the low frequency voice signal.
oCableaccess: is provided through local TV cable. Like DSL access, it is considered
broadband, high-speed Internet access.
oSatellite
access: used in locations where there is no broadband cable or DSL Internet
available, most expensive. Satellite access is available across the world and can provide you
with a broadband connection.
oMobile access: via cellular network (GSM/CDMA): very portable but higher cost than
DSL.

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REQUIRED HARDWARE

Modem
a device or program that enables a computer to transmit data over, for example, telephone or cable
lines. Computer information is stored digitally, whereas information transmitted over telephone
lines is transmitted in the form of analog waves. A modem converts between these two forms.
The type of Internet access will determine what type of modem: Dial-up access uses a telephone
modem, which may come installed on your computer, DSL service uses a DSL
modem, Cable access uses a cable modem, and Satellite service uses a satellite adapter.
Network Card
-A network card is a piece of hardware that allows computers to communicate over a computer
network. Most newer computers have a network card built into the motherboard.
Router
-A router is a hardware device that allows you to use several computers on a single Internet
connection from your ISP.
-With a router, all the computers in your home can connect to the Internet and all you pay for is
one account with an ISP and one IP address. Additionally, cable, DSL, and satellite users can use a
router as a hardware firewall.

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 Computer Hardware

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Learning Objectives

1. Outline the major technologies and uses of computer

peripherals for input, output, and storage.

2. Identify and give example of the components and

functions of a computer system.

3. Identify the computer systems and peripherals you

would acquire or recommend for a business of your
choice, and explain the reasons for your selections.

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HARDWARE BASICS

Hardware components include:

1. Central Processing Unit (CPU)
2. Primary storage
3. Secondary storage
4. Input device
5. Output device
6. Communication device

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HARDWARE BASICS

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C O M P U T E R H A R D WA R E F U N C T I O N S

Input
 Keyboards, mouse, optical scanners
 Convert data into electronic form

Processing
 Central Processing Unit (CPU)
 Arithmetic-logic unit performs the arithmetic functions
 Control unit

Output
 Video display units, printers, etc.
 Convert electronic information into human-intelligible form

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C O M P U T E R H A R D WA R E F U N C T I O N S

Storage
 Primary Storage Unit or memory
 Secondary Storage
 Magnetic disks and Optical disks

Control
 Control unit of the CPU
 Controls the other components of the computer

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Computer System Components

System unit

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C e n t r a l P ro c e s s i n g U n i t

Central processing unit (CPU) (or microprocessor) - the

actual hardware that interprets and executes the program (software)
instructions and coordinates how all the other hardware devices
work together

 Control unit - interprets software instructions and literally tells

the other hardware devices what to do, based on the software
instructions

 Arithmetic-logic unit (ALU) - performs all arithmetic operations

(for example, addition and subtraction) and all logic operations
(such as sorting and comparing numbers)
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Hardware Components in Action

 Instruction phase
 Step 1: Fetch instruction
 Access the primary memory by the control unit, computer

program is a sequence of instructions.

 Step 2: Decode instruction
 The instruction is decoded  the central processor can

understand what is to be done.

 Execution phase
 Step 3: Execute the instruction
 The ALU does what is instructed to do

 Step 4: Store the results in memory

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 Execution of an Instruction

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 C o mp u t e r P ro c e s s i n g S p e e d s

 MIPS – million instructions per second

 Teraflops– trillions of floating point operations per

second (Supercomputer)

 Clock speed of the computer:

 Megahertz (MHz) – millions of cycles per second

 Gigahertz (GHz) – billions of cycles per second

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 Primary Storage

 Primary storage - the computer’s main memory, which

consists of the random access memory (RAM), cache
memory, and the read-only memory (ROM) that is directly
accessible to the CPU

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 Semiconductor memory

Microelectronic semiconductor memory chips

Used for primary storage

Advantage
 Small size
 Fast
 Shock and temperature resistance

Disadvantage
 Volatility: must have uninterrupted electric power or lose memory

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 Random Access Memory (RAM)
 Random access memory (RAM) - the computer’s primary
working memory, in which program instructions and data are
stored so that they can be accessed directly by the CPU via the
processor’s high-speed external data bus

 Volatility: do not retain its contents when the power is switched off

 Save work frequently

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 Random Access Memory (RAM)

 Cache memory

 Small unit of ultra-fast memory

 Used to store recently accessed or

frequently accessed data  CPU
does not have to retrieve this data
from slower memory such as
RAM.

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 Read Only Memory (ROM)

 ROM: read only memory

 The portion of a computer’s

primary storage that does not lose
its contents when one switches off
the power  Permanent storage
 Can be read but cannot be
overwritten

 Store start-up program frequently

used programs burnt into chips
during manufacturing (called
firmware)

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 Flash drive

 New type of permanent storage

 A special
type of rewritable ROM that
is compact and portable
 Uses semiconductor memory
 Also called jump drives, USB flash
drives, thumb drives, USB disk etc.
 Memory card, memory stick

Source: Courtesy of Lexar Media.

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 Peripherals

 Peripheral is generic name for all input, output, and

secondary storage devices that are part of the

computer system but are not part of the system unit

(i.e. CPU & primary storage)

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 Input Devices

 Input device - equipment used to capture

information and commands

 Manual input devices

 Joystick
 Keyboard
 Microphone
 Automated input devices
 Bar code scanner
 Digital camera
 Magnetic ink character reader

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 Popular input devices

 Keyboard

 most widely-used

 provides a set of alphabetic, numeric, punctuation, symbol and control

keys.

 Mouse

 One or more control buttons housed in a palm size case and designed so
that one can move it on the table.

 Point & click

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 Pointing Devices

 Touchpad – Small rectangular touch-

sensitive surface
 Moves the cursor in the direction of finger
moves on the pad.

 Touch Screen – use computer by touching

screen
 Video display screen that emits a grid of
infrared beams, sound waves, or a slight
electric current.
 Grid is broken when the screen is touched.

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 Automated Input Devices

• Optical data readers: read text or graphic and store as an digital image.
 Optical character recognition: read and convert to text
 Point-of-sale (POS) devices: terminal used in retail operations to enter
sales information into computer system.
• Bar code scanner: point of sales, inventory
• Magnetic strip: Can hold about kilobytes of information.
 Smartcard: that embed a microprocessor chip and several kilobytes of
memory (like credit card, debit card)

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 Automated Input Devices
• Digital cameras: captures still images or video as a series of 0s and 1s
• Automatic teller machine (ATM) devices: special I/O devices, a
terminal of most bank customers
• Radio-frequency identification (RFID): library, uses active or
passive tags in the form of chips or smart label that can store unique
identifier and relay this information to electronic readers.

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 Output Technologies

 Video displays
 Cathode ray tube (CRT) like a television
 Most desktop PC screens
 Liquid crystal displays (LCDs)
 Laptop and PDAs, some PCs
 Printed Output
 Inkjet printer
 Spray ink on page
 Laser printer
 Electrostatic process like photocopying machine
 Voice response systems

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 Secondary Storage Devices

 Main memory provides only small amount of

storage area for data, instruction, information.

 Computer needs store larger amount of data,

instruction and information, more permanently
than primary memory  Secondary storage
devices
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 Computer Storage Fundamentals

 Binary representation

 Data are processed and stored in computer system through the presence
or absence of signals

 Either ON or OFF

 ON = number 1

 OFF = number 0

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 Bit and Byte

 Bit (short for binary digit)

 Smallest element of data

 Either zero or one

 Byte

 Group of eight bits which operate as a single unit

 Represents one character or number

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 Representing characters in bytes
(using coding scheme)

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 Computers use binary system to calculate

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 Direct and Sequential Access

 Direct Access or Random Access

 Directly store and retrieve data
 Each storage position has unique address
and can be accessed in same length of time
 Semiconductor memory chips, magnetic
disks

 Sequential Access
 Data is stored and retrieved in a sequential
process
 Must be accessed in sequence by searching
through prior data
 Magnetic tape

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 Direct and sequential access

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 Communication Devices

 Communication device - equipment used to send information and

receive it from one location to another
 Dial-up access
 Cable
 Digital subscriber line
 Wireless
 Satellite

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 Computer Software

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Learning Objectives

1. Describe several important trends occurring in computer

software.
2. Give examples of major types of application and system
software.
3. Explain the purpose of several popular software packages
for end user productivity and collaborative computing.
4. Define and describe the functions of an operating system.
5. Describe the main uses of computer programming software,
tools, and languages.

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S o f t w a re t y p e s

Application software

Performs information processing tasks for end users

System software

Manages and supports operations of computer systems and

networks

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A p p l i c a t i o n s o f t w a re

General purpose
 Programs that perform common information processing jobs
for end users
 e.g., word processing, spreadsheet, etc.
 also called productivity packages
Application-specific
 Programs that support specific applications of end users
 e.g., electronic commerce, customer relationship
management, etc.

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S o f t w a re c l a s s i f i c a t i o n s

 Classify based on how it was developed

 Custom software
 Software applications that are developed within an organization for use
by that organization
 COTS software
 Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS)
 Software developed with the intention of selling the software in
multiple copies
 Why would you choose Custom over COTS?
 Why would you choose COTS over Custom?

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S o f t w a re S u i t e s

 Software suites integrate software packages

 Advantages
 Cost less than buying individual packages
 All have a similar GUI
 Work together well

 Disadvantages
 Features not used by all users
 Take a lot of disk space

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S o f t w a re S u i t e s

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Integrated Packages

 Integrated packages
 Combine the functions of several programs into one package

 e.g., Microsoft Works, AppleWorks

Advantages

 Many functions for lower price and smaller disk space

Disadvantages

 Limited functionality

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We b B ro w s e r

 Software applications that support navigation through

the point-and-click resources of the Web

 Surfing the web

 Becoming a universal software platform for Internet-

based applications

 Microsoft Explorer, Netscape Navigator, Firefox, Opera,

Google Chrome or Mozilla
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E - m a i l , I n s t a n t M e s s a g i n g a n d We b l o g s

 E-mail
 Software to communicate by sending and receiving messages
and attachments via the Internet, intranet or extranet
 Instant messaging (IM)
 Receive electronic messages instantly
 Weblog or blog
 A personal website in dated log format
 Updated with new information about a subject or range of
subjects
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Wo r d p r o c e s s i n g a n d D e s k t o p p u b l i s h i n g

 Word processing
 Create, edit, revise and print documents
 E.g., Microsoft Word, Lotus WordPro and Corel WordPerfect
 Desktop Publishing
 Produce printed materials that look professionally published
 E.g., Adobe PageMaker, Microsoft Publisher and
QuarkXPress

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Electronic Spreadsheets and Presentation Graphics

 Electronic Spreadsheets
 Worksheet of rows and columns
 Used for calculations and charts
 E.g., Lotus 1-2-3, Microsoft Excel, Corel QuatroPro
 Presentation Graphics
 Convert numeric data into graphics displays
 Prepare multimedia presentations including graphics, photos,
animation, and video clips
 E.g., Microsoft PowerPoint, Lotus Freelance, Corel
Presentations
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Personal Information Manager and Groupware

 Personal Information Manager (PIM)

 Software for end user productivity and collaboration
 Store information about clients, schedules, manage
appointments, manage tasks
 E.g., Lotus Organizer, Microsoft Outlook
 Groupware
 Software that helps workgroups collaborate on group
assignments
 E-mail, discussion groups, databases, videoconferencing
 E.g., Lotus Notes, Novell GroupWise, Microsoft Exchange

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Machine Languages

 First-generation languages
 All program instructions had to be written using binary
codes unique to each computer
 Programmers had to know the internal operations of the
specific type of CPU

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Assembler Languages

 Second-generation languages
 Symbols are used to represent operation codes and
storage locations
 Need language translator programs to convert the
instructions into machine instructions
 Used by systems programmers (who program system
software)

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High-Level Languages
 Third-generation languages
 Instructions that use brief statements or arithmetic
expressions
 Macro-instructions: each statement generates several
machine instructions when translated by compilers or
interpreters
 Easier to learn than assembler
 Machine independent
 Less efficient than assembler
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Fourth-Generation Languages

 Variety of programming languages that are

nonprocedural and conversational

 Nonprocedural – users specify results they want while

computer determines the sequence of instructions that
will accomplish those results

 Natural Language – very close to English or other

human language

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Object-Oriented Languages

 Combine data elements and

the procedures that will be
performed upon them into
Objects

 E.g., an object could be data

about a bank account and the
procedures performed on it
such as interest calculations
Object-Oriented Languages

 Most widely used software development languages today

 Easier to use and more efficient for graphics-oriented

user interfaces

 Reusable: can use an object from one application in

another application

 E.g., Visual Basic, C++, Java

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Web Languages
 HTML
 A page description language that creates hypertext documents for
the Web
 XML
 Describes the contents of Web pages by applying identifying tags or
contextual labels to the data in Web documents
 Java
 Object-oriented programming language that is simple, secure and
platform independent
 Java applets can be executed on any computer

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Web Services

 Software components

 based on a framework of Web and object-oriented

standards and technologies

 for using the Web

 to electronically link the applications of different users

and different computing platforms

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Language Translator Programs
 Translate instructions written in programming languages
into machine language
 Assembler
 translates assembler language statements
 Compiler
 translates high-level language statements
 Interpreter
 compiler that translates and executes each statement in a
program one at a time
 Java is interpreted

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 End of Tutorial

99